Origin Austin, A Wyndham Hotel

I can always count on a great stay here. I've probably been more than 10 times in the past year for work in Austin. The hotel looks great and is always clean and pretty. There's a wonderful location with lots of good restaurants nearby, parking is easy, and whenever I've asked, late checkout has never been a problem.

The area is really quiet, and there’s a nice park close by for a walk or run. There are loads of places to eat, drink, and shop, and we'd definitely stay here again. The staff are really nice, too. Checking in can be tricky because there are only three parking spots, with a 15-minute limit. Keep an eye on the time, since the parking enforcement officer watches closely. He was trying to give us a $100 fine while one of us stayed in the car and the other went to check in. Luckily, I told the nice woman at the front desk, and she came out to help sort it out.

The cleaning staff did a great job, and some of the night staff were friendly and helpful. Still, the overall visit was negative enough that we won't return. I also contacted customer service afterward and still haven't heard back. Our room had a partly broken shower door, and a loud domestic dispute in the room above continued through the night and into the morning, making it hard to rest. Parking was the main problem. Staff told us we'd get a discount and wouldn't be charged for in-and-out parking if we signed up, but we were charged anyway. At checkout, manager Tiffany Reynolds was rude and dismissive. She said it wasn't her responsibility that her staff had given us wrong information and was reluctant to give her name when we asked. That was extremely frustrating.

We had about 60 guests, including kids and babies, at our baby shower, and the space was comfortable. It could probably have held another 20 people comfortably. The food was incredible. Several people said the deviled eggs were the best they'd ever had, and that it was the best food they'd had at a baby shower. The staff helped arrange cookies and cupcakes, and kept refilling the food before it ran low. Sliders weren't on the menu, but they had no problem making them for us. Everything was ready on time, the restrooms were very clean and had changing tables, and the space smelled lovely. My parents are tough critics, and even they were impressed. I'd recommend holding an event here without hesitation. We rented the entire Blue Lacy restaurant, including the outdoor area, for the shower. I worried other guests might still be eating when we started, but signs posted in several places said the restaurant would close a couple of hours beforehand. They were proactive about it. We could temporarily park in the unloading zone, and the staff helped unload our cars full of supplies in one trip instead of the four or five it would've taken us. We also brought our two Frenchtons, who hung out outside throughout the shower. The hotel and Blue Lacy roped off the outdoor area and put up signs, so outside guests weren't an issue. When we asked for an extra table, they brought one quickly. We'd originally scheduled the shower for a different date, but I came down with the flu three days before it, so we had to reschedule. Analaura and the staff handled that smoothly and worked with my husband and me to find a new date. Thanks, Analaura and team!