1 Hotel Austin opened its doors on September 3, 2026 at the top of Waterline, the 74-storey tower that now dominates Texas from a height of 312 metres. Barry Sternlicht’s eco-luxury brand has thus installed its biophilic design, complete with moss walls and raw wood, in the state’s tallest skyscraper. For Austin, where high-end hospitality was previously divided between Four Seasons, Fairmont and Proper, this is the first address to make nature its central argument, 250 metres above Lady Bird Lake. We presented the project back in May: here is what has actually opened.
In brief
🏨 Property · 1 Hotel Austin, eco-luxury brand 1 Hotels founded by Barry Sternlicht📍 Where · Austin, Texas, in the Waterline tower, the state’s tallest skyscraper at 312 metres and 74 floors🗓️ Opening · September 3, 2026🛏️ Capacity · 252 rooms and suites, including 60 suites, with views of Lady Bird Lake and Waller Creek🍽️ Dining · Alteño Austin by chef Johnny Curiel, Watr rooftop on the 16th floor, Neighbors Cafe🌿 Wellness · Bamford Wellness Spa, gym and yoga studio, rooftop beehive
A room at 1 Hotel Austin featuring light wood, linen and skyline views. Photo: 1 Hotels
What opened on September 3, 2026
The hotel occupies the lower floors of Waterline, a mixed-use skyscraper bringing together offices, residences and a hotel along Waller Creek, a stone’s throw from the Rainey Street District. It features 252 rooms and suites, including 60 suites, all equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Lady Bird Lake, downtown or the Hill Country hills. The swimming pool and its bar are suspended on the 16th floor, level with neighbouring rooftops.
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The brand itself is no newcomer: launched in 2015 in Miami Beach, 1 Hotels has expanded to New York, Nashville, Toronto and London before choosing Austin for its first Texan address. Each hotel shares the same codes: living or dried vegetation in communal areas, reclaimed materials, filtered water served in carafes, and a discourse on the carbon footprint that forms as much a part of the experience as the service itself.
Hotel fact sheet
Name1 Hotel AustinBrand1 Hotels (eco-luxury), founded by Barry Sternlicht in 2015CityAustin, Texas, United StatesBuildingWaterline tower, 74 floors, 312 metres, the tallest in TexasOpeningSeptember 3, 2026Rooms and suites252, including 60 suitesViewsLady Bird Lake, Waller Creek and the Austin skylineDiningAlteño Austin (Jalisco highlands cuisine by chef Johnny Curiel), Watr (rooftop and sushi on the 16th floor), Neighbors Cafe (evening wine bar)WellnessBamford Wellness Spa, gym, light-filled yoga studioEventsNearly 1,000 sq m of flexible meeting spaceSustainable signatureBiophilic design, living walls, recycled materials, in-room filtered water, rooftop beehiveOfficial website1hotels.com/austin
Biophilic design on the 40th floor of a glass tower
The paradox is fully embraced: housing a “nature” hotel within Texas’s tallest building. The interior designers respond through materials. Bleached wood, raw stone, unbleached linen and stabilized moss walls furnish the rooms and lobby, alongside real plants tended by a dedicated team. Headboards and tables are crafted from reclaimed timber, taps dispense filtered water to eliminate plastic bottles, and minibars are stocked by local Texan producers.
The stabilized moss wall, a brand signature, runs along the lobby walls. Photo: 1 Hotels
On the roof, a beehive produces honey served at breakfast and used in spa treatments. This attention to detail reflects the methodology: the brand does not merely certify, it stages the experience. The bathrooms, finished in light stone with open showers and freestanding bathtubs, are the city’s most spacious in this category.
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A suite bathroom: stone, glass and natural light. Photo: 1 Hotels
Alteño, Watr and a café that transforms into a wine bar
The main restaurant, Alteño Austin, is entrusted to chef Johnny Curiel, renowned in Denver for Alma Fonda Fina, recognized by the Michelin Guide. He serves cuisine from the Jalisco highlands: lobster chileatole, queso fundido, and tequila and mezcal cocktails. On the 16th floor, Watr borders the pool, offering sushi and Japanese dishes against the backdrop of the sunset over the lake. Neighbors Cafe, opening onto the street, serves coffee and pastries by day and transforms into a wine bar by night.
Lobster chileatole at Alteño Austin, chef Johnny Curiel’s restaurant. Photo: 1 Hotels
The pool bar on the 16th-floor terrace, beneath a plant-covered pergola. Official 1 Hotels rendering
Bamford Wellness Spa, yoga and 1,000 sq m for events
The spa is by Bamford, Carole Bamford’s brand already present in the 1 Hotels of London and New York, offering organic treatments, rooftop honey rituals, and treatment rooms overlooking the city. A gym and a light-filled yoga studio complete the offering, featuring group classes facing the skyline. For business clientele, who carry significant weight in Austin since the arrival of tech headquarters, the hotel lines up nearly 1,000 sq m of flexible spaces, including a large room beneath a timber ceiling.
See also
The Bamford Wellness Spa featuring organic treatments and rooftop honey rituals. Photo: 1 Hotels
The context: Austin enters the league of major hotel capitals
Over the past decade, Austin has secured the headquarters of Tesla and Oracle, a Formula 1 Grand Prix and an international clientele no longer satisfied with downtown convention hotels. Four Seasons, Fairmont and Proper paved the way; 1 Hotels arrives with an unoccupied positioning: sustainable luxury. Waterline, of which the hotel serves as the showcase, also confirms the shift in the city’s centre of gravity towards Rainey Street and the banks of Lady Bird Lake. Discover hotel news in the United States on La Revue des Hôtels.
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For 1 Hotels, Austin joins a year of sustained expansion, with projects announced in Paris, Copenhagen, Melbourne and several American cities. The brand, belonging to the group founded by Barry Sternlicht, focuses on high-growth cities rather than historical luxury capitals. Our May article, written prior to opening, detailed this gamble.
Our perspective
1 Hotel Austin achieves what its press pack promised: the glass tower is forgotten the moment you step through the door. The lake-view rooms, 16th-floor pool and Johnny Curiel’s restaurant make it a destination hotel rather than merely a business stopover. The real test will be the price: luxury in Austin is now priced at Los Angeles rates, and the highly solicited tech clientele compares options quickly. For a first stay in the Texan capital, this is currently our top recommended hotel, ahead of Proper for atmosphere and Four Seasons for views.
Practical information
Address · 1 Hotel Austin, Waterline tower, 98 Red River Street, Austin, Texas 78701, United StatesOpening · September 3, 2026Official website · 1hotels.com/austin
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