The Driskill, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

The Cattle Baron's Palace on Sixth Street

Colonel Jesse Driskill arrived in Texas in 1849 and built a fortune in cattle before deciding Austin deserved a hotel that could rival the grand properties of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. The Driskill opened in 1886 at a cost of $400,000, on the corner of Brazos and what was then Pecan Street, now Sixth Street, and it was immediately hailed as one of the finest hotels in the country. A 1930 annex added the Maximilian Room, its mirrors framed in gold leaf and named for the Austrian emperor, layering Old World flourish onto the original Victorian design, and the building has been continuously updated since without losing that original ambition.

Why It Works

We chose The Driskill because its history isn't decorative, it's documented and specific. Texas governors have held inaugural balls here since January 1887. Lyndon Johnson met Lady Bird in this lobby in 1934, and he returned to await election results in 1948 and 1964; during his presidency, the hotel served as headquarters for the White House Press Corps. Few hotels anywhere can point to a single lobby that shaped a state's political history this directly, and that density of real, checkable history is what separates it from a merely old building.

Why This Location

The hotel sits at the literal start of Sixth Street, Austin's honky-tonk and live-music corridor, putting guests inside the city's most concentrated nightlife stretch without needing a cab. Lady Bird Lake and the Texas Capitol are both a short walk away, making The Driskill a rare address that balances downtown's civic core with its loudest entertainment district, a combination few other Austin hotels can offer from a single front door.

Fast Facts

• Price: €€€€

• Vibe: Victorian grandeur, Texas history, downtown formality

• Rooms: historic hotel dating to 1886, with a 1930 annex

• Best For: history-minded travelers, Sixth Street nightlife access, downtown business stays

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: the Maximilian Room, its mirrors framed in gold leaf since 1930

• Dining: The Driskill Grill (Food & Wine recognized), The Driskill Bar, The Victorian, 1886 Café & Bakery

• Amenities: business center, fitness facilities, pet-friendly policy

• Attractions: Sixth Street entertainment district (steps away), Texas Capitol, Lady Bird Lake

A Lobby Where Texas History Happened

Walk through the front doors and it's easy to see why LBJ chose this lobby to wait for election results twice. The marble floors, carved woodwork, and Victorian detailing haven't been sanded down into a generic heritage-hotel gesture; they still carry the scale Jesse Driskill intended when he set out to out-build New York and Chicago. Governors' inaugural balls have used the space since 1887, and the hotel's role as press headquarters during Johnson's presidency added a layer of national political history to its Texas roots, the kind of pedigree that no new-build hotel can manufacture.

The Driskill Grill and 1886 Café

Dining spans registers deliberately: The Driskill Grill brings a Food & Wine-recognized fine-dining menu to the ground floor, The Driskill Bar and The Victorian handle cocktails and afternoon tea with matching formality, and the 1886 Café & Bakery offers a lower-key option for guests who want the address without the full ceremony. The range means a single stay can move from a casual coffee to a black-tie-adjacent dinner without leaving the building, a versatility that suits both business trips and celebratory weekends.

Before You Book

The Driskill suits travelers who want downtown Austin's civic and historic core, governors' mansion proximity, Capitol views, alongside direct access to Sixth Street's live-music density. It's a formal property by Austin standards, better suited to guests planning a classic hotel stay than those chasing a pool-and-lounge scene. Business travelers and history-focused leisure guests both find a natural fit here, and the hotel's central position means almost everything downtown is reachable on foot.