Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt Austin – A Hotel Fit for the Music Capital
Austin has so many wonderful hotels to choose from and at times it can get overwhelming to find the perfect one. On a recent staycation we found Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt – an Austin Hotel that combines the musical heritage of Austin with top-notch food and amazing views.
The Arrival
Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt is named for guitarist Townes Van Zandt and the name is just the beginning of the musical roots of this hotel. The lobby has chandeliers made from French horns, musical inspired artwork in the rooms and lobby, and the on property restaurant Geraldine’s has live music every night.
The hotel is located near Rainey Street and next to Lady Bird Lake, which makes for some fun times. You get access to all that Austin has to offer within a few steps – Zilker Park, Town Lake, running trails, food trucks, and so much more.
We’ve been to countless hotels and they can have amazing rooms, great food, top notch amenities, but if you don’t have the people to back all of that up – it simply doesn’t matter. Friendly staff greeted us upon our arrival. The quick check-in process made all that much better by a complimentary drink. A nice little touch is the text we received as we made our way to 11th floor room form hotel staff that could assist with any hotel-related requests during our stay.
Room with a View
Getting a room on higher floors for a hotel is always exciting. We lucked out with an 11th floor room. The hotel rooms at Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt offer either city or lake views – we had a lake view facing room. The room was spacious with some amazing lighting for some content creation. Our favorite touch was the artwork that continued the nod to Austin’s musical soul and of course everybody’s favorite bats!
Besides the views of the lake, we were able to peer down onto the pool deck on the 4th floor. Although, we didn’t have time for enjoying the pool this go around, we can’t wait to check out the cabanas and catch up on some z’s poolside next go around.
Geraldine’s
Believe it or not, we somehow had not been to Geraldine’s until now. It goes without saying, Geraldine’s is one of the most popular restaurants in the city. The restaurant has live music every night – during our visit we experienced live folk music by Thomas Csorba. The layout is very unique too. The dining room, bar, and stage are all connected with views of all areas from anywhere in the restaurant.
After living off the tasty food trucks of Rainey for the week, we’re ready for a different kind of tasty. We were treated to a chef’s tasting experience that truly gave us a feel for the menu.
Our tasting consisted for:
Grilled Texas Quail – The coconut curry sauce this dish came with was rich and thick. We loved the chili oil.
Hamachi Crudo – Watermelon, serrano peppers, and chamomile ponzu – do we need to say more?
Brussels Sprouts – The perfect amount of crunch. The fish sauce caramel really added to the flavor. The serrano peppers made a comeback with this side as well.
8 oz. Denver Steak – Topped with roasted oyster mushrooms. A perfect entre, brussels sprouts deliciously complement the steak.
Roasted Farm Patch Peaches – Olive oil cake with meyer lemon, and blueberry ice cream – simple perfection.
Fun fact – Geraldine’s is named after a guinea fowl that use to roam Rainy street back in the day.
Our Take
We had a wonderful time at Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt. If you live in Austin and want a staycation, this hotel will give you a new take and perspective on some Austin classics like the food and music. If you are visiting, the location, friendly staff, and homage to what makes Austin special will give you a perfect introduction to Austin. Perfect for a friends trip, couple’s getaway, and even a family trip – you will be leaving wanting to come back.
Extras
Daily happy your in the lobby with free drinks.
Café 605 is in the lobby and has AMAZNG coffee and quick bites.