Best hotel I've ever visited...
by TripAdvisor Member mjs7777
This is probably the best hotel in which I've ever stayed. Seriously.
We were scheduled for the night of December 30th on a very low Priceline rate. It's always a concern, using Priceline, as to how you'll actually be treated.
Rest assured, we were treated ridiculously well by everyone at this hotel.
We called ahead to pre-block a room as we would be arriving late. Allison honored every one of our requests and held a great room for us that met all of our preferences. Check in took 20 seconds. Our bellman, Chris, was more like a concierge, taking care of everything we needed throughout the stay, including our check in.
Keep in mind that the next night was one of their busiest of the year. As other reviewers have noted, this hotel is exactly two short blocks from the middle of the 6th Street District. Everyone wants to stay there on New Year's Eve. And so did we. So what happened next really stunned me. We were booked only for the night of the 30th but we really really wanted to stay another night at the Omni, enough to forfeit a free night at another hotel. Even though they knew they could sell our room at a higher rate to a walk-in that night, the front desk worked with us to apply some discounts to get us to a rate we could actually afford. How often do you find a hotel that wants you there as much as you want to be there?
Throughout all of our stay, there was absolutely no BS. Every single person who promised us something delivered, without being reminded.
One thing of particular note was the valet parking staff. With a full house, they still managed to bring our car up before we could get to the lobby to claim it, every time we called.
They add extra security for New Year's Eve. These officers are among the most professional I've ever encountered. When we returned late that night, a very intoxicated guest was trying to start an altercation with one of the guards, who handled the situation calmly and professionally. It was very impressive.
If you force me to point out something negative, it would be this: The rooms are becoming slightly worn. They are meticulously cleaned, but you might find a scratch on a piece of furniture. Who cares?
The pictures on Tripadvisor are accurate, though they do show one of the larger rooms. The standard rooms are smaller, but still very spacious. For example, ours had a walk-in closet. The pool is also apparently not wheelchair accessible. There are stairs from the locker room/fitness center level to the roof for the pool.
I can not encourage you more strongly to try the Omni. On their busiest day, they treated us like royalty!
Good stay at the downtown Omni
by TripAdvisor Member t515cc
First good impression I had was the friendly doorman and front counter staff.
We didn't meet anyone on staff who wasn't helpful and smiling and that includes housekeeping and the restaurant staff stuck working on Sunday morning.
Second good impression was the impressive atrium the hotel shares with a connected office building.
Third good impression was the AAA four diamond plaques from 1994 and every year since on display near the elevators.
Only found one robe in the closet, housekeeping delivered the requested second one in ten minutes, very good.
I requested an atrium view room to minimize the expected Saturday night noise from 6th Street, one block south, after reading reviews here. Must have worked, we weren't disturbed either by atrium or outside racket.
I have to admit I was underwhelmed by the roof. The view is of the east side only, while the Colorado River is south and most of downtown and the hills are west and couldn't be seen. The hot tub was packed and a table of smokers didn't add to the ambience. This was 4pm on a Saturday. It also needed a cleanup, with litter lying around.
There's a homeless shelter two blocks east and the all too friendly residents were in the area.
Overall I'd recommend this Omni. I would definitely stay there again.
***Just Average***
by A TripAdvisor Member
After staying at the Hilton Austin, my wife and I wound up at The Omni by using Hotwire.com. In short, we were disappointed.
It looks to me that The Omni was built in the early-1980s, in the height of the oil/"Dallas" tv show days. I have no doubt that it was an impressive facility 25 years ago.
By today's standards, however, it's just average. The rooms "look" very 1980s -- plus 1980s...but 1980s nonetheless. I would recommend to the hotel that they desperately need to update the color schemes and beddings.
Service was good. My wife and I used the concierge to find a good restaurant for dinner...and he (or she?) was most helpful.
I needed to do some work at the business center, and it was a complete joke. One (or maybe two) computer(s)...doesn't open until 9:00 a.m.!! It was really surprising to me -- definitely not a hotel that takes business travelers very seriously.
My recommendation to anyone wanting a nice hotel in Austin: Stay at the Hilton for an overall great hotel and good value. (The Four Seasons is also nice...but you'll pay more.)
Motel Quality -
by TripAdvisor Member jimmycracks
I have stayed at plenty of hotels, motels, resorts, etc. of all different prices and quality. The Omni was unbelievably expensive ($240) for small room w/ two double beds for the out-of-date furniture and bad quality of the rooms. The room was dirty. The room was stuffy and the old air conditioner didn't work and we had to call maintenance (who did come very quickly). The bathroom was cheap (like a motel). The beds were dirty, sheets stained, extremely uncomfortable. I would have paid half the price and been perfectly happy. But for this place's price (due to proximity to 6th Street, according to the apologetic staff who nevertheless offered us no discounts or free breakfast, etc for our complaints), the rooms need complete renovation. The atrium is beautiful. The rooms are old. Where is the money going?
Stay at the Hilton - it's new, great and costs less!
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