Austin has been the coolest town in all of Texas for as long as we can remember, and the recent opening of Hotel Magdalena is new proof of that. The newest outpost of hospitality group Bunkhouse is nestled on the south bank of the Lady Bird Lake in the leafy Travis Heights neighbourhood, featuring 89 studios and suites across four new buildings and the former 1950s Austin Terrace Motel at varying elevations and interconnected by wooden walkways which also serve as outdoor meeting spaces. The design of the property, created by the group’s in-house design team in collaboration with local practice Lake Flato, takes cues from the city’s 1970s lake-side culture and music scene, and is the first mass timber boutique hotel in North America. Modern comfort and amenities are packaged in earthy hues, retro styles, and last but not least, a solid infusion of timber which unifies the premises. This keen eye for detail is immediately evident when entering the homey lobby with its poured concrete flooring with vintage rugs, custom Murano glass disc chandelier and reception desk of slatted wood.
The rooms come in different categories and sizes, and ooze a matching vibe that’s arguably best reflected by the bathrooms covered floor-to-ceiling in glazed tiles in bold primary colours. Summer House on Music Lane is Hotel Magdalena‘s full service restaurant, and combined with the pool bar, the facilities add to its laid-back homey atmosphere, allowing guests to pamper themselves and have a good time on a different level. The menu features honest and straightforward cooking taking cues from old school hospitality and slow food mentality, but with a decidedly unpretentious local sensibility. The forty five indoor seats have views of the open kitchen with a live-fire grill and rotisserie and an intimate eight seat bar is positioned in the middle of the airy space. Being a holistic effort, the grounds have also been given special attentions. Landscape architects Ten Eyck created a design around the existing Live Oak heritage trees which become the focal points for outdoor gathering spaces, including a central pool deck, and private suite gardens.
Hotel Magdalena
1101 Music Lane (Travis Heights)
Austin, TX 78704
Telephone: +1 512 4421000
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
