I recently stayed at the San Jose for two nights. As a native Texan and frequent Austin visitor, I was excited to stay at the hotel because I'd read all the good reviews. I have to say, this hotel is absolutely ridiculous. They charge as much as any luxury hotel downtown and the rooms actually have a cement floor! I just couldn't bring myself to order $12 granola for room-service breakfast so that I could eat it in my plastic chair on the cement floor! I know people with nicer garages than this! I know it's supposed to be "urban minimalist" but my interpretation was that some genius must have thought up the concept so as to buy the cheapest furniture possible and no decorations and charge really high prices for it in an effort to make people think they're being "cool." He's laughing all the way to the bank. This is not Austin--this is something trying REALLY hard to be something it's not. It's not "zen"--it's cold and bare and really boring. The outside area was okay but nothing spectacular for the price. The pool is tiny and the water didn't look all that clean. On a positive note, the beds and pillows were comfortable and the sheets were high quality--I could have slept really well if I had been able to tune out the guy in the next room blowing his nose! Yes, bare cement floors carry noise--you can hear EVERY move made by your neighbors, especially if they're wearing boots! In a nutshell, if you like to throw around cash to stay in a garage with nice sheets, this is definitely the place for you! If not, go stay at the Four Seasons and just drive down to South Congress to go shopping and clubbing!
hotel reviews