Austin Motel, Texas

AustinHotels

Austin Motel, Texas

Cult Americana aesthetics are celebrated with the iconic Austin Motel's kitsch-conscious update...

Hotelier and creator of creativity-consumed hospitality group Bunkhouse, Liz Lambert, transforms the true Texan gem Austin Motel into a design lovers’ paradise. Fans of retro Americana weep onto their plaid shirts.

Austin Motel Texas, Bunkhouse Group Liz Lambert Austin Hotel

Having weaved a kind of cult road movie narrative into properties like Hotel San José and back-to-basics hippy retreat El Cosmico, Lambert turned her attention to the characterful Austin Motel. Sitting in the heart of the famed South Congress strip, amidst a slew of restaurants, clubs, and shops, the motel (in operation since 1938) is a beloved part of the city’s heritage; something Lambert acknowledged, retaining its iconic neon signage, whilst casting her keen eye for detail on the ‘sort-of’ update.

An update that looks back as much as it does forward, Bunkhouse worked with local vendors and creative minds on the 41-room property — designing and creating bespoke furniture, and conceiving interesting amenities and cuisine. Rooms are quirky and colourful, and ooze the most seductive of American aesthetics — boasting vinyl tufted beds, classic push-button phones and vintage silkscreened music posters. Austin Motel’s revered kidney-shaped pool and lounge area is undoubtedly its centre-piece, a place to let it all hang out with a hip patio bar featuring reproduced midcentury chairs, tables and lounges, set under classic red and white umbrellas.

The fun continues throughout, and Austin Motel’s retail store stocks tongue-in-cheek items for kitsch-conscious travellers: hotel memorabilia, inflatables, and decorative objects — each and every item thoughtfully curated to offer a genuine memento of the authentic Austin Motel experience.

@thelizlambert

Austin Motel Texas, Bunkhouse Group Liz Lambert Austin Hotel
Design Motel Austin
Austin Motel
Austin Motel Texas, Bunkhouse Group Liz Lambert Austin Hotel
Austin Motel
Austin Motel
Austin Design Hotel Motel Texas, Bunkhouse Group Liz Lambert Austin Hotel
Austin Design Motel
Austin Motel
Austin Design Hotel Motel Texas, Bunkhouse Group Liz Lambert Austin Hotel
Austin Design Motel
Austin Motel
Austin Design Hotel Motel Texas, Bunkhouse Group Liz Lambert Austin Hotel
Austin Design Motel

Photography, Nick Simonite