Visitors to Austin — or curious Austinites — can now spend the night in the tallest building in Texas.
1 Hotel Austin officially opened Thursday inside Waterline, the new downtown Austin skyscraper that recently became the tallest building in the state. The 252-room hotel is the first Texas location for 1 Hotels, a luxury hotel brand founded by hospitality executive Barry Sternlicht.
The hotel brand has put sustainability at the center of its pitch for the Austin property, from reusable items in guest rooms to its working apiary, or bee yard.
The hotel is part of the massive mixed-use Waterline development at 98 Red River St. The 1,025-foot tower also includes apartments, office space, restaurants and retail.
And the hotel itself has a lot packed inside.
Its 252 rooms include 60 suites, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out toward Lady Bird Lake, Waller Creek or the downtown skyline, depending on its orientation. Every room features filtered water taps, reusable glassware and yoga mats, and minibars include products from local Austin businesses such as Desnudo Coffee, Austin Pretzel Co. and Wildflower Caramels.
At 1 Hotel Austin’s opening event Thursday, Starwood Hotels CEO Raul Leal joined general manager David Duran in planting a tree, saying the hotel is “planting its roots” in Austin.
The hotel’s emphasis on sustainability and environmental consciousness comes through in its all-natural decor — every plant in the building is either living or dried. The stunning views of the Waterloo Greenway keep that greenery consistent through the windows too.
The hotel has a working apiary that will help support native wildflowers at the neighboring Waterloo Greenway’s Confluence and produce honey for use in the hotel’s restaurants and spa, according to 1 Hotels.
Several new restaurants and bars are also opening inside the hotel.
Alteño Austin is chef Johnny Curiel’s first expansion of his Mexican restaurant concept outside Colorado. The food is inspired by the Jaliscan Highlands, and the original Denver restaurant has been recognized by the Michelin Guide.
Sixteen floors above downtown, Watr is a rooftop restaurant and bar serving Japanese-inspired food next to the hotel’s pool. Neighbors Cafe and Wine Bar sits on the lobby level, serving coffee, breakfast, juices and lunch during the day before switching over to a wine bar with small plates and cocktails at night.
The property also includes the Bamford Wellness Spa, which features private treatment rooms, a couples suite and relaxation areas. More than 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space is available for meetings and events.
