The newest line of boutique hotels in Texas, Hotel ZaZa, Austin is an enclave of art and luxury amidst the downtown high rises. The decor is an almost dizzying mix of funky, expressive art and cozy, earthy elements like exposed brick and rich brown leather.
It’s an explosive combination that feels representative of Austin itself: weird and wild, but deeply grounded in its Texan roots. Even the rooftop pool is outfitted in style. Palm-printed lounge chairs looking out over the city skyline.
Amenities like self-serve coffee and tea bars arranged on each floor every morning and candle-lit turndown service nightly make the stay feel luxurious from start to finish. Rooms include the hotelier’s signature Magnificent Seven Suites. Each is decked out for a unique theme, like the animal-print-and-leather Back Stage Pass or the colorful, retro Palm Springs-inspired Bungalow 6.
The Neighborhood: Set in the heart of downtown Austin, HotelZaZa is the ideal home base for exploring the city—specifically local nightlife outside of the ever-popular Rainey Street. Our recommendation: the Roosevelt Room, a dimly lit cocktail lounge that’s serious about great drinks and just a block away from the hotel.
The Food Scene: For a casual breakfast or grab-and-go latte, there’s lobby restaurant Perfect Strangers. Sit for a spell under the floor-to-ceiling wall of Picasso-style sketches and tuck into breakfast tacos drizzled with green chile hot sauce. For dinner, there’s Group Therapy, a dark-wood and jewel-toned velvet dining room and bar that overlooks the rooftop pool. (Don’t forget to check out the pressed tin ceiling amongst the crystal chandeliers.)
To one side of the restaurant sits the Library. This semi-secluded dining space is outfitted with up-lit walls of colorful books and an ornate fireplace. The menu here ranges from flavor-packed starters—lamb lollipops sprinkled with feta and peppered honey; deviled eggs topped with bacon jam and hot sauce—to fresh and filling entrees like burrata bucatini and tempura-fried fish tacos.
The Digs: This is an all king-bed hotel, meaning guests have ample room to sprawl. Each of the rooms is uniquely decorated with funky headboards plush velvet couches or chairs, and well-stocked mini-fridges. The bathrooms feature spacious, high-pressure showers and framed retro t-shirts as decor.
