I stayed at the Hancock Guest Nest for 2 nights when I was in Austin. This was a fantastic…read morealternative to staying at a hotel, as you have a full kitchen, laundry, private outdoor seating, free Wifi, and conveniences like an iPod dock, platform bed, and overhead rain shower. The washer/dryer and laundry room was totally worth it, as I was able to catch up on laundry before the next leg of my trip. The Nest looks exactly like it does on the website, and the location is great as well. It is literally adjacent to a shopping center (the back parking lot of Sears is like 20 feet away) but surprisingly this isn't a negative because it's still very quiet. Convenient to restaurants, grocery stores, and a golf course where you can go for a run around the perimeter. Highly recommended. When I visit Austin again, I'll be back!

Ever had one of those moments where you just need a break from "Adulting"? Well, that was me when…read moreI found "Ralph's Lake Cottage", offered by Hancock Guest Cottages. This property is a perfect Studio setup on Lake Buchanan! If you're into the outdoors/nature and lake scene but also enjoy everything you need right at your fingertips this is the place for you! It's clean, it's more spacious than the photos give it credit for, it's affordable, and most of all, it's peaceful! Here are some of the awesome things you'll find at Ralph's Lake Cottage: King size bed, trundle bed with pull out, chaise lounge, decks and patio furniture, full size fridge and oven, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, blender, full set of kitchenware and cooking supplies. Coffee, tea, zip locks, paper towels, toilet paper, pillows, blankets, extra sheets, bath towels, beach towels, flashlights, musical instruments, DVDs, puzzles, games, cards, fans, kayaks, bikes, swings, firepit, BBQ pit, and more! Seriously, the owners thought of everything! All I brought with me was some wine, snacks, comfy clothes, and my sewing supplies. I had my own personal Sewing Retreat for the weekend and it was fantastic! =) As far as nearby attractions, I only ventured out once when I took the 25 minute drive to Llano, Texas. It was a super cute town with several boutiques, gift shops, restaurants, and 2 quilt stores (which were my main motivator for leaving the cottage). There's also a Family Dollar. There are also nearby wineries and a Country Store with plenty of basics plus made to order pizza, salads, and sandwiches. I personally recommend bringing some food, some wine and comfy clothes and just hanging out to enjoy the scenery. Be sure to do some star gazing at night and get up for the sunrise - it's AMAZING!

This place is phenomenal! As other reviews have mentioned, it is spotless clean, safe, comfortable,…read moreand in a great Austin neighborhood convenient to an abundance of all the city has to offer. Kris is a wonderful host, having thought of everything I would need during my stay and going way above-and-beyond to make it a perfect escape while some work was being done on my house. ...but what about the *really* important stuff? Let us explore the things which are important to every guest, but reviews always seem to omit! There is plenty of natural light through the many windows, but the rays of sunrise do not scream through the bedroom windows, bombarding photons into your eyelids while you are trying to sleep until a reasonable hour. The water pressure in the shower lies right in the Goldilocks zone; gentle enough to be relaxing, but firm enough that you do not have to spend 30 minutes rinsing to stop feeling soapy. Oh, speaking of Goldilocks, I found the queen bed to be juuust riiight. This place comes with a free dog rental included! Bonus! Sam is an awesome, friendly, and well-behaved pup. There is a large, open space between the well-stocked kitchen and cozy living room. You could totally do yoga here! Note: I said *you*, not me. I am way too clumsy for that and the helpful guide book that Kris provides does not indicate the location of the nearest chiropractor. Other reviews have mentioned the place is clean. Very true. I will go beyond to say this place passes the UV light test easily. Clean!!! You will be about a five-minute walk away from one of the best pizza joints in the city and also a cool, local coffee shop that also has a large variety of beers on-tap. Oh, you can also easily walk to laundry or the grocery store, if instead you are in the mood to do something not fun. Yes, there is coffee provided! It is not one of those stale, swill-producing little pouch things that most hotels try to pass off as "in-room coffee." No. Here you get an actual coffee pot, with actual ground beans, for an actual cup of actual coffee. Same for the refrigerator. It is not the kind you had in college; it is a grown up refrigerator. There are no fresh-baked cookies provided upon check-in. Awww... However, the grocery store (easy walk or drive) will happily sell you a pack of bake-at-(guest)home cookie dough, or cookie dough ice cream - whichever way your mood is swinging. A huge selection of board games are provided, and they are not missing any cards or pieces! The water heater is tankless! Family of five all needing showers? No problem! Hot water forever. This is a house, with a real thermostat, which lets you select real temperatures! Unlike that wall-mounted contraption in a hotel room which only allows you to choose between "keep me up all night by being miserably hot" or "keep me up all night by making a bunch of noise." The Brentwood Guest House is wonderful! Not only on the big points (super clean, convenient, safe, and comfortable), but it excels at the smaller details too!

This guest house is just lovely! It's super clean, newly renovated and has everything you could…read morepossibly need. Kris is a wonderful host - thoughtful, fun and generous. Her dog Sam is the BEST! He's the sweetest pup you can imagine. Kris had great restaurant recommendations and sent me a whole list of things to do in Austin - she goes out of her way to make sure you have a great visit. I highly recommend staying here!

I had 4 friends in town for a weekend earlier in the autumn. They stayed in the two-bedroom (sleeps…read more4+) flat on West Live Oak and enjoyed the daylights out of it. Everyone who stayed in the house had previously been to or lived in Austin, and each one not only loved the house but the neighborhood, the accessibility to downtown, and the lengths to which Top Trip Rentals went to make the home feel, well, homey. As a general example, the house came with chips and salsa in the kitchen, local coffee, and lists of things to do, places to visit, and and everything in between. The house in which they stayed was clean, well-stocked, and run by a friendly and warm staff. Highly recommended for people looking to spend a fun or business-oriented weekend in Austin. If you are going to be here for any amount of time and are looking for a place to stay that is both conveniently near downtown, quiet, has space for parking and access to public transit, there literally isn't a better option in the city.

Very poor customer service. My husband and I stayed for 2 weeks over the holidays at a property we…read morehad spent a lot of time at prior to Logewell taking ownership. When we arrived, we were concerned about the overwhelming smell of dog pee (we do not have pets). We called and were told yes, they had found 4x spots of urine that they were unable to clean properly before we arrived - including the couch. At first, Lodgewell were accommodating and moved us to another property while they brought in a professional cleaner. When we came back, the urine smell persisted and we still had another week at the property. Lodgewell would return our calls just to say no one was available to respond to our request. We asked for a very small reimbursement given that we literally had to sit in dog pee to watch tv, they stopped responding to us. Oh, and it was Christmas. If I wanted to sleep in dog pee I would have stayed in NYC. A cockroach also jetted out from under the couch, so literally just like home.

First, this local Bed & Breakfast is amazing. My wife and I had an amazing staycation for our 4…read moreyear wedding anniversary. It was also our first time away from our 18 month old since she was born. Shakti is a wonderful host. The home and bed & breakfast she's the owner for over two decades is such a special place. The room was so cozy and relaxing from every single detail. I've lived in Austin for over 15 years and just realized this place even existed!!!! The location is perfect and an easy walk to south congress. We relaxed by the pool and I took TWO outdoor showers! Yes, there is an outdoor shower! The freshly prepared breakfast was so delicious. I've never liked grapefruit. Shakti prepared a grapefruit from her very own tree. It turned me into a grapefruit lover the moment I took the first bite. From the freshly squeezed orange juice to the quiche everything was delicious. From the chicken's and chicken coop to the gardens and 200 year old tree, this B&B is one of the nicest I've ever stayed at. It was such a treat for me and my wife and we'll be back. I can't recommend this place enough if you want a peaceful slice of heaven in a beautiful local Austin setting then this is the place for you. Second, the reviews I've read on hear from the first page on 1 and 2 star reviews are absolutely unacceptable and disregard these people. I understand people get frustrated because they don't get what they want all the time but Shakti has her bed & breakfast kid free and certain cottages pet free for the customers she offers her home too. That and if you're coming in from out of town to stay in a local person's bed & breakfast and property she can charge whatever she wants, don't complain about it or stay away from our beautiful city. Negatively reviewing someone's livelihood and beautiful home because you are too sensitive to understand is why I don't like YELP sometimes. This amazing place definitely isn't for you and I'm really happy the owner has these sets of rules because its the perfect place to relax and enjoy the beautiful environment. Anyone whom is looking for a truly awesome experience Park Lane Guesthouse is the best!

How I want to use all the cliché terms and not sound too much. This place is an oasis in the middle…read moreof the world city. SoCo is just a few metres away, the destination for live music bars, restaurants and high end stores. Yet, when you are in your cottage it feels like you're on an island with the courtyard garden and pool giving off a chic look that only a lifetime of investment can pull off. Everything in the cottage has been painstakingly assembled. We surprised ourselves by playing 1970s Monopoly (U.S. edition) that was kept in one of the cupboards. Keeping with the 'keep it weird' theme Austin lives by, you'll find a magazines dedicated to chickens, chandelier hanging from the tree, an old camera on a tripod (manual hanging from it) being used as a lamp and much more. The daily breakfast is made from scratch and is always a pleasant surprise as it varies everyday. That with a garnish of conversations with Shakti is always a great start to the day, as she is a repository of tips to make the most of your visit. This was like staying at one's aunt's place; it's not perfect but that's the point!

Wow. WOW! I found this gem of a venue through countless countless searches of a "garden" wedding on…read moregoogle. I looked everywhere, Costa Rica, Mexico, California, Italy!! This place beats everything that I saw, and when I saw the pictures I just fell in love and needed to have our wedding here! (FYI, if you think the pictures are great, the gardens are actually even better in person!) We got married on Oct. 27th 2018, and had the most amazing time at Jennifer's Garden. We stayed at the Inn for three nights, and in Austin for 4 nights. Literally about a 12 minute drive from downtown Austin, it is in a GREAT location and a GREAT neighborhood. The venue itself is not for larger groups...we only had 31 guests attend and it was the perfect size for our group. Everyone was amazed at the gardens and it's beauties!! The guests loved walking around and exploring the grounds. The venue is versatile enough were we had our ceremony in one spot, our cocktail hour in another spot and dinner in another spot! It was truly a dream wedding, and thank you to FRED and JENNIFER who were absolutely amazing at making our dream wedding come true! The venue also worked great for our caterer who worked in the side veranda and was not seen by our guests, so we had the whole kitchen to ourselves (not like we used it on the day of the wedding), but it was still nice to not have the Inn crowded with waiters. Thank you again Fred and Jennifer! We hope to visit again soon!

My husband and I started our life together with an intimate get together at Jennifer's Garden, and…read morewe couldn't have asked for a better place to do so! The location is only a 10 min drive from the Courthouse, and magical enough by itself that with only a few tiny decorative details it looked like our ideal elopement venue. Our closest family and friends all complimented the location, and we all felt right at home easily in this enchanting spot!

My family was visiting for my birthday (most of them first timers to Austin), and I wanted to…read morerecommend a special hotel. Frame was perfect. Beautiful and private but right in the heart of SoCo. They all said they would stay there again, a high compliment!

Ok. I am so torn with my thoughts because for all the things the owners do right: the aesthetics,…read morestyle, location, and the curated shared spaces with its perks. This should have been a momentous experience. Unfortunately my experience was tempered by a ventilation issues and an odor that persisted the whole stay. On top of the fact that the shower area and bathroom floor grout was severely in need of elevated maintenance. This could be overlooked if we had booked with a lower price point establishment. But for the money it did not meet its claim to be "design forward and intentionally serene" which is what you are looking for when you are celebrating an anniversary. I want to say I'd stay here again but right now as I said in the outset really torn.

We live local, but wanted a mini-getaway for our anniversary. Most hotels and B&Bs in Austin are…read morecrazy expensive, so I was shocked to find such affordable prices for rooms here. We had a lovely time and I wish we'd actually spent more time lounging around rather than spending our days on the town. The grounds are gorgeous and make you feel like you're in a little oasis. We stayed in the Lady Stephanie room, which was very pretty in the frilly vintage style that is the trademark of B&Bs. Our A/C *mostly* worked. It only got the temperature down to like 78 degrees, I'd say, so still a little on the warm side, but still a relief when it was 90 degrees outside. My one disappointment was that the bed was extra extra firm, which some people will like, but I found it too hard to be truly comfy. We slept fine, but would have preferred a softer mattress. Breakfast is fairly formal--a sit down meal at 9 am with eggs, biscuits, and muffins served on fancy china. Barbara and Co were very friendly, but gave us plenty of space so we didn't feel crowded. I was very impressed that they anticipated all the answers to our questions by providing notes posted in the room. Want to know the wi-fi password? It's on the sign! Wondering how to get towels for the pool? Oh, look, the info is right there!

A grand old 1904 home on beautiful grounds that emphasize nature over obsessive pruning and mowing…read more Our hosts Barb, Strick and Sandy were warm and welcoming. Our 2nd-floor room was spacious and comfortable, especially the bed, and a row of windows afforded a pleasant garden view. Breakfast was serve-yourself coffee, juice, pastries and cereal, with fresh berries always on hand in the fridge. This is a family-run business (Strick & Barb have lived here since 1964) so don't arrive expecting a Ritz-Carlton experience. But I'd take the Strickland Arms over some sterile hotel chain any day.

We rented Willow House during our visit to Austin for SXSW (March 2011). This cute and cozy…read morebungalow is located approximately 1.5 miles from the Austin Convention Center. We walked to the ACC every morning and cabbed it back at night (the cost of a cab from the ACC to Willow House is approximately $7 plus tip). A pedi-cab will run you more. There are bikes with locks that you can also use (with a refundable deposit), if you would rather peddle your way around town. Hosts Jim Ann and Allen could not have been nicer. I communicated with Jim Ann via email prior to our arrival and she was always quick to reply when I had a question. The bungalow home has been renovated and although small, it is very cozy and simply, yet tastefully furnished. The home is extremely clean (spotless would actually be a better word). We loved returning to Willow House after a long day at SXSW amd watching the flat screen television from the very comfortable queen sized bed. I am so glad that we found Willow House and stayed there rather than at a hotel. It really is a home away from home! Thank you again Jim Ann and Allen.

I am a big fan of the Habitat Suites! This was our second stay here. As it turned out, we got the…read moreexact same room, and I'm totally fine with that. Why should you stay here? If you have a family, this is your place. For the same price that you would pay (okay, less) for a hotel elsewhere in Austin, you can bunk everyone. We stay in the king suite, meaning adults get a separate bedroom and children get the pull-out couch in the living room. Other configurations are available that are suitable for larger families or groups. There is no elevator, so be prepared to carry luggage upstairs. The room has a full kitchen, so you're not forced to eat out every night. Breakfast is included, and we're not talking waffles and cereal. The breakfast menu changes daily (choose from three selections), but you can also ask for whatever you like. The first day I had a bowl with steamed broccoli, potatoes, eggs, spinach and cheese. Yum! The next day I had eggs, tomato and spinach over wheat toast. Oatmeal is available, as are biscuits and gravy, bagels, and the rest of the regular lineup. Locally sourced greek yogurt and honeys are available as well. Fresh fruit is offered daily. On Day 2 that meant papaya. Yummy! Each evening offers free beer and wine with snacks, featuring their homemade salsa. My plans in Austin meant I never made it to this, which I consider a failure on my part. The grounds are beautiful, and feature fruit trees and herbs. A guide to what grows where is available in the lobby. Why should you not stay here? You want the five-star experience with bright shiny new everything (there's some peeling wallpaper in places, but everything is clean and well-maintained). You want to party loudly until all hours of the morning. Habitat keeps quiet hours from 9 pm to 8 am. I tend to stay out most of the day and return to sleep, so this place is right at my speed. It's hard for me to think of reasons you wouldn't want to stay here, but I understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea. I did have enough time this visit for some hanging out at the pool, and that was delightful. Habitat Suites are located across from a branch of Austin Community College. This area is undergoing revitalization, which is helpful for the Habitat Suites, I think. On our previous visit, the neighborhood looked a little sketchy. I didn't get that feeling with this visit. This is a fun gem in Austin ~ beautiful grounds, a great deal, and a restful, clean environment.

This place was definitely apartments before they became a hotel/motel. Not that that's a bad thing…read morebut the layout of everything says it was an apartment before. Arriving it may be kind of confusing. It's located all the way in the back. When ever we got an Uber/Lyft they had a slight issue finding the place. They have free breakfast, midday snacks, and WiFi. I believe there's a pool also but we didn't get the chance to look around considering our trip was short. We got a two bedroom room that had an upstairs room and one downstairs. It was very nice for the price point. Everything was kind of old but still was not disgusting. Housekeeping came and delivered extra towels, we didn't even call them. Not too far from local tourist spots.