The 252-room 1 Hotel Austin, developed by Lincoln and Kairoi Residential, boasts more than 4,000 plants and natural materials including limestone and oak, along with “reclaimed wood salvaged from historic American structures,” per an announcement Thursday.
The hotel also includes Alteño, a Mexican restaurant from James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist Johnny Curiel, plus a ground-floor wine bar and lounge, and a rooftop bar.
In the announcement, 1 Hotels founder and Starwood Hotels chairman Barry Sternlicht, who also started the W Hotels chain, praised Austin for its “independent spirit, welcoming character, and extraordinary natural beauty.”
“Opening in Austin is a milestone for 1 Hotels,” Sternlicht said. “Austin is a remarkable city, as it maintains its great traditions while embracing change and acting as a poster child for the brightest future.”
Construction recently ended on the 1,025-foot Waterline, which is just 23 feet taller than Houston’s JPMorgan Chase Tower, previously the tallest building in Texas. The 1 Hotel Austin occupies 13 floors of the 74-floor tower, which also includes apartments, offices, restaurants, retail and parking.
“Waterline pushed every assumption about scale, complexity and coordination,” DPR Project Executive Brett Bickford said at completion. “This was a massive undertaking, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without our talented and resilient team of skilled craft professionals and trade partners.”
The opening of 1 Hotel Austin comes amid some turbulent times in the city’s hospitality industry. Earlier this year both the Hyatt Centric and The Line in downtown Austin went to foreclosure. Both hotels went back to their lenders in auction.
Dining and Cooking