Address: 604 Brazos St.
Overview:
The Driskill Hotel is an elegant hotel in Austin with plenty of old-fashioned Texas charm and décor. The hotel has been a staple in downtown Austin since the 1800s and won the Readers Choice award from “Condé Nast Traveler” in 2009, in addition to being named one of the top 500 hotels in the world by “Travel + Leisure Magazine” in 2008.
History:
The Driskill Hotel holds an incredible amount of Austin history. In the early 1880s, Colonel Jesse Lincoln Driskill, who had moved to Texas from Missouri, became a wealthy cattle baron in addition to a businessman and active civic leader. He purchased the lot for $7,500 in 1884. When the hotel opened in 1886, the local paper named it “one of the finest hotels in the whole country.”
In 1887, The Driskill hosted an inaugural ball for the new Texas governor, Sul Ross. Since then, many other governors, such as Dan Moody, John Connallly, William P. Hobby, and Ann Richards had their inaugural balls here, too.
Many of the staff ended up being hired away by a hotel in Galveston, and with so many important employees gone, the hotel had to close. Col. Driskill reopened it in 1887, but a cattle-killing plague caused him to lose his money, and he had to sell the hotel the next year. The Driskill changed hands several more times and became a historical landmark in 1969 after developers threatened to tear it down and concerned citizens fought until it was able to stay. It been renovated throughout the years.
Many politicians have spent time at The Driskill. Lyndon Baines Johnson met his future wife for their first date in The Driskill dining room for breakfast. LBJ also waited for the results of run as vice president for JFK at The Driskill. In 1999, President Bill Clinton stayed here. President-elected George W. Bush leased he ballroom and Mezzanine for two weeks for his cabin selection meetings.
The Feel
Upon walking into the beautiful Driskill lobby, I paused for a few moments to take everything in. The grandiose entrance looks straight out of the 1800s, with leather and cloth seating and lounge chairs, intricate light fixtures, ornate columns, and a regal marble grand staircase with a behemoth painting of Colonel Jesse Driskill at the top.
The guest room floors fell incredibly homey. The very wide, carpeted halls are meandering, and in several different nooks and corners are built-in bookshelves stacked with old copies of books (and some newer books likely left behind by guests) and vases. Scattered throughout the hallways are also some cozy chaises and lounging chairs. The walls are adorned with old paintings, some of Texas politicians such as Mirabeau Lamar, and others of the countryside or still life. There are also glass cases throughout the hallways that display memorabilia from Austin’s past, such as old black and white photographs, leather gloves, handwritten notes, and pressed flowers. It feels like you are in a historic home or museum.
The Rooms:
The Driskill Hotel’s 189 guest rooms are spread throughout two wings. The historic wing features high ceilings, balconies, and elaborate woodwork. The traditional wing features more classical styling. All of the rooms have custom Driskill beds and furniture.
I was in the historic wing, so my room had extremely high ceilings, making what would normally feel like a small room much more spacious and airy. The dimensions did feel a little odd, as it was not that large in terms of square footage, but it had incredibly tall ceilings and windows with cascading drapes, easily over 15 feet high. However, it certainly made the room seem unique. My bed was extremely comfortable, and I loved the brown, faux-fur blanket that was draped across it. I also the enjoyed the large, flat-screen television in the room in addition to the spacious balcony with seating overlooking downtown.
The main thing I noticed about the guest room is there is so much attention to detail and customization. There is a D in the wrought-iron bed frame, a D burnt into the wooden door threshold, a D painted into the custom, old-fashioned sink, on a decorative pillow on the bed, and so on. The cabinet that the TV sits upon features a large image of the entire front of the Driskill Hotel.