South Congress Hotel

Reviews

• KP

  Kianne Pennesi

  3 days ago
  2.0
  The South Congress Hotel was once one of our favorite spots. Now I'm not sure we'll be back. My husband and I did a staycation honeymoon at the South Congress Hotel and ever since then it's been our first and last stop on South Congress when we get the rare date night. We loved the convenient garage parking and popping in for a drink and reminiscing about our fun mini moon before heading out to dinner reservations. Then before heading home, doing the same and spending some downtime at the lobby bar before heading home. Our experience this Saturday couldn't be further from what we've previously enjoyed. Cold looks and no greeting from staff when we first arrived. Then on our way back from dinner we approached the front doors of the hotel and were confronted by more cold stares from staff, no greetings and eventually a small bald man positioning himself with his body to block our entry. He asked very confrontationally why were there. We shared our plans and he said the lobby was closed. We asked about taking the elevator to our car and he said we'd have to walk around to the garage entrance and moved at us, to corral us away from the front entrance. The "garage entrance" is a sharp ramp down the parking level with no pedestrian walkway - you have to walk where the cars would drive down and shimmy around the security gate arm. Felt like we were paying a premium for inconvenient parking. Not a great end to our date night and not a great last memory of a place we've associated with happy milestones. Look, I get the hotel was probably hosting a private event in the lobby. But at what expense? Being rude to loyal long-time guests? And could there have been another way to manage that and accommodate everyone? Where was the signage or staff when we first arrived, warning us the space would be closed later? Bad misstep in my opinion. No redeeming service experience from any of the staff, throughout. Even if we're not guests, there are so many other hotels in Austin that would treat us respectfully. I'd rather give them my business. Sad this place is soured for us now.
• KG

  K. A. G.

  Jan 23, 2026
  5.0
  The atmosphere is great, and the people are awesome! 😎
• MB

  Misti Buie

  Jan 11, 2026
  5.0
  I've frequented South Congress Hotel many times since its opening years ago. I finally booked the Bunk Suite for my daughter's birthday and the room next door. From the moment we arrived to the minute we departed, the staff went over and above. The stay exceeded my expectations. The rooms were spacious, the location is perfect and the ambiance is fun.
• KA

  Kathryn Anne

  Jan 7, 2026
  4.0
  Unique room divider made the large room very functional. (Sitting area one side. Bed on the other.) Loved the beautiful hardwood floors and Brass bathroom fixtures. Bed was extremely comfortable. However the low-sloped chairs were not. Suggest swapping out one of the low chairs for a standard upright chair to give guests an option. Sadly, no in-room coffee. As this is a standard in most hotels, it can make a difference in which hotel guests select. Great Location convenient to many restaurants. So it would be helpful to have a mini fridge to fit our leftovers in. However, the fridge was pre-filled with drinks, completely unusable. Since we were told the hotel has no rooms with 2 beds, it would make a lot of sense to swap out the existing sofa for a sleeper sofa. While the room style was lovely, we are unable to return, as we prefer a room with 2 beds (or a bed and a sleeper sofa), and prefer in-room coffee and a usable mini fridge. Hope this honest review is helpful.
• BW

  Benjamin Woosley

  Jan 5, 2026
  1.0
  This is for the parking garage, rather than the hotel - it's a scam. For example, if you park there, use your phone to mediate the parking, and get validation, they will charge you a convenience fee of about $1, for you free, validated parking. Then if you park more than 3 hours, they'll charge you for a full day of parking, ~$50 dollars. South Congress Hotel should be ashamed of the way their parking is managed, just a terrible experience overall. Street parking via the ParkATX app is far better by comparison.