My trip to Austin was a few weeks ago, but I wanted to share these pictures of another hotel I stayed in while I was there – the Omni Austin Hotel in downtown Austin.
I booked the room at a huge discount using Priceline’s “Name Your Own Price” feature. With Name Your Own Price, you select the general area you’d like to stay in and a minimum star level then make a bid. Priceline then checks hotels in the area with the star level you selected to see if your bid is accepted. You can’t choose a specific hotel and have to pre-purchase the room before you know which hotel (if any) accepted your bid. It can be a little nerve-wracking, but it’s a great way to try out hotels at a discount.
To book this particular hotel, I selected downtown Austin and a minimum star level of 4. I think it’s safe to say you’re probably going to get a nice/normal hotel if you choose anything above 3 1/2 stars. I entered a bid of $110 and crossed my fingers. Several seconds later I learned my bid was accepted by the Omni Austin Hotel! Their rooms usually book for above $300 so this was a great deal and less expensive than many of the budget-friendly chains in downtown Austin.
The lobby of the hotel is different from any hotel lobby I’ve seen. It’s a huge open-air glass structure.
Many of the guest rooms and the elevators look down over the lobby. You would definitely want to close your curtains if you just got out of the shower, unless you’re into that sort of thing.
Once I made it in the elevator, I snapped this picture looking down.
When I got to my floor, I stepped off the elevator and headed down a hallway to find my room…
The guest rooms were pretty with comfortable beds. They were very fluffy and I think it’s true that everything is bigger in Texas, including bedding and linens.
The rooftop pool had a nice view of downtown…
This hotel is also within walking distance to lots of restaurants, so it’s a good place to stay if you don’t have a rental car which I didn’t. The Omni is definitely a great hotel and I was happy to get it for such a good price!
MIDWESTERN BELLE 