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Hotel Magdalena

Austin, TX • South Congress • OPTIMIZE

avg. $266 / night

Includes $14 / night in cash back

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Free breakfast

Breakfast-included rate options available

Room upgrades

Complimentary room upgrades (subject to property availability)

Extend your stay

Early check-in and late check-out (subject to property availability)

Location

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At a glance

McKinney York–designed hotel on South Congress with terrazzo rooms, a central garden courtyard, and lap pool.

Best for: Architecture enthusiasts exploring South Congress

Highlights:

  • Low-rise limestone wings arranged around native Texas garden courtyard
  • Mid-century rooms with terrazzo, Douglas fir, and walnut by Studio Steinbomer
  • Lap pool flanked by live oaks and Japanese maples
Locally-rootedmid-century

PB hotel design editorial

South Congress Avenue gave Austin its creative spine long before the tech money arrived, and Hotel Magdalena — opened in 2021 as part of the South Congress Hotel campus developed by Barry Dry and designed by architecture firm McKinney York — was conceived as a building that belongs to that street rather than arriving from outside it. The 89-room property is arranged across low-rise limestone and timber-clad wings, three and four storeys set around a central courtyard where a long lap pool runs between planted beds of Texas native grasses, live oaks, and Japanese maples. The corridor balconies carry slatted hardwood decking and steel-framed rocking chairs facing inward toward the garden — a porch culture translated into a hotel at modest, walkable scale. Interior design by Austin-based Studio Steinbomer gives the rooms a mid-century register rooted in Texas materials rather than period nostalgia. Terrazzo floors in warm aggregate, Douglas fir ceiling planks, and walnut platform beds with integrated reading shelves ground each room, while the bathrooms shift palette by category — deep cobalt tile in some configurations, amber-glazed ceramic in others. The lobby seating area pairs tufted terracotta velvet modular sofas against an exposed concrete soffit, a Berber-style rug anchoring a grouping of honed stone side tables beneath a cascading textile wall hanging in gradated golds. The whole thing has the atmosphere of a well-edited Austin house — opinionated without being precious.

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About

Hotel Magdalena’s 89 rooms are highlighted by the Texas sun at sunrise and sunset thanks to thoughtfully placed windows. For both comfort and visual pleasure, guests can enjoy a custom walnut built-in bed and desk, Sferra bed linens, Santa & Cole lamps, and Spanish tile in four bold colorways. The SANTAL 33 scented bath amenities from Le Labo Fragrances are crafted with notes of cardamom, iris, violet, and smoking wood.

Amenities

Pool

Internet

Suites

Room service

Wheelchair Access

Restaurant

Bar/Lounge

Pets Allowed

Wifi

Meeting rooms

Hotel Magdalena Reviews

269 reviews

"Nice location but not a great experience. We stayed 2 nights. The pillows are the worst I have ever had and the mattress is lumpy and not comfortable. The room is bare bones-no bathrobes, no cotton balls, no vanity mirror. Room service did not provide clean towels even though we left our used ones on the floor. The check in staff was surly. No smile no Welcome to the hotel and the room was not ready and we had to wait and as they never called us to let us know the room was ready, we went to the front desk and asked about it and it was clear they had forgotten to let us know. Also the parking is $55 a night and at the san Jose which I think is nicer, the parking is $30 a night. The bar they have that they tout at check in (the equipment room) you have to reserve but they don't tell you this so you will not get in either. Finally the coffee that is free in the lobby at 7 am was cold and not great. There are much better experiences on SOCO and given I am there about once a month, I would go to another hotel."

A Tripadvisor traveler review

May 19, 2026

"We had a fantastic experience. The staff was friendly and welcoming, especially Ivy and Colton at the front desk, who went above and beyond to make sure our stay was perfect. Stylish hotel and great location. Highly recommend."

A Tripadvisor traveler review

May 18, 2026

"The hotel is in a good location, turn left for the buzzy Congress Avenue or turn right for central Austin (about 20 minutes walk). The reception is on the first floor (not the UK's ground floor, the US first floor) which means the lift is needed to check in. The lift is sooooo slow! There are stairs but with luggage the lift is essential but does it have to run on Austin time? The reception is light and bright and the reception staff were always friendly and helpful, dealing clearly and helpfully with some off-the-wall requests for sending parcels. The rooms are an unusual layout. The bed is in the second half of the room, past the seating area and a desk which semi-divides the room and faces away from the door and towards the end wall. There is a mini bar in the room but very few plug sockets, so while there is a coffee maker provided there are not many accessible options of where to put it. The room was a bit spartan but quiet and I had a good night's sleep every night. The blackout curtains were effective which always helps if you are jet-lagged. The closet was large and there were plenty of hangers but there was no drawer space in the room. I was a bit disappointed to be charged quite a heft 'resort fee' which turned out to be for the use of the outdoor swimming pool which I didn't use and for the in-room tea and coffee making facilities, oh and the water dispenser in the reception area - either up the room rate or just call it a tax, otherwise you should be repaying guests who don't use those facilities! Luckily, Music Lane has lots of restaurants, although apart from Joes Coffee Station they all open after 10am for breakfast. Lucky because the hotel's breakfast was a big disappointment. The order of French toast was slow to arrive - and served in a plate with a runny. milky/honey liquid and not much fruit. The breakfast choice was limited - which is fine for a small kitchen - but it was also unvaried. There was no fresh fruit breakfast for example."

A Tripadvisor traveler review

May 18, 2026

"Avoid! Hotel hosted private event and did not tell us. Pay to use the pool and bar and they have parts closed? Terrible customer service. Plenty of places in Austin that actually give you what you pay for. Don’t waste your time or money here."

A Tripadvisor traveler review

May 04, 2026

"I visit Austin regularly for work. My team has stayed here before but I avoided it because of negative reviews. This week I decided to try it. Should have stuck with my gut. At check in I was initially encouraged by the style of the place. I asked for a quiet room and was then directed to my room in building C. I was told that it would be an adventure finding the room. It was. The wayfinding signs are terrible. Eventually I found one with an arrow pointing to buildings C and D. So I walked that way but the buildings themselves don't have signs on them, so there was no way to tell if I was looking at C or D. I finally gave up and went back to the lobby and asked for help. The front desk fellow graciously offered to walk me there. Finally made it into the room and I gotta say, it was strange. It felt like a stylish hospital room. Institutional floor tiles. The bathroom sink was across from the bed. Awkward. And the soap and shampoo bottles in the shower were just sitting on the floor. Awkward. Every other hotel has that figured out. Meanwhile, this supposedly quiet room had street noise all night. And then leaf blowers early in the morning. I'll be going back to Austin soon but it'll be at a different hotel."

A Tripadvisor traveler review

Apr 17, 2026

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