MY STAYCATION AT THE OTIS HOTEL
The Otis Hotel, Autograph Collection is a new hotel in Austin in the campus district. It opened right before mandatory closures happened in Austin last March, and they unfortunately had to shut down for a while right after their grand opening. Thankfully, they’re back open again and able to host guest in a safe and socially distanced way!
I’d been dying to check out this beautiful hotel, its rooftop pool, and some of the restaurants, so I did one of my favorite things to do: I booked a solo staycation. I know these aren’t for everyone (particularly if you have your own apartment and you’re always alone), but ever since I entered motherhood last year, I’ve savored my rare alone time! One of my favorite things to do is to book a night alone in a beautiful hotel. (I did it last summer at Arrive East Austin – read about that here!) I enjoy the silence, the unstructured time away from normal life, a drink by the pool, and watching my favorite shows from a big, comfy king size bed. I love it all! The Otis Hotel was the PERFECT place to enjoy a solo night away from everything.
The Otis Hotel was on my list to check out because it’s in a unique part of Austin. Most new hotels are going up in downtown Austin, Rainey Street, or East Austin, but The Otis is in a relatively undeveloped hotel area: University of Texas Campus area. If you’re planning a college visit here to check out the campus, visit a student, or go to a Longhorn football game, this hotel is the place to book! (See prices here.)
Table of Contents
HOTEL LOCATION
Like I mentioned, this hotel is right by the University of Texas campus. It’s an amazing location! You can easily walk to UT for a campus visit, or have one of your college kids walks to the Otis Hotel to meet you for dinner at Acre 41. Here are a few places that are within walking distance of the Otis Hotel:
The Drag (.1 miles)
Kesos Tacos (.3 miles)
Caffé Medici (.3 miles)
Olamaie (.5 miles)
UT Tower (.7 miles)
Texas Chili Parlor (.8 miles)
Olamaie (.5 miles)
Darrell K Royal Football Stadium (.9 miles)
Texas State Capitol (.9 miles)
MY ROOM
I stayed on the 8th floor, so the view of the city was amazing! I could look south and see downtown Austin all lit up in the distance. One of myt favorite parts of The Otis hotel is that each room comes with its own record player. There’s a vinyl lending library downstairs with thousands of records to borrow (at no cost), so I had tunes playing the whole time I was working.
See that set up above? It’s the perfect snapshot of what I love to do during a solo staycation. I LOVE getting a bunch of hours of uninterrupted focus work!
HOTEL POOL
The rooftop pool is one of the highlights of this pretty hotel. Look at that gem! It’s the perfect austin rooftop pool for lounging, swimming, and enjoying the view of UT Campus and downtown Austin. There are private cabanas you can rent, but since I went for a solo stsaycation I enjoyed the poolside lounge chairs. Otopia is located up in the lounge. You can order some light bites and cocktails to enjoy at this luxury rooftop lounge. (It’s the only rooftop pool and lounge in Austin’s campus district!)
OTIS HOTEL RESTAURANTS
One of the best parts of getting to do a hotel staycation is trying out the restaurants! I love it when an Austin hotel has good in-house restaurants. Nothing beats a quick elevator ride to an iced latte!
The Otis Hotel has three restaurants and a bar. You could honestly come for a weekend staycation and never leave the property!
Acre 41: the main downstairs dining room, open for breakfast, dinner, and weekend brunch. This is the only upscale modern restaurant in the campus district!
Bar AC: a spanish-inspired bar and restaurant (currently closed)
Otopia: Rooftop bar and lounge located by the pool, serving cocktails and light bites
Burger Bar: a sidewalk walk-up burger counter with juicy burgers, hand-spun milkshakes, fries, and craft beer.
I love the Otis Hotel! It’s perfect both for Austin visitors who need a convenient and beautiful hotel near UT campus, and for Austin locals who are searching for a swanky staycation spot. Enjoy a hot summer weekend by that rooftop pool, eat up at the amazing restaurants, and rest well in those comfy beds!
OTHER AUSTIN STAYCATION IDEAS
Here are a few other staycations I’ve blogged about:
Arrive East Austin (solo staycation)
Hotel Van Zandt (with Nate)
South Congress Hotel (minimoon)
