The Driskill, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, hotel in Austin, United States
The Driskill in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt is a four-story hotel in downtown Austin, built with cream-colored brick and limestone in a Romanesque Revival style. The building has two large porches with columns, arched entrances, small balconies, and a ground floor that still contains the original banking vaults and a columned lobby.
Jesse Lincoln Driskill, a cattle baron from Tennessee, opened the hotel in 1886 and it quickly became a gathering point for Texas politicians and prominent figures. Over the following decades it changed hands several times, gained a tall annex in the 1920s, and was designated a historic landmark in 1966 before briefly closing in 1969.
The name Driskill comes from the cattle baron who built it, and walking through the lobby today still feels like stepping into a space meant to impress. The ballrooms and the Maximilian Room remain in use for celebrations and gatherings, much as they were in the early days.
The hotel stands at the corner of East 6th Street and Brazos Street in downtown Austin, making it easy to reach on foot from nearby attractions. Those who stop by just to look around can explore the lobby, the original bank vaults on the ground floor, and the Maximilian Room without needing a reservation.
A portrait of Jesse Lincoln Driskill hanging in the lobby is said to carry a bullet hole from a duel between two lawyers that took place inside the building. The hotel is also known for ghost stories told by both guests and staff, with reported sightings tied to specific rooms and corridors.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
