Far Out

Iconic South Congress gem lands on list of world's hottest hotels

Austin Motel earned a coveted spot on Conde Nast Traveler's Hot List.

Photo by Nick Simonite

Austin's hometown hotelier can add not one, but two feathers to her proverbial cap. On May 1, Conde Nast Traveler released its annual Hot List, a selection of the world's best hotels, and Liz Lambert's South Congress gem Austin Motel made the cut.

With its phallic sign and retro vibes, Austin Motel has been one of the city's most recognizable landmarks since it opened in 1938. Lambert's hospitality company, Bunkhouse Group, was tapped to run the iconic spot in 2016, after it was purchased by Greenfield Partners LLC, which owns Hotel San Jose, among other spots.

Lambert and company promised to maintain the property's unique look, and they largely kept their promise, revealing the motel's chic redesign in 2017. "Hip hotelier Lambert redesigned an Austin icon into exactly the kind of no-frills spot all the cool kids love," Conde Nast Travelersaid of the space. Bunkhouse has also turned the hotel in a local cool kid hot spot of sorts, hosting poolside parties and themed events.

Hot List winners are "rigorously vetted" by 37 Conde Nast editors and industry experts who visit the different spaces over the course of the year. "The group of scouts are armed with a survey that's been developed and refined over the past 22 years, with questions that get at the practical, the emotional, and even the sociological aspects of a property," the magazine said in a press release. Austin Motel was one of 108 hotels in the world to make the 2018 Hot List — and the only hotel in Texas.

Though it sits roughly 1,300 miles away from Austin, it's worth noting that Hotel San Cristobal, a Bunkhouse hotel located in Todos Santos, Mexico, also garnered a spot on the Hot List.

"Like all of Lambert’s properties, this one feels totally of its place and seriously cool, with bright woven blankets, hand-stamped tiles, copal incense, and plenty of mezcal and cold Mexican beer," saidConde Nast Traveler. Sounds dreamy.

hotels awards

30 Years of Country

Robert Earl Keen marks album's 30th anniversary in cowboy town Bandera

Photo by Erika Goldring

Robert Earl Keen is attending a celebration in Bandera to mark the 30th anniversary of his album Gringo Honeymoon.

Lots of Texans have heard that Bandera, about 115 miles southwest of Austin, is the "Cowboy Capital of the World." It's easy to take the town's word for it, and the old-fashioned architecture helps. On September 7, an event celebrating the anniversary of Robert Earl Keen’s album Gringo Honeymoon brings the history to the surface in a fun way that's worth a day trip.

Gringo Honeymoon was released in 1994, and its mellow country sound has proved largely immune to changing fads — although there are some fun flashes of its birth decade from song to song. A release shares that the majority of Keen’s music was written on his ranch, in a limestone building called the Scriptorium. Built on a hill, it looked over Bandera. This album also features a Bandera building on the cover, so there's plenty of local history embedded in it.

Gringo Honeymoon by Robert Earl Keen album cover This album cover was shot at a famous destination in Bandera.Album cover courtesy of Robert Earl Keen

The celebration at the 11th Street Cowboy Bar includes both fun and official business. There will be a special ceremony to present Keen with the City of Bandera’s branding iron — a country version of receiving a key to the city. Governor Greg Abbott will also make a proclamation. Keen will also bring special guests and friends for some nostalgic storytelling.

Tourists might recognize the bar for its rustic facade, often pictured with horses and motorcycles outside. Although it's where Keen is pictured on the Gringo Honeymoon album cover, it's less recognizable in part because it's shot so close in the original and in part because the paint has faded over the years. However, a restoration with the same white paint and blue trim has brought it back to its former glory, and Keen will recreate the photo accordingly.

11th Street Cowboy Bar in Bandera The 11th Street Cowboy Bar restored to its former glory.Photo courtesy of the 11th Street Cowboy Bar

Following 41 years on the road and a final tour, Keen worked with his band to release the LP Western Chill, both a box set and a digital release. Copies of the album will be available at the party; the box set, available online, includes a double sleeve album, a graphic novel telling the story of how the album was written, a music video DVD featuring all the songs on Western Chill, and a songbook.

Rounding out the experience for travelers is a gathering of local food trucks. The 11th Street bar is still in operation, so visitors might consider a beer. Plus, there's plenty more to do including visiting a well-preserved and still-open general store and some local museums. There are several events listed for September 7 on the city's calendar.

More information about the anniversary party is available at banderacowboycapital.com.

music history bandera hill country