Austin has no shortage of boutique hotels to offer travelers, which can often make it difficult to choose. For a visitor seeking big shows and deals, a trip to Austin is likely about more than a unique interior design; that’s where the big ones come in. On July 7, the nearly 300-room AT&T Hotel and Conference Center announced a partnership with the multipurpose arena Moody Center as its preferred hotel, making it the official hub for major Austin events.

“Not only will Moody Center welcome NCAA Division 1 basketball teams and their fans, but it will also draw next-level entertainment, bringing people from around the country and the world to Austin,” said general manager of the hotel and conference center Alison Berg in a press release. “As a preferred hotel, we can offer our guests exclusive access to Moody Center events, but also seamlessly package those events with unparalleled AT&T Hotel hospitality.”

The partnership gives the hotel opportunities for giveaways and packages, rounding up Moody Center events with special deals and dining at the hotel’s four onsite concepts. The arena and hotel are only a 15-minute walk apart, through the University of Texas campus, which the hotel itself is actually a part of.

The AT&T Hotel & Conference Center already offers several packages, including special rates for Texas residents, school merchandise for people touring UT, and paddle board or kayak rentals on Lady Bird Lake.

Moody Center maintains partnerships with entertainment and sports management company Oak View Group, concert promotion groups Live Nation and Austin’s own C3 Presents, The University of Texas at Austin, and Minister of Culture Matthew McConaughey.

The arrival of the Moody Center has marked a substantial shift in Austin’s entertainment landscape, especially since the pandemic. The arena opened in Aprilafter seven years of development, and since then, has brought top artists and been credited as a factor in recent record-setting alcohol sales. It may be a sign of a freer, larger going-out crowd of both Austinites and tourists this summer.