The Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel

A Pleasant Experience, on the whole. A nicer room than expected, although many people would find it small I don't because I'm British. I thought the decor was a nice mix between modern and old. However let down by noisy air conditioning that kept us both awake. No amount of fiddling with the settings would get it to the right temperature it was either too hot or too cold. The bar area was very swish and I thought that was a nice touch to the hotel. However, the pool area did look a little bit shabby and in need of redecoration. It just wasn't the standard of your average four star hotel in it's decoration. That being said, I did appreciate having the pool to myself to exercise. However this is something I'm finding in all American hotels - no one's ever in the pool EVER?! In a British hotel, the pool is full early AM & late night with guests exercising🤷‍♀️🤔! There was also a nice powerful hot hot tub, which was very enjoyable, especially on my own! I found the food quite expensive in comparison to its competitors, as we ordered room service. The burger was generous size portion, but it wasn't cooked to how my friend had requested, and they had specifically asked well done medium rare etc etc Check in was swift, and the receptionist was pleasant and thorough. However, a little bit too thorough. I'm going to mention this because I think a lot of people will actually see this as a positive, especially if you are are maybe business person with a public profile. Myself and my 'friend' FWB😜 had literally checked in 20 minutes previously and she saw he was with me, she chatted to us both. 20 minutes later he went down with my Amex as we couldn't work out how to order room service. She refused to serve him because he couldn't remember my surname, despite having Just seen me with him, and him in possession of a hotel key card (* as a funny side note I should be thanking her because it then opened up a delicate conversation about, as my clown couldn't remember my family name after 5 yrs of knowing me on & off, that would have been very difficult to start without that Trigger🤣🤣🤣) However, that aside I do think that is EXCESSIVE security levels, and I didn't really appreciate having to put on clothes and track down to reception to get our din-dins. As said, however a lot of people would find this security element a bonus. I have an issue with people's obsession with security in general, I mean we live in orwellian 1984 times now and you just have to accept it, is my approach, otherwise it's all too much of a hassle and an admin! I absolutely love the CitizenM down the road, where we usually stay, and can't wait to try The Fairmont. Although this isn't a bad hotel I would definitely choose those other hotels over this. Apologies for any obvious typos or grqmatical errors from my voice to text software and my being too lazy to correct them. ❤️

Beautiful, well kept, 100 year old hotel with classic details. Service was outstanding, our suite was comfortable, elevators were always readily available, and the location was extremely convenient to many restaurants and popular sites. Very pleased we stayed in the Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta---we enjoyed the rather cozy feel of the hotel in comparison with the huge ultramodern hotels in the general area.

Overall maintenance is terrible. Rooms are very small. Indoor pool with no restrooms, jacuzzi not clean. Valet parking $60 too expensive for what you get as overall experience. Hotel has great location but other than that nothing special.

Location, location, location. The beds were comfy, the room was well appointed and clean. The location is central to everything in downtown Austin and it's especially convenient if your'e attending SXSW. Everything was a short walk and we never needed a car. If we needed to walk more than 20 minutes, we rented a scooter.

If you are traveling to Austin I would advise you to stay anywhere else, and there are a lot of options. As a point of reference, I stayed at this property when it was the Intercontinental over thirty times for about four nights each time (you can do the math), and it was my go to hotel in Austin. Although there were some issues now and then, I really liked the hotel and looked forward to staying there when work brought me to Austin. However, that is no longer the case. I will not be returning to this hotel ever again. I don’t know exactly when Sonesta bought the property, but they have clearly been cutting costs and it shows. The concierge in the lobby is gone, replaced by a random assortment of snacks and pet products. The staff I interacted with seemed barely, if at all, trained. The elevators looked worn down and it also appeared as if they decided to stop cleaning them. But the room was the worst part. First of all, most of the amenities have been removed. No bathrobe, no slippers (and we all know how dirty hotel room floors can be). The upscale toiletries they used to offer are now mostly gone, and what’s left has been replaced by cheap generic products. I’m all for reducing single use plastic items, but what they did provide was not even close to the level of hotel they claim to be. But the absolute deciding factor was the condition of the room. It was filthy. Spots and blotches on the glass surfaces, peeling and stained wallpaper, chipped paint and damaged walls, dirty and grimy light switches, there was dust and what I believe to be mold on the bathroom mirror and black stains on the shower curtain, and threadbare, worn out furniture. It was gross. I arrived late and didn’t notice everything until the next morning, but it was horrifying. They have also decided to hang some truly hideous artwork in the lobby featuring a hippo in royal garb. I know this is part of their marketing campaign, but whoever thought of this should be fired twice. There are quite a few better options in this price range, but don’t let the branding fool you. It is no longer an upscale hotel, and I would not stay here if it was half the price. If you have a few extra bucks, I would recommend the Van Zandt or the South Congress Hotel, both are excellent hotels with very good service. If you want something a little more budget friendly I found both the Indigo and Holiday Inn to be clean and comfortable. I have not written a review in over four years, but I had to revive my account to document the terrible experience. There are quite a few very good hotel options in and around downtown Austin, but this is no longer one of them. Do yourself a favor and stay anywhere else. I had already booked three rooms here for five nights in April, but i am following my own advice and finding a better option. I hope you do as well.