TWO-NIGHT STAY AT THE AUSTIN PROPER HOTEL GIVEAWAY IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST
The coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed the travel industry. During the summer we are usually taking global getaways and beach vacations. Unfortunately, it is more difficult now to plan a vacation because traveling increases your chances of getting or spreading COVID- 19.
You can, however, travel safely if you take necessary precautions. That is why we are creating our Isolation Vacation series! To inspire you to take vacations but responsibly in order to minimize risk. In this blog post, we have done all the planning for you, choose destinations and activities with care, and took steps to ensure safety.
We took a vacation to Austin and stayed at the Austin Proper Hotel and it was beyond amazing. We layout detailed specs on the hotel, tips, and information for visiting the Austin Proper Hotel. If you want to be safe like us, we will also let you know about the safety protocols in the "COVID-19 FAQ" section, and how comfortable we felt staying here.
Disclaimer: This post, Isolation Vacation: The Austin Proper Hotel is sponsored. As always, all opinions are my own.
DETAILS
Austin Proper Hotel finally opened its doors in the Summer of 2020 after being closed due to COVID-19! If you book here, you will experience a luxury lifestyle hotel in Austin, designed by iconic interior designer Kelly Wearstler.
Austin Proper Hotel's food and beverage concepts are brought to you by Austin’s own McGuire Moorman Hospitality, the locally-based restaurant group from Larry McGuire and Tom Moorman. When we were here, we dined at the two of their restaurant-bar destinations, The Peacock Mediterranean Grill and La Piscina. Both offer an elevated experience unique to Austin with indoor and outdoor seating.
We love the Austin Proper Hotel because it has a state-of-the-art fitness center complete with Peloton bikes, Pilates equipment, and floor to ceiling windows! It is a dream. You are in a prime location too. Just steps away from Lady Bird Lake, and hike/bike trails.
AMENITIES
Here are more of the amenities offered:
5th Floor Swimming Pool, Sun Deck & Cabanas
24 Hour Fitness Center with Private Wellness Sessions
Art-Filled Lobby Ideal for Work, Lounging or Dining and Entertaining
Complimentary Bike Rental
Smoke-Free Environment
Pet Friendly
Spa
COVID-19 FAQ
Traveling during a pandemic requires lots of research, precision planning, and a willingness to adhere to stringent rules. Lucky for you, we did all the research for you! Here are some common COVID-19 related questions we got on our social channels.
IS THE POOL OPEN?
Yes, the pool is open! Social distancing will be enforced with a maximum of 50 guests at the pool at a time. When we were there we barely saw anyone at the pool...the maximum we saw was 10. I think this is due to the pool reservation you have to make.
Pool reservations are required on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in addition to holidays. Reservations starts at 11:00 a.m. If you can, we recommend booking the earliest timeslot available. Reservations are available per person in 2-hour time slots for each day of stay and lounge chairs, etc. will be thoroughly sanitized in between.
Reservations can be made by calling the front desk, 512-628-1500:
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Tip: The pool is open at 8:00 a.m. and you don't need a reservation to go. Book the 11:00 a.m. wave and go to the pool at 9:00 a.m.!
We had to wear our mask at all times while on the property. We got to remove it once in the pool area. The food and drink menu is available Wednesday – Sunday.
ARE THE RESTAURANTS OPEN?
Yes, but the hours are modified. You can get limited grab-and-go food and drink items at the front desk on Monday and Tuesday. If you are interested, view menu here.
The Peacock is open Wednesday – Sunday from 7:30 am to 10:30 pm.
La Piscina is open on Friday, Saturday & Sunday for drinks and dips from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Food and beverage options are also available through an all-day menu which can be ordered and delivered to any public space on the property, Wednesday – Sunday.
If you are wondering about vegan options at the Austin Proper Hotel, don't worry! We got you covered. See the "Our Thoughts" section below.
IS THE FITNESS CENTER OPEN?
Yes, with a maximum of 10 guests in the space at a time. Austin Proper mandates that all guests keep a minimum of 6′ distance from each other.
We worked out every day of our stay and didn't see anyone in the space. Tip: Go during off-peak hours for extra social distancing.
DO YOU HAVE TO WEAR A MASK AT THE HOTEL?
Yes!! The managers of Austin Proper strictly enforce all guests to wear masks. If you do not, you will be asked to leave the property.
OUR THOUGHTS
Safety
We felt very safe and enjoyed our staycation at the Austin Proper Hotel. Literally all guests wore masks. They have sanitizer and free masks in almost all common spaces. Overall, we felt comfortable enough staying here and would do it again.
Food and Drink
For dinner, we ate at The Peacock, Austin Proper’s ground-floor restaurant and lobby bar. It is an Eastern Mediterranean restaurant serving delicious and colorful mezzes. All dishes are healthy and packed with flavor.
In the lobby, the bar provides a full dining experience and offers a condensed food menu throughout the indoor and outdoor lounge areas.
There are so many vegan options here! The full line up of what we ordered is below:
Hummus Appetizer - Crispy Shallots, Zhoug, Charmula
*Hummus Appetizer - Spicy Matbucha & Soft Egg
Main - Charmoula Tofu & Mushroom
Main - Herb & Garlic Marinated Vegetables
Sides - Mujaddara, Lentils, Basmati, Curry, Fried Onion
*To make the Spicy Matnucha Hummus vegan, take off the soft egg. It is the best hummus we have EVER had.
For lunch, we ate poolside thanks to La Piscina. Located on the 5th floor of the Austin Proper Hotel, La Piscina is a convivial poolside restaurant and bar serving Texas-inspired Mexican cuisine.
You can eat indoors, on the patio or poolside. The full vegan line up of what we ordered is below:
Chips & Salsa
Proper Guacamole
Crunchy greens with jicama, beets, baby lettuces, cumin-avocado dressing, tortilla crisps
La Piscina Margaritas - Spicy Pepino with fresh cucumber and the Jamaica with hibiscus are the best margs to order
I highly recommend staying at the Austin Proper Hotel. It was the best trip we took this month. My friend DallasLoveList and I are giving away a two-night stay so that you can experience this luxury hotel for yourself!
Start planning your road trip to Austin by ENTERING TO WIN A TWO-NIGHT STAY AT THE AUSTIN PROPER HOTEL!!
See below for details. Just simply fill out the form below to win! The terms and conditions are here. This is for a two-night stay. This getaway must be redeemed by December 31, 2020. Holiday weekend stays excluded.
HOW TO ENTER: Go to this Instagram post and follow the instructions.
What food or amenity do you want to try at the Austin Proper Hotel? Let us know in the comments below!
Until Next Time,
Tay
“Your life is happening now. Make it amazing!”
