For my 48th birthday this year I was going with a “spooky” theme. Haunted hotel, haunted pub crawl, spooky movie…you get the idea. We decided to book a room at the Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin. The location is prime, just off of 6th Street, you can walk to Austin’s hot spots. We had visited once before for a wedding in the grand ballroom, but had never stayed before.

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History of The Driskill Austin

The iconic Driskill is Austin’s oldest hotel. Opened in 1886, it is a National Historic Landmark. There is some very cool history here. It was where LBJ and Lady Bird Johnson had their first date. The Driskill also hosted his campaign for his senate races and Presidential election results in 1964. It is a boutique hotel, only 189 rooms and has a very Texas themed ambiance to it. You will find a lot of art history throughout the hotel and can even take guided tours to learn more.

The lobby is gorgeous with the stained glass ceiling, beautiful columns and grand staircase .

Haunted Claims at The Driskill Austin

There are claims that Austin’s Driskill is haunted by the Colonel himself. People have said they can smell cigar smoke even though the hotel is completely smoke free. There are also claims that of people hearing a ball bouncing. Four year old Samantha, a senator’s daughter, fell from the grand staircase while playing with her ball. Room 525 is where two women are said to have committed suicide on their wedding night, 20 years apart from each other. Supposedly their spirits still remain.

Our Historic Driskill Room

We Booked through Expedia.com . We paid $240 for our room for the night, though we did have some Expedia credit. Valet was $55 for the night. We also stayed on a Thursday night vs a weekend, which kept the cost down some. Still pricey. Check in was quick and easy. There is free WiFi in the rooms. We reserved a King room with a city view on the historic side. We were on the fourth floor, which supposedly has activity as well (allegedly). The room was small but nice. Bathroom was lovely, but cramped. We had a view of 6th Street. The decor was eh, I don’t know why the mirror was off center. Is there a story behind that? It drove me crazy. No ghosts…..

The Driskill Bar – Haunted?

Just above the grand staircase you will find the Driskill Bar. According to YELP, it made last years list of most haunted bars in Texas. The bar was very dark and rustic. They kept with the Texas theme of horses and guns. There is live music every night at the bar. The bartender was wonderful, as were the drinks. I had a mojito and the Bluebonnet. My hubby had some whiskey. I did find a hidden door in the wall. No ghosts…

Austin Nightlife – 6th Street

We did not eat at the Driskill as my celiac and vegetarian self was not interested in a steak house. We walked to one of my favorite gluten free restaurants, The Well and enjoyed birthday dinner. After dinner the spooky theme was to continue to the Haunted Pub Crawl, but they cancelled on us. We decided to go to the haunted pubs ourselves, Azul rooftop was one. Beautiful, but no ghosts…

Check-out was quick and easy. The valet were probably the friendliest people at the Driskill. Breakfast at Picnik and pastries at Maaribu, another amazing gluten free find in Austin. Then off to see The Nun 2…Finally something spooky for my birthday!

For more gluten free restaurants, bar, and cafe ideas follow along with my Gluten Free Eats and Drinks In Austin Texas I keep it updated as I find new and amazing celiac safe places in Austin.

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