JW Marriott Austin: Bigger IS Better

It's been open four years now, but JW Marriott Austin hasn't lost a bit of its glamorous sparkle. Like the Lone Star State itself, it's big and bold, with a soaring lobby shining in Texas limestone that paves the way for 33 floors of filled with more than 1,000 guest rooms and suites. They gleam too, with nice touches including 48" HD LED smart TVs, soothing color palettes and 24-hour room service. But it's the views that really wow.

As the most prominent hotel in Austin (and the largest JW Marriott in the country), it sits very pretty above much of the downtown skyline, providing a seriously seductive vision that's difficult to stop ogling.

Get Spoiled

If you can tear yourself away from your room with the view, there's plenty of pampering to be found at the JW Marriott Austin.

The 4,600-square-foot full-service Spa by JW offers nifty local treatments, like the Agave Nectar on the Rocks Massage (featuring a foot soak, hot stone massage and an agave nectar craft cocktail) and the Bourbon Cowgirl/Cowboy Pedicure, served with a bourbon craft cocktail. There's something for hipsters, too: The Keep Austin Beard Men's Facial that includes a cleansing beard oil treatment.

When the weather turns warm (most of the year in Austin), indulge in the JW Marriott's heated rooftop pool, which overlooks stunning Lady Bird Lake and the Texas State Capitol. Along with a bar serving food, the pool area features four new cabanas. Grab your friends and while away the hours in a private retreat with seating for 10, flat-screen TVs and individual sound systems. Don't forget to take a peek at the nifty outline of Texas etched into the bottom of the pool when you hit the water.

Head Out to Rock Out

Of course, visitors don't come to Austin, the live music capital of the world, to sequester themselves in a hotel, no matter how gorgeous it is. And location is also where the JW Marriott rocks hard.

The hotel is within walking distance to the Texas State Capitol, bike tours to iconic spots, and the Mexic-Arte Museum, with an alluring gift shop. Of the city's more than 250 live music venues, many are located close to the hotel, including those along Dirty Sixth, the joyous madhouse that many compare to NOLA's Bourbon Street.

Once you've gotten your fill of the unchecked revelry of Dirty Sixth, head to South Congress. Austin's trendiest, most enticing street, it's lined with hip restaurants, funky shops and great venues, like the legendary Continental Club, going strong for nearly six decades. It's morphed from a supper club, to a burlesque hall, to a blue-collar dive and finally to a music joint fully restored to its mid-century glory, where greats like Stevie Ray Vaughan (who called Austin home), Social Distortion, Junior Brown, The Replacements, Southern Culture on the Skids, Robert Plant and Alejandro Escovedo have played.

Nowadays, Austin residents make sure to hit the Continental Club Monday evenings at 6:30, when the stellar Peterson Brothers – a pair of siblings aged just 22 and 19, respectively – take over the stage. Their electrifying blend of soul, funk, blues, jazz and everything in between ensures standing-room-only crowds, though you won't want to sit anyway.

Afterward, you can rest your aching tootsies and everything else in splendor at the JW Marriott Austin. After a night's respite, you'll be back at it, exploring all the goodies Austin has to offer.