by Eric C. on I come to Austin annually for a conference and the Renaissance hotel is where I always stay. This is my 4th stay here, and I've always had a pleasant stay. Complimentary parking, and a huge parking lot that is never full. It's a short walk to Amy's Ice Cream and Barnes and Noble. Rooms are very spacious, and I always get a room with two queen beds. Aveda toiletries are provided. Other positives: - LCD TV with HDTV - Curved shower-rods makes the shower a little more spacious - A huge showerhead, almost like a rainshower showerhead. The water flow is decent, but I would have preferred a stronger showerhead. Suggestions: - Renaissance is supposed to be Marriott's high end line. I think the bedding needs improvement. Westin's Heavenly Bed clearly beats the bed here. I seem to think Hilton's bedding beats this too! - I hate the peach color countertop in the restroom. The shower faucet looks like it's from the 90's and could be updated. Things that bug me: - Only one bank of 4 elevators. Often times I get assigned a room on the OTHER side of the atrium and it's a long walk to the elevators. But in that case I just use the well hidden pool elevator next to the ice machines which gets me where I want to go. Price: I haven't really stayed at other hotels in the area so I can't rate the hotel based on pricing. I also never paid out of pocket (my stays were billed to a third party). Overall: 3 stars because it seems a bit dated and there is much room for improvement.
by Lee H. on We were looking for a fun place to dance, but it was late in the evening by the time we arrived at Vessel. We tried to talk the bouncer down from the $20 cover, but he wouldn't give us a break. Luckily we were tenacious and wouldn't let up and he finally relented and let the ladies in for free. I would have been mad to have spent $20 on a cover for this place. BAD music, strange mix of people and overpriced drinks. Definitely not worth the cover.
