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Austin Motel: Traveler Reviews

1220 S. Congress St., Austin, TX 78704 (South Austin)
Hotel amenities
Austin Motel
Ranked #73 of 179 hotels in Austin
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174 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveler rating
    43
    71
    32
    17
    11
Date Rating
Galway, Ireland
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Location & Friendliness”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed October 4, 2012

This classic motel is in an artistic & trendy & lively neighbourhood just south of the downtown/city centre area, and within walking distance, a short bus, cab or car ride of downtown. There is free parking. There is also an airport bus for $1.00 and only 2 blocks walk. No need to pay for the overpriced Super Shuttle! Regular buses are $2.00 for an all day pass, if you're going to museums, etc., but I don't think they run very late.

The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. The pool is fantastic. All of that said...if you're looking for amenities, this is not the place for you! There are no fridges, coffee makers, hair dryers, workout rooms, or fancy anything. The towels are a basic set. There is coffee & tea in the lobby. This is a clean, safe & basic place to stay with character & alot of history. This is definitely not a corporate hotel. It is privately owned since 1938. There is expanded cable tv. The only downsides are: that there is free wi-fi but I am sorry to say it is spotty & slow. The a/c works very well but is a window unit, thus loud. The room itself was very quiet otherwise.

Overall, a great stay with much lower prices than the Hotel San Jose just a few doors over (that has guests share a bathroom and the grounds are sand not concrete or tile)! And, I was happier staying in this lively neighbourhood rather than downtown for what I needed. Austin Motel is clean, safe, helpful & affordable!

Fair warning: they book up very fast, so look up photos of the rooms/prices online & phone ahead!

Room Tip: Look at the photos online & call ahead. I had an original motel small, sunny room with a decent...
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  • Stayed September 2012, traveled solo
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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See 4 more reviews by OCleryWaters for Austin
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Medellin, Colombia
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
“Great place & location”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed September 27, 2012 via mobile

Everything was very good. Room not clean enough to eat off the floor but good enough. The floor in fact sloped but it's not a pool table and it's old.
Staff was super friendly and helpful.
Location is great with bars and restaurants close by.

  • Stayed September 2012
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask zonaviva about Austin Motel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Atlanta, Georgia
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
10 hotel reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
“Cool and Classic”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed September 11, 2012

We got what we expected out of this place - it is NOT the place for you if you want a fancy-schmancy corporate hotel...which is fine by us! My wife and I stayed 2 nights here and were very happy with the experience. It is close to great restaurants, bars, and shops, and the staff is friendly. It's definitely a good spot for younger folks and couples who want to be close to the nightlife - but I'd think twice about bringing small kids here since it is definitely more of a kitchy hipster joint. It was great for us though!

My only two complaints: 1) the WiFi was spotty and pretty slow - they should beef up their network a bit; and 2) the queen bed mattress in our room should be replaced...it definitely had a crevasse in the middle that my wife and I kept rolling into. :)

  • Stayed September 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask CJBoom about Austin Motel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
4 hotel reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Great Place”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed September 9, 2012 via mobile

The Austin Motel is a really cool hotel in a great location. Don't expect a luxury experience but if your looking for a fun old school trendy hotel in a great location it doesn't get any better. This hotel is in the heart of trendy SoCo with plenty of restaurants and cool shops within walking distance. We walked to the bridge to see the bats at dusk and walking into downtown isn't that far especially considering we stayed here two nights for LESS than what you would pay for one night downtown. Our seven year old daughter loved the deep water pool, we spent hours there relaxing. We have found our hotel of choice in Austin and are planing a trip back. I would recommend this place to anyone, just make sure you book early it fills up fast!

  • Stayed September 2012
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Clifton, Texas
2 reviews
“Great Little Place!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed September 4, 2012

My daughters and I stayed here on August 23rd. What a great little place. The staff are friendly, our room was spotless, and the pool area and landscaping is so nice. Wonderful location too, with so many shops and restaurants within walking distance.

We'll diffinately stay here again and again.

Room Tip: Ask for a pool view room if it's available. Such a quaint little place.
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  • Stayed August 2012, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask AmandaLella about Austin Motel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Additional Information about Austin Motel

Also Known As:
Austin Hotel Austin
Austin Hotel
Address: 1220 S. Congress St., Austin, TX 78704
Region: United States > Texas > Austin > South Austin
Amenities:
Free Parking Pets Allowed Swimming Pool
Hotel Style:
#1 Best Value Hotels in Austin
Price Range: $

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