spring-suite
Inspiring design, an intense connection with the city in which they are located and the value of the community, the culture and music. All these are the factors with which Bunkhouse Group develops accommodations (and there are already eight in total) in Texas such as Austin Motel, El Cosmico (Marfa), Hotel Havana (San Antonio) and, more recently: Hotel Magdalena.
Located in the city of Austin , Hotel Magdalena differs from its sister hotels by having been built from scratch, rather than being a full or partial renovation of a historic building. In addition to being the largest of all, with 89 rooms and a complex of seven luxury residences under the name of Saint Cecilia Residences.
Just as Bunkhouse is always inspired by the desert, roadside motels, Mexican, Spanish or Native American culture, this time he has chosen the emblematic "pozas" of Texas, those natural pools that are part of the Texan culture, as starting point. based on it has built a building similar to a tree house next to a lake, as well as the slopes of Barton Springs , an area teeming with local flora and fauna, century-old oak trees and a "sunken" horseshoe-shaped pool.
And don't miss the pool
Take a look
Where is it? In the neighborhood South Congress , the most fun area is the city. Here, shopping is a must in the boot shop Allen's , vintage clothing boutiques or the bookstore South Congress Books . For dining, there's June's All Day or JoAnne's Fine Foods inside the Austin Motel (also owned by the Bunkhouse Group) and for one of the best live music shows at places like the legendary Continental Club.
Design and style: the architecture studio Lake/Flatus was in charge of renovating the Hotel San José, a member of the Bunkhouse portfolio, so it is not surprising that they have counted on them once again. "They have an ability to work with tricky terrain and design buildings that fit the contour and character of the place. The integration of the interior with the exterior and the unity between architecture and environment was critical to emulate the inspiration we had, which sought to imitate a pool or even a 'lake house,'" he explains. love lalvani , CEO of Standard International and Bunkhouse Group.
History: It was in this same place, in the 50s and 60s, that the Terrace Motor Hotel and its Summer House restaurant were erected, a place where concerts were held by the pool. Eventually, it became the property of the musician willie nelson which he inaugurated Austin Opry House , a concert hall and apartments for musicians and their equipment. In fact, Hotel Magdalena features, all over its walls, photographs by Scott Newton, a regular collaborator with Nelson at the Austin Opry House.
Lobby
Bedrooms: the favorite is the Terrace , the most spacious suite, with a king-size bed. It also has a cozy lounge and a perfect terrace to admire the views. Our favorite detail? His bathroom – with Spanish tiles – is dyed, from top to bottom, a bright yellow color.
All rooms include a minibar , with Moon Pie brand marshmallow-filled cookies, Fritos and a bean dip spread. To drink, there is Topo Chico sparkling water, wine from Californians Scribe; and local beers like Carl Lager, St. Elmo's, and Fairweather Cider.
Bathroom
Breakfast: served daily in the restaurant Summer House on Music Lane , on weekends in brunch format and in the room from 7 in the morning. The star of the house are the "eggs in purgatory" , served with pesto and za'atar herb toast; but its also magnificent smoked salmon tartlet with rye bread, whipped cream cheese, tomato, crispy cumin; as well as their hash browns with hollandaise sauce.
Food and drink: the executive chef of the house, Jeffrey Hundelt , has created a menu that focuses on grilled meats and seasonal vegetables. A kitchen that follows the foundations of slow food? Obviously. Traditional? Also. But always with influences from Austin in dishes like the Bass with pickled chiles, lemon saffron sauce and a garlic vinaigrette or a rib-eye with herb butter and mashed potato. Do you remember the Moon Pie cookies in the minibar? Well, here they recover them in the dessert with almond candy , 'burnt' marshmallow ice cream and dark chocolate crumbs.
Breakfast
To do?: If we are in the capital of live shows, it is not uncommon for music to be the protagonist here. "We just launched a program of artist residency with shows by the pool in collaboration with the podcasts of Song Confessional . The booth is in the lobby, where guests and visitors can enter to tell their best stories so that local singer-songwriters can turn them into original songs", details Lalvani. "From Bunkhouse we are also planning the next edition of the Trans-Pecos Festival of Music + Love in september, in our hotel The Cosmic (Marfa, Texas). A four-day event with artists like Ben Kweller and Courtney Barnett."