Residence Inn Austin-University Area

I was bummed about not being able to go with IHG due to availability, but ended up staying here and this location made me start using Marriot hotels more. Staff was phenomenal, rooms were GREAT, the lounging areas are relaxing, the breakfast is great, the guy with the ponytail was super helpful and definitely added the the pros of staying here due to the resourcefulness. The location is also very close to restaurants and most importantly near an HEB, are was safe as well and well kept. 11/10

a week ago

The location was perfect for this trip. We were in town for our daughter's wedding. Since our daughter lives in the Mueller area this was the closest hotel. The suite layout is much preferred. The pillows were the big old-style pillows and neither my wife nor I were able ti get them adjusted so we didn't wake up with stiff necks. We prefer hotels that have multiple smaller pillows, that give the sleeper more options for arrangement. The other weird thing was they don't have luggage racks in the rooms, so you either have to put your suitcases on the furniture or on the floor. We were on the first floor, but the blackout shades work well and it wasn't too noisy. The weather was great and the A/C seemed to always be too cold. Unfortunately, the ground floor windows didn't open, so we couldn't just shut the A/C off and open the windows. We will stay here again, but we'll ask for an upper floor next time.

a month ago

Very neat rooms and the full kitchen makes you feel like you are at home. Very good housekeeping staff and front desk as well.Location is perfect , close to sprouts, pizzerias and a lot of restaurants. Great place to stay. Will come back again.

3 weeks ago

Where shall I begin? First, there is no identifying sign on the exterior of the property at eye-level, making it difficult to find. The thermostat in the room was broken, and caused me to have a problem sleeping, because I was unable to make the room cooler, and at an appropriate temperature (the temperature screen is not displaying correct numbers). Today, Day 2, someone is supposed to repair the thermostat to make it usable. I’m not holding my breath. The outlets in these rooms are older, and don’t always hold a plug securely. This is a big problem if you’re trying to use a cpap machine. After a long day of travel, it was recommended that I change rooms. So I found a room with better outlets. However, after having moved most of my belongings, I discovered that the a/c in that room was incredibly loud. Because of this problem, with the help of the one person who was manning the entire building, I had to move my things back. Eventually, a small power strip was brought to the room, which solved the problem. The furniture is older and not supportive - same for chairs in dining room. Getting into the bathroom door and closing it, is a problem - not enough space between the toilet and the door. Dirty pillowcase. Broken drawer on dresser. Washcloth left on the floor after cleaning was done. Unreliable internet in the lobby. No regular coffee available for the rooms today. I get the feeling from the staff and management that this is typical. While at the front desk, someone was making a complaint about the icemaker in the fridge. All one hears are apologies and a “this is the way it is” attitude. I asked for my points back, and I’ll probably get some token amount. No sincere interest in listening to the guest and demonstrating some caring behavior, because the bottom line is apparently more important. The manager called me to “address my concerns,” after I left her a note detail my concerns. Not apologetic in the least. No one here seems to care about guest comfort - which should be a goal of a respectable hotel. I will say the hotel is in a good location, and has a pretty good bed. But I don’t want a 5 percent positive experience for this level of hotel. I love staying at Marriott properties, but this is the worst experience I’ve ever had at any type of property. So much for my chill weekend in Austin. PS. Thermostat was never fixed. Partisan television news show playing in dining room. I came here to relax! We were told that it was corporate policy to play Fox News in the dining room. What’s wrong with the weather channel?! Plus, likely in violation of the ADA, a guest was told that she could not stay in the dining room with her service dog.

a month ago

I was traveling to Austin May 1-5, 2025, to attend two concerts and wanted a hotel near the auditorium, which was north of downtown and UT. I was spending four nights, and I needed a fridge and microwave in the room, if possible. I found online this wonderful Marriott Bonvoy Residence Inn Austin-University Area hotel, only four stories tall, conveniently located north of downtown, just east of I-35 on E. 51st St. I was concerned about possible noise from the highway but found, to my pleasant surprise, that the hotel had excellent soundproofing and was completely quiet. Couldn’t even hear occupants of nearby rooms. (My room was on the top floor.) There was a beautiful view of the Austin skyline. And instead of just providing a mini-fridge and microwave, best of all, it came with a FULL KITCHEN that was completely stocked with place settings for 4: dishes, silver, glassware (including wine glasses and corkscrew!), pots and pans, coffee maker, cooking utensils, and even detergents for the sink (with disposal) and dishwasher were provided. It had a FULL-SIZED fridge with icemaker (great for leftovers, meds, and food and flowers I bought), large microwave, and stove top with burners! And a table and two chairs. I stayed in the smallest room, but it was like having my own studio apartment and had a spacious closet, separate dressing area with large sink and countertop and shelves, and a walk-in shower with sliding glass door. King-sized bed, easy chair, and convertible sofa (which I didn’t need, except to relax on) that even came with an ottoman. The work area included a huge desk and drawers (free WiFi for Bonvoy members that was very fast), and there is a business center available. Hotel also had outdoor pool and patio (with grill) and indoor fitness center with treadmills, stationary bike, etc. They worked well, and clean towels were provided. And although there is no restaurant, they provided a delicious, buffet breakfast 7 days a week with several hot and cold entrees until 9:00 a.m. during the week and 10:00 a.m. on the weekend. I loved the huge container of hot, freshly-cooked oatmeal (not a package you had to microwave) and the numerous fresh toppings provided, including fresh nuts, seeds, and other yummy stuff. The entire hotel was spotless and sanitary, and the housekeeping staff did a great job, including my room. And gave me all the extra towels and hangers I requested. The hotel also appeared to have been remodeled recently, with fresh carpeting and paint job throughout the whole hotel including the hallways (which were air-conditioned), bathroom fixtures, etc. Service by the hotel staff also exceeded my expectations, especially from Deborah, the Assistant General Manager, who has been there several years and is a true pro who understands how to accommodate and meet a guest’s needs! And when I couldn't figure out how to use what turned out to be a childproof electrical outlet, they sent an engineer who came right to my room and showed me how to use it. A/C with individual thermostat worked well. I am somewhat tech-challenged, but even I could figure it out (and the WiFi)! And the price was also surprisingly accessible, given all the amenities! And you get Marriott Bonvoy points. I was concerned about noise and security from a nearby Home Depot, but that turned out to be a non-issue. And it was great to have several restaurants (Thai, Italian, La Madeleine, etc.) and stores (Sprouts, Michaels, Best Buy, etc.) within walking distance. And I felt very safe there as a single woman traveling alone. Despite some reviews I read, I didn't find parking to be a problem at all. So although I am very picky, this Residence Inn exceeded my expectations and needs!

a week ago

The service at this hotel is atrocious. We called ahead to ensure the 2 bedroom suite that we got was still good to go. We called at 4pm. We were told everything was good to go. When we got to the hotel at 6pm the front desk lady stated that the room was not available due to house cleaning not cleaning the room! She then proceeds to call someone (probably the manager) and then offers me 2 1 bedroom suites. Somehow that then gets down to a 1 bedroom suite and a studio suite. At this point I’m furious and asked to speak to a manager. Of course no manager is on site. Could’ve been a lie. Not quite sure. But whoever the manager is should be ashamed for leaving this young lady on site by herself. This whole thing took about an hour. I’ll Never stay here or any Marriott at this point. The services is extremely poor at this point. All of this before the Austin Marathon by the way.

3 months ago

In my 30 year federal government career I have traveled all over the world. Never, have I EVER, been treated so horribly. This was my fourth time staying at this hotel and I will NEVER stay again. Our team has booked room blocks at this hotel for the past three years for a major event we host in Austin. We will NEVER return. The asst manager (Debbie Hall) argued with us from the second my boss and I walked in the door. She insisted we were not eligible for tax exempt rooms (that is illegal as federal government employees on official travel are tax exempt in the state of TX). She was rude, impolite, combative, and simply had ZERO customer service skills. She belittled every single one of our team members as they checked in, taking 20-30 minutes to argue over tax exempt forms (we are all experienced fed gov travelers who have traveled to TX on several occasions with no prior issues), telling us we didn't know how to open our room doors when the locks would not disengage to allow us access even after green lights. It took me FOUR tries to get my door open, then to my surprise when I tried to leave my room, my deadbolt would not disengage, locking me INSIDE the room. The "engineer" came to let me out, had issues as well, but then proceeded to show me for over five minutes the proper way to open the door. The manager reiterated that I didn't know how to open the door when I brought it to her attention that my deadbolt not working properly. SAFETY HAZARD!!! Several other teammates had issues with their locks both entering and leaving their rooms. I then returned to my room after about 2 hours to find my bathroom flooded because the hose on the toilet popped off and leaked all over the floor. Not wanting to deal with the front desk again, I used my towels to sop up the water and fix the toilet myself. The asst manager argued with every single one of us as we checked in to the hotel, questioning our pictures on our IDs, making rude comments about our last names, and simply acting like she truly did not want us in her hotel. Most of us who were staying at her hotel are already very stressed and anxious during a very tremulous time as we try to navigate uncertain times wondering if we will have jobs or not.

2 months ago

This was a very bad experience. No toilet paper in bathroom. Rags left on floor after room was cleaned. Didn’t have the breakfast that was advertised. And, the TV in the dining room was set to Fox News. Asked that the channel be changed to CNN or a network and front desk attendant said “I think we can agree that CNN is very biased.” Simply not accurate. I spoke with manager of hotel who said: “I don’t make decisions. I follow corporate policies. And Marriott’s corporate policy is to show Fox News.” Fox News is the same platform that paid Dominion Voting $750 Million to settle a lawsuit for defaming Dominion Voting it in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

a month ago