What do you get when a contemporary hotel melds with Austin’s Historic East 11th Street? Hotel Eleven. And, you're going to love it. We loved working on this project and we are so glad to see their doors open!
Hotel Eleven, Austin’s newest hotel, opened its doors April 4. This 14 room boutique hotel, conveniently located on East 11th Street, is within walking distance to downtown, the Texas Capitol, the University of Texas and many of the city’s best bars and restaurants in Austin’s bustling east side. The project was led by Austinites Mark Vornberg and Shelly Leibham, a husband and wife team, who will continue to oversee the hotels’ operations.
In the release we sent out to media today Mark was quoted saying, “People come here to get an experience they won’t find anywhere else, so a small boutique hotel, built from scratch, seemed like the perfect fit for Austin." And, he's right.
With hopes of providing a place that serves its guests and neighbors well, in order to preserve the feel of east Austin, they built the hotel around a model of “hands-on hospitality” with service similar to what one would expect at a bed and breakfast. Hotel Eleven’s owners, Mark and Shelly, pulled from the best of their combined travel experiences to create a place where guests might feel as though they’ve “stayed with a friend.” From the beginning, Mark and Shelly have had a hand in every detail of the project, with Mark as the lead architect from Austin’s renowned Dick Clark + Associates and Shelly serving as general manager tasked with overseeing the day to day operations.
Hotel Eleven’s contemporary design maintains a sense of warmth and a unique aesthetic that is felt from the lobby to the café, the outdoor spaces to each of its 14 guest rooms. The design of the exterior aims to reflect the dichotomy of the area, contemporary yet historic, amongst rapid growth surrounded by buildings that have been preserved over decades. Each guest room in the hotel is unique, from eclectic light fixtures to colorful wallpaper, with most rooms offering a Juliet balcony with city views. All 14 guest rooms provide luxury plush mattresses, Sferra fine linens, soft Turkish cotton robes, flat screen TVs, contemporary walk-in showers, Lather® personal care amenities, bedside USB ports, complimentary wifi, Soundfreaq Bluetooth clock radios, mini-refrigerators, hair dryers, and in-room safes. Additionally, Hotel Eleven’s junior suites feature free-standing bathtubs.
Hotel Eleven operates a café serving light plates, coffee and fresh beverages, and a bar serving wine and locally brewed beers for both guests and neighbors. The café and bar will be open to the public giving hotel guests the opportunity to mingle with locals so they can get a true flavor for Austin and the east side. The hotel will be Austin’s only small boutique hotel to offer its guests a rooftop deck featuring 360 degree views of the city, in addition to outdoor patios and courtyards on all three levels.
Shelly, who will serve as an onsite manager, said in the press release “We are thrilled to finally see our dream come to life with the support of our new neighbors on the east side as well as old neighborhood friends who always made sure we kept the faith. Welcoming our first guests has been an amazing experience. It has validated our decision to create a hotel of this size, and reminded us why we began this adventure.” We've had such a great time watching this project come to fruition and we must say it doesn't disappoint.
Hotel Eleven is approximately three blocks east of Interstate 35 within walking distance to nationally-renowned Franklin Barbecue, the historic Victory Grill, East Side Pies, Blue Dahlia Bistro, Hillside Farmacy, Sagra Trattoria and Bar, and the Longbranch.
Come and see it for yourself. For more information go to www.hotelelevenaustin.com.
