The Austin skyline is adding another high-rise. A 31-story Hyatt Centric inspired by Austin's "boho-chic lifestyle" (their words, not mine) is projected to open on the corner of East Eighth Street and Congress Avenue in fall 2021.
On October 28, McWhinney, a Colorado-based real estate investment and development firm, announced it is breaking ground on the new hotel in November. The new hotel will check into some primo downtown property, next to the State and Paramount theaters and just blocks from both Sixth Street and the Texas State Capitol.
Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue, the Hyatt brand's boutique offshoot, "features full-service lifestyle hotels located in prime destinations." Once open, guests can check into one of the hotel's 246 rooms — including the 1,400-square-foot presidential suite. (By comparison, the JW Marriott and Fairmont Austin both boast more than 1,000 guest rooms.)
Additionally, the hotel will offer a 24-hour fitness center and high-tech, adaptable meeting space.
As far as hospitality, the Hyatt Centric will feature a ground-floor restaurant and bar, second-floor bar and event space, and an eighth-floor outdoor lounge and bar with views of the Capitol.
Though the release didn't offer any details about the restaurant or bars, it did note that Austin-based Nelsen Partners has been tapped for the architectural design, while Dallas firm Duncan Miller Ullmann will craft interiors "inspired by Austin’s boho-chic lifestyle and modern ingenuity, with nods to the rich local Texas history and energetic music scene." The building has also been designed to meet the Austin Energy Green Building Standards.
“We are excited to introduce our ‘in-the-now’ Hyatt Centric brand to the charming, dynamic city of Austin, Texas,” said Pat McCudden, Hyatt’s senior vice president, capital strategy, in a release. “Through our development strategy, Hyatt looks for locations that allow us to grow with intent, across a strategic selection of diverse destinations where our guests want us to be — like Austin."
Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue will be the brand's second location inside Texas, including one in Houston's The Woodlands. The umbrella brand also has hotels in New Orleans, San Francisco, and Chicago, among other cities.
The new high-rise hotel is taking shape in downtown Austin.
