The Carpenter Hotel

Austin’s explosive growth means it may not be as weird as it once was, but there are still hoteliers — and hotels — with a healthy respect for what makes this city unique. On the south side of Lady Bird Lake, next to Barton Springs and Zilker Park, is the old Carpenter’s Union Hall, a well-worn mid-century brick building that now houses the Carpenters Hall restaurant. Behind it, surrounded by pecan trees, is the new element: the Carpenter Hotel, an arresting Brutalist-inspired structure in raw concrete, brick, and pecan wood, lined with balconies that overlook the pool.

The rooms are minimalist in style but rich with texture, from the brick, concrete, and tile construction to the wood and leather of the modernist-style furniture and the colorful custom-designed blankets. The pool and the surrounding pecan grove are delightfully chill daytime lounge spaces, as is the quonset-style pavilion, and the café, Hot L Coffee, serves a fine locally sourced brew alongside classic Texan kolaches. The centerpiece of the hotel, however, is the old union hall, now the Carpenters Hall restaurant, whose menu (by a Bon Appetit alum) leans heavily on dishes from the Southern and Mexican traditions.