Hotel Review: Fairmont Austin
The Fairmont is one of the premier luxury brands by Accor, the biggest hospitality company in Europe. There are only 18 Fairmont properties in the U.S., so once I found out that Austin, TX (my new home) had one, I knew I had to spend a night. The hotel is the tallest in the city and many choose it due to its proximity to the highly-trafficked Rainey St and convention center, as well as its 7th floor rooftop pool, the largest outdoor pool in Downtown Austin:
Fairmont Austin is located at 101 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701. Photo by Fairmont.
What Card Did I Use to Book the Hotel?
Since I don’t have a specific Accor-branded credit card, I used my American Express Green Card to maximize the earning rate. The AMEX Green is currently offering a public sign-up bonus of 30,000 Membership Rewards (MR) points after spending $2,000 in the first three months of account opening. I personally value MR points at 2 cents per point, valuing this “normal” sign-up bonus at $600. However, if you use a referral link or search for the offer using Google’s Incognito Mode, you may be able to find a bonus offer of up to 45,000 points within the same spending stipulations, elevating its value to $900.
The Green Card is a versatile card that can earn 3X MR points on both dining and travel categories.
The Green Card earns 3X MR points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and on travel, including flights, hotels, transit, taxis, tours, and ride-sharing services. 3X MR points effectively translate to a 6% return on your dollar. I appreciate how extensive the transit and travel categories are, similar to the Citi Premier and Chase Sapphire Preferred. Transit includes tolls and public transportation passes, while travel also includes expenses related to third-party booking sites, travel agencies, and campsites. All other purchases earn 1X MR points. With the vast array of dining and travel spend that fall under its multipliers, the Green Card can cover a lot of ground to rack up serious MR points for a relatively low annual fee.
If you’d like to apply for the American Express Green Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! http://refer.amex.us/EDWARSGhHQ?XLINK=MYCP
Lobby & Check-In Review
Fairmont Austin’s lobby was very spacious and inviting. Real trees in the lobby provided a different, more organic atmosphere compared to typical Texan properties. The hotel staff was dressed professionally, performed temperature checks, and handed out disposable masks every time a guest entered. I appreciated their efforts to minimize the possible exposure to Coronavirus as much as possible.
The airiness of high ceilings and live trees set the hotel’s lobby apart from typical Texan-themed properties.
I booked a king bed with a city view, with the option to upgrade my room for an additional $40 per night. Since I was here on business, I declined the offer and was put on the 21st floor for my original Deluxe Room booking.
The Deluxe Room was quaint and offered a limited view of the city.
As I inspected the room, I opened the mini-fridge to store my water bottles. The fridge was room temperature, and I found a take-out box that contained a moldy grilled cheese left by a previous guest.
Though I wasn’t happy I found moldy leftovers in my room, the hotel professionally took care of the issue.
Because I was primarily concerned with the cleanliness of the room, I went down to the lobby and explained what I had found in the fridge. The front desk agent was very apologetic and asked me to share the photo with her so we could raise the issue with the cleaning team. She then offered to upgrade me to a corner room on the 27th floor, the highest for non-Accor members. The room was slightly larger and offered a panoramic view of the city, so I graciously took the offer.
Regular guests without Accor status are limited up to the 27th floor; there are separate elevators for Gold members and suite guests.
Bedroom Review
The corner room was indeed more spacious, and the panoramic view of the city provided plenty of sunlight as well. The bed was comfortable, but the comforter was a little too dense for my taste.
The corner king room was certainly more capacious than the original Deluxe Room.
I liked the floating nightstands, each equipped with USB ports, outlets, and reading lights.
I loved the elegant look of the lamp column and brass finish of the sleek reading lights.
Next to the bed was an accent chair with an ottoman that I later used when reading a book.
A work desk was right by the windows. I enjoyed the views of the Austin skyline while working remotely during my stay. However, there weren’t many electrical outlets available for my needs. Some were on the carpet below the table, but most were occupied by the telephone and the lamp. As a result, I had to move the accent chair to find some outlets that weren’t too far from the table.
The table set-up was aesthetically pleasing, but situated in a functionally lacking space.
Across from the bed was a relatively small TV sitting on a dresser. As our readers know, I never use the TV when I travel, so the size didn’t bother me, but I can see how other guests may be left wanting a bigger screen.
The entertainment setup was surprisingly mediocre and disproportionate to the spacious room.
The dresser cabinets also served as storage for barware and a Nespresso machine. I’m a massive fan of Nespresso machines and appreciated that the hotel offered decaf pods as well. The wine and whiskey glasses felt high-quality and proportionally weighted.
Having a Nespresso machine always earns points in my book!
Bathroom Review
The bathroom was by the entrance and used a sliding door. It was intimate but bright and polished with everything a guest(s) would need.
The hotel used Rose 31 by LE LABO as its choice of toiletry products, which contained both musky and floral notes. I was hesitant to use it since I had a poor allergic reaction when I used LE LABO during my stay at Park Hyatt NYC, but I luckily didn’t experience any side effects this time.
The Rose 31 lineup had pleasant floral and woody notes, apposite for both genders.
The shower was tall and roomy. Although I’m spoiled by and expect rainfall showerheads when staying in higher-end properties, the water pressure was good, and I had zero complaints. The only critique I could think of was the lack of a shelf unit to place shampoos and conditioners. There was a metal bar, but it was more for support than putting toiletries on top.
The shower was nice, but I ended up placing my toiletries on the floor because I had nowhere to put them securely.
The toilet was in its own water closet, which I always prefer over the open layout.
A little more privacy is provided with a separate room for the toilet.
Hiccups During My Stay
The first setback to my stay was that the cabinet mini-fridge in my new room also didn’t work properly. I called the front desk, and they installed another external fridge that was fully operational. The maintenance technician told me it was a common recurring issue among rooms.
The hotel’s maintenance team brought up an external mini-fridge and promptly resolved the issue.
The second setback was much more inconvenient because my crucial fob kept failing to work. I know sometimes card keys can be damaged when placed near electronics or magnets, so I made sure to put my key in my wallet far away from my phone. However, I had to replace my key at least five times during my two-night stay. The maintenance team changed the battery in the room lock, but the issue wasn’t entirely resolved until they replaced the entire lock system altogether. These hiccups were certainly annoying at times, but swift responses from the hotel team eased the issues.
Summary
Fairmont Austin sets itself apart from other cookie-cutter business hotels in the greater Austin area in size and style, making for an unforgettable experience that lends itself to a beautiful staycation option. My upgraded corner room was comfortable and offered a great view of the city day and night. Although I didn’t have time to use the famous rooftop pool or spa, every hotel staff I interacted with was highly professional and friendly. Even when hiccups arose, the team responded promptly to resolve the issues as quickly as possible. I recommend Fairmont Austin to anyone looking to explore downtown Austin or simply disconnect from the city and relax.
