One step onto Austin’s Rainey Street and you’ll feel like you’ve joined the cool kids at the best playground in the city. Just behind the cottage bars, pint-sized skyscrapers soar. One of them, Hotel Van Zandt, the Rainey district’s pièce de resistance, beckons with a song-like spirit —apropos because the independently owned property, rife with music motifs, was named after beloved singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. Sixteen stories high, the hotel embodies Austin’s lust for music, manifesting with a vinyl corner; trumpet chandeliers; myriad musical references; replica vintage posters in frames; and its own live music venue, which doubles as its acclaimed restaurant, Geraldine’s. Don’t miss the mesmerizing installation of colorful origami-like birds composed from vinyl records that flitter from an old phonograph.

© Becca Hensley

We stumbled in recently with our dog after a road trip, not feeling too jazzy or ready to play. But one step into the animated lobby, our pulses quickened. The front desk offered us margaritas from a huge carafe, which we accepted with a resounding hallelujah. By the time we reached our spacious one-bedroom spa suite, our moods changed for the better. We took in the cityscape from the window with glee, just as our dog discovered his hotel-branded, canine bathrobe and generous dog amenities. They love pets at Hotel Van Zandt and it shows: Wverywhere we went, staff fawned over Squeak, our English Setter. Service at this buzzy hotel rates as top notch, but no doubt one way to a pet-owning guest’s heart is for staff to wax poetic about your beast.

Three food and beverage concepts nurture and satisfy; 605, off the lobby, supplies caffeine drinks and grab-and-go snacks, plus retail merchandise with made-in-Austin origins and themes. Take refuge in swanky Brass Poppy, with its Art Nouveau allure, a sophisticated hangout from the throngs outside. Experiential cocktails define the offerings, with re-imagined classic drinks from another era—a little Mad Men-ish, but more edgy and artsy. Think a Grasshopper with house peppermint menthe, tempus fugit Creme de Cocoa, Branca Menta, macadamia whip and toasted hazelnuts, or a Rusty Nail with beeswax-rested Johnnie Walker Black, almond butter, fat-washed Drambuie and lemon oil.

© Hotel Van Zandt

Geraldine’s, on the fourth floor, can be accessed directly from the lobby via a dedicated elevator. Spacious and inviting, it’s an upscale, all-day restaurant-cum-music hall with panoramic windows. Award-winning chef Sergio Ledesma, a culinary impresario, brings his background to play, weaving influences from Columbia, Canada and the United States into a menu that sets Geraldine’s apart. The Levant salad with chickpeas, bulgur and an uncannily scrumptious tahini vinaigrette sits at the top of a short list of salads I would eat every day. The branzino with salsa verde was also perfect, as was the lamb birra tetela with charred eggplant yogurt, Arbol pepper, harissa, feta and escabeche.

© Hotel Van Zandt

Geraldine’s caters to the rooftop pool, as well. Its legendary brunch boasts a loyal following of local patrons and guests. Live music plays most nights, featuring established and up-and-coming artists. Join G Record Society, a Sunday night soiree from 6 to 9 p.m. with renowned vinyl DJs, live tunes, and bottomless wine and food specials. (Tip: BYOV—bring your own vinyl to share with the crowd).

© Hotel Van Zandt

Designed in partnership with Mark Zeff of the acclaimed MARKZEFF architecture and interior design group, Hotel Van Zandt summons Austin’s creative vibe with eclectic decor. While common areas feel more maximalist, rooms embrace a simpler timbre; 319 stylish rooms, including 41 suites and five presidential suites, range from 330 to 900 square feet. Kitted out with local materials, they’re the sort of rooms you like to return to at night, but also that you don’t mind leaving to spend all day at Hotel Van Zandt’s happening pool, to attend meetings in the hotel’s plethora of conference rooms or to listen to tunes at Geraldine’s.

Hotel Van Zandt

605 Davis St.
Austin, TX 78701
tel 512 542 5300