The Hot List
Downtown Austin hotel draws coveted spot on Conde Nast Traveler's Hot List 2019
Only one Texas hotel drew a spot on Conde Nast Traveler's coveted Hot List 2019, and it's right here in the Capital City. The Line Austin, which opened in June 2018, was one of only 16 hotels around the country to end up on the prestigious list.
Back for its 23rd year, the Hot List is vetted by magazine editors and contributors, a self-proclaimed "army of hotel sleuths" who checked into hundreds of new hotels to find their favorites. On April 16, the sleuths released their findings, spotlighting the 75 hottest new properties across the globe.
"Ultimately, the hotels that land on this list are the absolute best of the best; the game-changing, boundary pushing, vacation-making openings that are so good, we’re already dreaming about going back," the magazine said.
The Line Austin has always been billed as a unique project, so it's no surprise that the former Radisson on Cesar Chavez Street and Congress Avenue has captured the attention of the Conde Nast Traveler. Everything, it seems, has been thoughtfully designed, from the boutique-style rooms to the stunning rooftop cocktail lounge.
In today's hospitality world, however, flashy interiors and fancy bars aren't enough to stand out — especially in a city like Austin. To rise about the rest, The Line approaches each city differently, often hiring creatives inside the city to carry out the project.
"Each of the three Line hotels is built on the idea of creative collaboration and a sort of conversation with their respective neighborhoods," Isadora McKeon, VP of creative and culture for Sydell Group, told CultureMap in June 2018.
In Austin, that collaboration included a highly curated, locally sourced art program and multiple restaurant concepts, including Top Chef winner Kristen Kish's Arlo Grey. (And that the space was once home to a TGIFriday's? That's plain magic.)
Together, the project is stunning enough to be billed "the Texan capital’s most exciting opening for years," by the magazine, which added that The Line is "a downtown slice of modernism for tapping into the city’s dynamic music and art scene."
As mentioned, The Line was the only Texas spot to make the list. In the U.S., California checked in with the most hotels, earning five of the 16 spots. New York was second with two properties. Collectively, Europe earned the most nods on the Hot List, with 19 hotels across the continent.
