The new W Austin hotel recently opened two blocks from our downtown apartment. We’ve been watching the progress since moving here in late October. The construction workers were amazingly busy for the last few weeks and I was amazingly distracted while watching from my home office window. But all was ready for opening day.

The W employees are very friendly and happy to give you a tour. The first floor is a series of intimate rooms called the Living Room. Most of the rooms have fireplaces surrounded by cozy couches with lots of pillows. Waiters and waitresses are quick to ask for drink or food orders. According to their web site, the Atmosphere is Casual Sophistication. Indeed.

The appropriately-named Red Room.

The Record Room, complete with a floor-to-ceiling wall of vinyl LPs. One of the employees said they are still building up their collection and many of the records on the wall are cheap, lame albums such as Sesame Street Live which will soon be replaced.

The Front Porch, with windows which open onto Lavaca and Second Streets.

The W Austin is a beautifully-decorated, upscale hotel. But we Austinites are really waiting for what’s on the other side of the block: the new Austin City Limits studio which will be opening in February!