Austin Proper Hotel

Giulio and Israel took incredible care of us. They are why you stay at the Proper. They make the experience.

We had high hopes. We'd come for our anniversary and expected to have a more chill experience than it was. Perhaps that was my fault for assuming but it was far too loud, rushed, and busy for us to relax. It is a beautiful and aesthetic hotel but the crowds/people ruin it. I would never recommend someone visit on a weekend when it is full of so much pretension and entitlement. We did enjoy the space much more on late Sunday-Tuesday, for whatever that is worth. We arrived on a Friday evening. The lobby was packed and incredibly loud and we could barely make it to the check-in desk and elevator without wading through standing room only entrances/hallways. I don’t mind a place being busy, but this was complete chaos. Though we were greeted warmly, we were told that our reservation was for three nights when it had been booked for four. I had to confirm this information myself with American Express and then return through the busy lobby to show the front desk the reservation confirmation. They could not honor our complimentary room upgrade either. We later got a text that we needed to change our room keys for the reservation confusion and we were never given an explanation for the mix-ups. I had tried to contact the hotel in advance of our stay about concierge service, wanting to curate our anniversary experience before arrival but never received a reply. I emailed twice but both emails went unanswered (I am still not clear why) so we did not have dinner the night of our arrival because they could not get us in and everything else in town was full. For guests of the hotel, this shouldn't be so difficult. *Also a non-drinker (which was noted in one of the emails), it was also a little frustrating to have champagne in our room upon arrival. While we appreciated the thought, it was not the thoughtful option for us. The corner room was beautiful and scenic, but cold. I often had to crank the heat to get warm but then woke up drenched in sweat. The (amazing) shower fogs the entire room so we had to open the balcony door to be able to get ready (make-up etc) every day. It felt like a series of minor annoyances in the room every day. The door to the balcony was difficult to latch and had been left open on our arrival so we slept the first night (a loud and busy Friday night) with the street noise from below much louder than it should have been. We figured out the door on Day Two after a late-night text from staff about latching the door was received in the morning (we had gone to bed early after travel). Two treadmills in the gym were broken. The workout space is incredible– full of any equipment a healthy person could dream of BUT this space was also very busy on a weekend and hard to enjoy as a result. I would have loved to have tried the sauna but felt the cost was a bit much given the room rates and hassles on the property. The menu was great for room service. As mentioned, the restaurants on property were horrible to secure a reservation for and ridiculously packed with locals. Breakfast in the morning was the same. Very crowded, lots of locals (real estate agents showing properties that morning) sitting and drinking coffee in Goldie’s and we could not get a seat (we just took things back up to our room). The staff's service was incredible, however, as was the cleanliness and housekeeping. I loved having a real hairdryer (Dyson) with a diffuser (curly hair girls know). The staff worked so hard to make it special for us, especially after the letdowns. We are eternally grateful for the messages and offers from the manager and GM that saved our (first) visit to Austin for us and comped a meal. I am not sure if we will return but if we do, it will be with all of these factors in mind.

This was our second stay at the Austin Proper Hotel. I was particularly struck by the team’s attentiveness and flexibility. They were extremely helpful in making ourroom more comfortable, expeditiously and with great kindness. Furthermore, the logistical support provided by the staff was nothing short of exemplary. Over the two weeks prior to our arrival, the Guest Relations Manager and I communicated several times to find a place for us to host my son and nine of his friends. To say that she was flexible and responsive to my constant changes is an understatement. Due to various logistical challenges, we were unable to come up with a final plan and I am extremely thankful that the hotel’s Managing Director stepped in at the last minute and secured a spot for our large party at the hotel’s Mexican restaurant, La Piscina. The entire team possesses a remarkable "can-do" spirit, navigating requests with a grace that made us feel truly prioritized. They were very welcoming, responsive, and anxious to make sure that our experience was top-notch The hotel and rooms were impeccably kept and the cleanliness was flawless, evidence that the housekeeping and maintenance teams operate with meticulous attention to detail. We ate at both the Peacock and La Piscina and both offered delicious food and exemplary service. The hotel seems to cater to both a younger crowd and older, more established guests and it was amazing to see how the team could accommodate both groups, with very differing needs and attitudes, under the same roof and with ease. I would happily return to Proper again and again.

Incredible stay overall. A shut out to the bar team: incredible manager Giulio and his staff Chris and Israel really made our stay fantastic. One of the greatest hotels I have stayed in US and I’m in the luxury hospitality industry.

Terrible traffic upon arrival. Hotel has no consideration for guests who want to avoid paying ridiculously high parking fees and valet service. Drinks and food are ludicrously overpriced though the service employees are great at what they do. Pillows are much too soft and beds are so low to the ground you will struggle to get out of them each morning. Windows are dirty and allow a lot of noise from the outside in. No TV service unless you want to log your phone in to watch it on the TV though I doubt they are very secure. DO NOT STAY HERE. Besides the obscene drink and food prices, they nickel and dime you with extra fees and hidden costs everywhere. A health and wellness fee that I have heard from numerous employees that doesnt go towards the health of them and only to the wallet health of the ownership. Crazy resort fees for things that should be free anyway like Wi-Fi. Majority of what the fees cover you will hardly ever use at the hotel and should be provided free of charge. No hotel car to take you around town. Pool is incredibly small and first come first serve only. Very loud at night with the 2nd floor becoming a night club instead of nice cozy quiet place for drinks. Can't even hear myself talking at times.