Question about hotels out in Austin for the F1.

I am thinking of going now to Austin for the race. Never been to a F1 let alone Austin. Where is the nicest hotel? Thanks

 

Um, if you read the 239 pages of the OTHER thread, you'll find they are in short supply, (in reservations, if not actual occupancy) and overcharging for that weekend of the race....for ANYTHING!

Driskoll is historic dowtown, try out west at the Arboretum, the track is out on the east side, and there's NOTHING out there.

Lost Pines Resort (Bastrop) will offer heli shuttle, I have heard.
There are some nice new resorts on Lake Travis also (west of town, the wrong direction)

 

Why would read all 469 pages when I have you Big Tex

But seriously are those places real clean. Have you stated there before. Reading reviews which are docked don't work for me. I like hearing from actual patrons.

Thanks

 

I'm here for you!

The huge home a college mate built is full of sleeping bags now...

I actually built the Marriott at the Capitol, on 11th street (since sold, but still there!)
Indoor/outdoor pool, hot tub, pretty nice place (and feels like home after running the stairs for two years)

It's no lie, this event will strain Austin resources to the max (new 1000 room going up at Congress and 4th)...it's a college town as well as the Capitol of course, but "Euro lux" is not how I would describe the town!!

After all, unless to impress your date your time will be at the track (as a volunteer, I am scheduled for 12 hour shifts!!!!)

Drop down to our Texas Section for a list of "glamorous restuarants", most of which I'll admit I have not tried.....South Austin (the town is bisected by the Colorado River) is a "whole other place", roots Americana music, and TexMex and chicken fried steak at the Broken Spoke rules!

Hard to say which is the "real Austin"....it's just a duality of the town's flavor..

 

There is a rumor (from twitter and the Friends of F1 Austin facebook page), not sure if it is confirmed, but supposedly COTA had blocked thousands of rooms and that block will be lifted very soon. Not all of the blocked rooms were needed or sold, so they are expecting some to come back on the market and maybe even at reasonable prices. These are all Austin-area hotels, not out of town stuff.

So you might want to check the hotel sites or call a few places in the next few days to see if anything comes up.

 

It's a Sheraton now, and it is NOT AVAILABLE for the dates, in question.

 

Just checked Lost Pines and all booked up.

Can we stay with you Big Tex?

 

WHOEVER has 'played games" with this, and not pointing any fingers, hotels themselves courting the teams and manuafacturers, the COTA, overbooking the whole market to make MORE money with "packages"......whatever caused it, they have really screwed the pooch.

As the tenor of the other thread shows, there's a TON of savvy world travelers that follow F1, and a lot of them have thrown in the towel and said "F*&^&( it" to this venue.

Pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered...

 

Yes you can....based upon your crazy posts/threads, you'll fit RIGHT in!!!!

He just got married, and when the strippers flagged out at 4AM, we replaced them with roller derby girls, skating around his living room.
The wife is great, and understands that "the guy on the sofa" was a pre-existing condition.....

I hope the hotel industry eats a bunch of rooms, and you can be a walk in, anywhere in town!

 

With my daughter in a UT sorority house, and her beau in a fraternity, we could saturate Student Housing!!

 

Just for giggles, call the Mansion Inn, in Gruene, right next door to historical Gruene Hall.....
They had never HEARD of F1, until folks I referred from Europe started booking it up!

I can maybe get Sheriff Escort for a caravan of exotics, old friend has a Law Firm there....

 

PM to 'barnyard'.....Regis has 400 acres, right ACROSS the street (Highway 71)!!!

 

As long as it is Sorority house

Found a Red Roof 30 miles away at $520 per night.....

 

Lets see.... $3200 for Ferrari Hospitality and then stay in a 1 star hotel... hmmmmm

 

See?

That's just silly talk!!

New Bransfels???
Gruene Mansion is in a tiny settlement (1885) next to New Bransfels.

Simpson safety products has an HQ there.....

 

San Antonio, maybe, but that's an hour and a half drive away....nothing open at Lake Travis?
That's a lux new resort there.....

 

Amex checked Gruene and available but an hour drive. Yikes!

 

I actually toured the 4 bed, two bedroom "suite", that she shares with three girls during Parents Weekend.

It looked like the Galleria women's wear stores had exploded, and fallen wrinkled to the floor!
In fairness they were not expecting me to visit, I'm glad they all were dressed!

 

The shuttle bus from the Downtown Lot by the Capitol will be an hour too, it's all relative.

You'd have to do a Mapquest to see it, but the track is well SE, of Austin.
Taking H35, then turning off on SH21, takes you right there!

My drive time calcs from Gruene Mansion (or the very nice Homestead Inn, up the street) to Bastrop were 55 minutes.

 

Just checked an RV park 45 miles away and they are all booked.... Time to get serious here. Or creative is more like it.

 

I wonder if any private homes will rent out a basement for the weekend and provide transport to the track and the bars at night.

 

If you want to RV, barnyard is your man, I have his phone number.....

 

Austin has just thrown a HUGE wrench into that....all rentals have to be 'registered and certified and blah blah blah"...people that had planned to do casual rentals are now canceling them under threat of prosecution...

Hopefully Year 2 will be smoother.

If there IS a year 2!!!!

 

I have been saying this from day 1.

Indy did the same nonsense for several years. Eventually they realized that it didn't work and stop blocking reservations.

I don't even get the whole package deal: Where on Earth do you get those? There is F1 GrandPrix Tours but they are a tiny niche market. Who is supposed to sell those packages and through what channels?

The Austin hotel managers are idiots. Jack up the prices all you want, fine, that's just capitalism at work. But don't take yourself off the market. That's plain stupid.

 

Well my friend is checking the COTA hotel link. Supposedly hotels are available around $250. I guess a roof over the head is the only thing I need.

But I agree free enterprise is America but what are they thinking. Just let the patrons access to first come first serve.