My
spouse and I stayed at the Hilton Austin Airport for 1 night in early
July 2013. Our flight from the East Coast was due to arrive just before
midnight, and we were not sure that we would have been able to rent a
car at that time, nor were we prepared to drive 80 miles to our final
destination. (As it turned out, our flight arrived nearly 2 hours late,
and all but one of the car rental counters had closed.) We used the
24-hour shuttle bus to travel between the airport and the Hilton. You
catch the shuttle on the second level (departures) across from the
United counter on the center island. The shuttle driver was unbelievably
pleasant, particularly at that hour of night. Although the hotel is
located on the airport property, it is not possible to walk; you must
use the shuttle.
This hotel was formerly an air force base, and
the building is round, with a glass-enclosed atrium space in the middle
that houses the bar, coffee bar, and full-service restaurant. (Room
service is available 24 hours a day.) The outdoor pool area is nice, and
it would be a great place to relax before or after a flight. The pool
area is large, with a good number of chairs. It also features a
Jacuzzi/spa, and both that and the swimming pool have lifts for the
physically challenged. The fenced-in pool area has a flag that says
"pool service" or something similar, so you can order food and drinks to
your chair by making a phone call. The hotel seems to offer
"park-and-fly" rates, or perhaps just airport parking, because the
shuttle driver inquired as to whether we were staying overnight at the
hotel or just picking up our car. There is a smoker's oasis (their
words, not mine) with table and chairs near the pool. There is a small
fitness center on-site, with about 6 machines and some free weights. The
hotel has plenty of parking, although according to their website, it is
not free ($12 per day). There are monitors in the lobby near the
reception desk that list flight information.
Our room faced
inwards to the atrium, which was a bit dark because we visited primarily
during non-daylight hours. The room was spacious, with high ceilings
and enough room for a sofabed as well as a king-size bed, with lots of
room around both. The bathroom was up-to-date looking, and standard
Hilton Peter Thomas Roth toiletries were provided.
As HHonors
Diamond members, we received complimentary breakfast vouchers, which
were good for the hot and cold buffet as well as for any made-to-order
menu items. Creeks Restaurant features a very nice and extensive
breakfast buffet, which we highly recommend is you need a hearty start
to your day. Our waitress, much like the gentleman driving the shuttle
the evening before, could not have been more helpful or pleasant. It was
a great welcome to Texas, as we wondered if everyone we would encounter
would be so unbelievably nice!
We would gladly stay here again if we were flying to or from the Austin Airport.
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