Hotel Saint Cecilia

Beautiful ambience. Excellent service. Great food! We will be back in the near future!

For me, this place checked ALL boxes, most especially the one where it's intimate and beautifully executed down to the littlest details, and flawlessly felt in all those details, without the slightest bit of pretentiousness.

It is truly understated and overstated, in all the right ways, all at the same time. Utopia.

I felt more comfortable here than I have at some people's houses. Yet, I felt like I was in my own home sprawled over lush landscaping with tempting delights to be found everywhere. The room was somewhere I would want to live if I could. But then again, we really did have the best downtown skyline view I think I have ever had at any 'hotel', anywhere. To be clear, this does not feel like a hotel at all, in any way.

We were pampered (even got a call our first morning to ask us if we needed anything), but not in a fake way. The sincerity in character of HSC is so appreciated; I just love that HSC beats to its own drum, with its own rules, and those who get it just don't want to stop dancing.

We will be back for every anniversary.

We had a large group here and rented it out for the weekend. This was the best staff I've ever experienced at a hotel. They were top notch and very accommodating. There wasn't one staff member here that didn't have a quick, accurate answer or solution to whatever we needed. Very impressed!

Fun little gem of a hotel in a great location. Room is very minimalistic but had what we needed. Weather was chilly so we didn't get to use the pool or outdoor grounds. We would stay here again. The manager (Nathan I believe) was very accommodating when I made the reservation.

My friend and I were in town for Austin City Limits. The sign for Hotel Saint Cecilia can be hard to find due to the small size and color. It is tucked away at a residential street in South Congress, which offers nearby places for shopping and dining.

As you enter, the suites are slightly to the left. The pool with the 'soul' sign is to the right, with the lobby and lounge area straight ahead. I was amazed at the atmosphere and decor inside because it is romantic yet retro. Each room or place has its own story to tell. Also, the rooms have a record collection, so I even went downstairs to the office to borrow one!

I believe there are 14 rooms - suites, studios, and poolside bungalows. We stayed in one of the studios facing the main grounds, which is located above the hotel's lobby and lounge. I loved that we had our own private terrace with one of the comfiest King Hästens beds! Staff was nice and accommodating.

There is no spa at this boutique hotel, but I managed to see two or so that you can walk or bike to!

Someone informed this used to be occupied by a descendant of Davy Crockett before it was a bed and breakfast, but it's currently reopened as Hotel Saint Cecilia.

Would I come back? Yes. It seemed like we had the studio.

Funky hotel with overpriced rooms and too much style.

If you're looking for a full-service hotel go to the Proper Hotel, where you will spend half as much and get twice the services. It's also better maintained.

If you're a hipster who appreciates loud pretentious music being played on vinyl, dark rooms with old furniture, you'll love the slow service and rude hipster service at Saint Cecilia.

We had an intimate, 17-person micro-wedding wedding in November. My Grandma (the guest of honor and my favorite human being) had just turned 96 and told us to "get the show on the road" because she was determined to be there! The wedding was held at the magnificent Hotel Saint Cecilia and our rehearsal dinner at the groovy Hotel Magdalena.
The whole weekend was a fairytale. Saint Cecilia is like a secret garden, undiscovered and nestled right at the heart of the most amazing and vibrant city in the world. Words can't describe the atmosphere - it's so uniquely romantic, modern, elegant, hip, luxurious, artful, magical, enchanting...

Before I go into details it's important that I recognize Nancy Gottschling, the events coordinator. Nancy is an absolute all-star and all-around amazing human being. I cannot thank her enough for making my wedding the fairytale of my dreams. Saint Cecilia is known for hosting celebrities, the rich & famous. Even though our wedding was small, and neither of us a "big deal", Nancy made us feel like we were her number 1 priority every step of the way. She was incredibly sensitive to my Grandma's needs and made sure everything was PERFECT for her. Nancy and her team (including Sarah VanHoose - who's brilliance I could write an entire additional paragraph about) went above and beyond to make sure everyone was taken care of and had a wonderful time.

The ceremony was held at sunset under the breathtaking Live Oak - two trees over the years entangled and fused into one, a beautiful metaphor - and the reception was held in the private courtyard of Suite Four.

The food was incredible (both Saint Cecilia and Magdalena). Almost every one of our guests independently told us it was the best wedding food they ever had. On top of the quality, the customer service was above and beyond. The chef at Magdalena prepared an AMAZING vegetable soup at the drop of a hat when Grandma wasn't feeling the salad (that said, I DEFINITELY felt the salad!!!).

The flowers, by Gypsy Floral, were perfection. I almost cried when I saw them. The beautiful lush green foliage, the fall shades of burgundy garden roses, peonies, and ranunculus... If I knew more about horticulture, I'd go on - but I am in finance, and I'll just say they were just as enchanting as Saint Cecilia itself.

As a "mini-moon", my husband and I stayed in Suite 4 for several nights after the wedding. A continuation of the fairytale story. When I called, I was greeted by the front desk with "good morning, Princess!" The mini-bar is the most luxurious I've ever seen - the best combination of global and local - the best food and drink from around the world and staples of Austin culture. The decanter of water awaiting us in the morning was like holy mana. I have literally never tasted water so delicious (I am not sure if this was due to the hangover, but I've heard there is something special about this water).

Of course, nothing gold can stay. We finally had to leave this enchanted space and return to reality. On the way out, I was surprised to see one of my heroes, Liz Lambert herself. I approached her with hesitancy, not wanting to bother, to let her know the impression she'd made on me and the inspiration she'd been in my commercial real estate career. She was so kind, warm, and appreciative - something I will always remember. I will forever be loyal to the Bunkhouse group, and we can't wait for the next excuse to return.

If I had to sum up my entire Hotel Saint Cecilia experience in one word, it would be "meh". It definitely wasn't terrible, but I also can't say it was great.

My partner and I are from Austin. I've lived here for 16 years and have always wanted to stay at Saint Cecilia, so we finally booked a room for our staycation! We checked in super early, and understandably at 11am, our room (which was slated to be ready at 3pm) was not ready. So the staff graciously let us keep our suitcases in the hotel office, and we hung out by the pool until it was ready. The pool is eclectic and funky- retro vibes! The margarita I had and the cheese board we snacked on were delicious.

At 11am the pool was fully packed, and there were no lounge chairs with umbrellas for us to relax in, only the chairs on the right side of the pool that were regular chairs, directly in the sun. (Note to anyone staying here- get a spot at the pool ASAP, because lounge chairs go quick.) The staff member taking drink orders was friendly, but she kept forgetting my partners Bohemia he asked for twice. He eventually gave up and just grabbed his own water from the water jug. She took a very long time to get us towels, which was a bit frustrating as well.

We also noticed several people walk into the hotel office after us, and be taken to rooms on the same side of the hotel where the pool side bungalows are (our same room type). So, my guess is, they checked in after us and were given a room before us because the staff knew we were hanging out by the pool? It felt like their logic was to have us wait longer for our room to get us to rack up a tab at the pool. FYI, we would have racked up a tab regardless of where in the hotel we were- the food and drinks are delicious, but that type of customer service is not cool.

When we finally got in our room around 3:30, the record player was broken and I was shocked at how bare the walls were. For the cost of this hotel, I just expected a little more to go into the decor, and to feel impressed walking into our room. The record player still worked, but the top was broken and janky- see pictures to see what I'm talking about.

Around 6pm we decided we would head to the hotel bar, and then go out around Congress. Our bartender was Jimmy, and he was a badass. He made us the tastiest Pain Killer shots I have ever had, and told really great stories. He was entertaining to chat with, and one hell of an excellent mixologist.

So, like I said, overall, not a terrible experience, but also not great. My thinking: a hotel that costs as much as a stay at Saint Cecilia should leave guests feeling like they just had an excellent experience. I would potentially come back, but only if we found a deal on a room (bc for the overall experience, I sadly can't justify their standard rates) and stayed in a different room.

I have been following this hotel on Instagram for a few years. Finally booked a trip to Austin and it was the only place we considered. From booking all the way to checking out we felt so well taken care of. The small hotel only offers 14 rooms. It feels like an oasis as you pull into the private parking and are met my attentive staff. Our room was ready and there was a sweet treat and a nice note waiting for us in our room.

The hotel is very well kept. Staff wait on you hand and foot. You can have your food delivered to your patio, poolside or the lounge.

The rooms all include turntables and the office offers records to borrow like a library system.

We were right off of south congress so we walked over to dinner and the "I love you so much " wall.

The food and snacks available are amazing! We enjoyed breakfast each morning from the hotel and snacks by the pool one afternoon.

The pool area is so relaxing. It's small and intimate . Being so close to the city street was not a problem, you still feel tucked away by the lush walls of shrubs and design of the hotel, yet have easy access to restaurants and shopping.

We will definitely come back again and again!

I don't believe I will be back to this hotel. I've stayed here several times, but this last visit was enough. I rented a cottage located near the pool for $895 per night. Crazy I know... But it gets worse. They have a mini bar and small kitchenette, sink and NO COFFEE POT. I ordered coffee from room service and they charged me $20. C'mon guys get it together. It's not too much to offer your guests coffee in the morning.

The Construction... Yes, just like the other person here I ended up with a flat tire coming home for dinner one night. Yes... a flat tire on my rental car. Also, they didn't notify me about the construction until they had my money. Shame on them.

The service... Yep, just like the post below carrying your bags is on you! It's almost like you get to pay a crazy amount to be abused.

Sadly Liz, I am no longer impressed with what you have going on here. I won't be back.