Stretching from the Texas State Capitol Building through downtown Austin, across Lady Bird Lake and the Colorado River and through thriving neighborhoods, South Congress Avenue has been a destination unto itself for years. Lined with eclectic shops and boutiques and myriad restaurants worth the wait, South Congress Avenue offers plenty to see and do.

One South Congress gem that truly shines through is South Congress Hotel, a destination effortlessly exuding the vibe of Austin where everyone feels welcome, from couples on getaways just for the two of them to groups of friends gathering to reconnect to wedding parties celebrating their cherished friends and family. This fall, my husband and I checked into South Congress Hotel for a weekend getaway to see one of our favorite bands.

Once we settled into our spacious Bouldin room overlooking the avenue, we set out to explore the scene right outside our door. Though we tasted along the way, it was back at South Congress Hotel we enjoyed our favorite meal of the weekend: dinner at Maie Day, a “community chophouse.” For the most part, the dishes on the menu are meant to be shared, and my husband and I dove right in. I started with Do Some Thyme, a light and flavorful cocktail made with Marfa Spirit Co gin, elderflower, yellow chartreuse, thyme liqueur, strawberry and lemon, while my husband opted for the no-abv Ferngully with peppermint-infused Slow Luck, blueberry, demerara and lemon.

Choosing our pre-dinner drinks was easy — it took us more time to decide upon the dishes we’d like to share; Maie Day’s menu is so enticing. In the end we went with the smoked fish dip served with house “Ritz” crackers; the butterflied ‘n grilled fish served with grilled kale gremolata; grilled green beans made even better with benne seed tahini and lemon, and mac ‘n cheese with Tillamook Cheddar and fusilli. Our eyes larger than our stomachs, we did our best to finish. Rarely ones to pass on dessert, we did order a slice of Maie Day’s “World Famous” Texas chocolate cake with caramel, benne seed, lemonade sauce and coffee Chantilly to enjoy back in our room.

Speaking of our room, my husband and I were both incredibly impressed that though ours overlooked buzzing South Congress Avenue, our room remained quiet and peaceful for a good night’s sleep.

Our stay at South Congress Hotel was brief, but we made the most of our time and vowed that during our next visit we would take advantage of the rooftop pool, spend some time in the lobby bar and maybe even bring our four-legged family member along — the hotel welcomes dogs at no extra charge.

Of course, there’s always the option to cozy up in the comfy bathrobes and binge-watch our favorite series.

At South Congress Hotel, there’s no need to choose — we can do it all.

South Congress Hotel

1603 S Congress Ave.

Austin, TX 78704

tel 512 920 6405