Austin Motel

It sort of seems like this was inevitable all along — how could Austin’s hippest hotelier and Austin’s hippest throwback-kitsch hotel not end up together eventually? Now that Liz Lambert, the boutique-hotel queen of Texas, has taken over the Austin Motel, all is again right with the world. That distinctive sign, which has been drawing double-takes along South Congress since 1938, is now backed up by some equally distinctive retro-themed interiors, and it’s all set to join the Saint Cecilia and the Hotel San José as part of South Austin’s trifecta of exceptional lodgings.

As usual, good taste is about taking your inspiration just far enough, but no further. This is true in the bedroom as well, where the bright orange beds match the bright orange wallpaper and countertops — and are tempered by minimalistic furniture and clever little details like Tivoli radios, rather than going for full-on Space Age kitsch. The parking lot, once the indispensable centerpiece of a roadside motel, has been replaced by an open-air lounge space, and the old pool is as charming as ever, joined by a brand-new poolside bar. It’s down-to-earth, unpretentious, and hip in a welcoming rather than an elitist way — a description that fits any of the Bunkhouse hotels, come to think of it....