Earlier last month, I flew into Austin to visit a friend. My friend had generously offered to host me every time we talked about my coming for a visit, but my flight plan had me arriving late and leaving early. Given my disruptive flight plan and a young kiddo at her home, I figured that it would be best to stay closer to the airport. I ended up booking a stay at the Hyatt Place Austin Airport Hotel. It’s a mere 5 minutes away from the airport and offers an airport shuttle service as well.
My friend convinced me to stay at her place for at least the first night. She picked me up at the airport (close to midnight!) and made me feel so welcomed for my first visit to Texas.
Check-in
I checked into the hotel in the late evening. I was given two bottles of water for being a Discoverist member and a room on the 4th floor. During check-in, I also reserved a spot on the airport shuttle for my 6am flight. The front desk clerk suggested taking the 5:15am shuttle. That seemed a little too close for comfort when boarding commences at 5:30, even with TSA Pre-Check. I asked for an earlier slot and opted for a 5am pickup, and I made it to my gate with plenty of time to spare.
Room
The room is comfortable and it has a sofa area that doubles as a pull-out bed. It didn’t take me long to figure out why this property felt so fresh and new. This property was only built in 2017.
For Hyatt members: This property is a Category 1 hotel, so you can get a good value from points redemption.
A Buggy Detail
Here’s the kicker. Since this was my first visit to Texas, there had been an ongoing joke that everything in Texas is bigger, including… bugs. [If you are new to my blog: I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to bugs.]
After exploring Austin for a full day with my friend and her family, I invited my friend up to chat when she dropped me off. It was well past midnight when I walked her back to her car. Knowing that I won’t get many hours of sleep (max: 4 hours), I was ready to call it a night. Imagine my surprise when I walked over to turn off one of the bedside lights, when I saw a giant, black bug ZIPPED quickly under the bed! I froze in my tracks.
And then I slowly backed away.
Jeez. What was that? And then I thought, why am I backing away? I can be so calm in some seriously stressful situations, but I can be so ridiculous in others, like this…
In desperate need for sleep, I decided that I wasn’t going to deal with it. I moved all my belongings off the floor and onto the tables, and then went to take a nice, warm shower. Knowing that I can only manage a few hours of sleep before I have to head back to the airport, I was adamant about getting some rest. Nothing was going to stop me…not even those creepy crawlers.
Of course, I checked before crawling into bed.
And of course, if it had been a scorpion, I would have bolted out of my room so fast…
While I could do without the bug under the bed, the Hyatt Place in Austin is a pretty good choice if you are looking for a nice, convenient place to crash that’s close to the airport.
