1 Hotel Austin Opens in Texas' Tallest Tower

Austin just got its biggest hotel opening in years. 1 Hotel Austin opened September 3, 2026, on the first 16 floors of the Waterline tower at 96 Red River Street, the 74-story skyscraper that now stands as the tallest building in Texas. It is the first Texas property for the sustainability-focused 1 Hotels brand, and the reason to book is not the thread count. It is dinner.

The building

Waterline is a 74-story, 1,025-foot mixed-use tower in the Rainey Street District, developed by Lincoln Property Company and Kairoi Residential, with architecture by Kohn Pedersen Fox and interiors by Studio MAI. It sits on a 3.3-acre site right where Waller Creek meets Lady Bird Lake, steps from the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, and it took the tallest-building-in-Texas title from Houston’s JPMorgan Chase Tower.

The 1 Hotels brand was founded by Barry Sternlicht on a simple thesis, luxury that does not cost the earth, and the Austin property leans fully into that ethos. The hotel is pursuing LEED Gold certification, and the biophilic brief is literal: more than 4,000 plants across 30-plus species throughout the property, plus an on-site apiary.

Rendering: Waterline Austin

The rooms

The room count is 252 rooms and 60 suites, with rates from $489 a night, which plants it firmly in the city’s upper-upscale tier. Guest rooms come with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the skyline, the creek, or the lake, and the interiors run on limestone, oak, and reclaimed wood. In-room details include filtered water taps, reusable glassware, yoga mats, Bamford bath products, and minibar treats from local Austin makers.

Alteño, up close

This is the booking hook. Alteño is chef Johnny Curiel’s first restaurant in Austin, and it is the reason this hotel matters to anyone who chooses hotels around dinner. Curiel is a James Beard Award nominee, and his Denver restaurants Alma Fonda Fina and Mezcaleria Alma both hold Michelin stars.

The cooking runs on the fire-driven flavors of the Jalisco Highlands, where Curiel grew up: fire-cooked meats, seafood-forward plates, and heritage flavors around an open kitchen. The bar pours more than 40 mezcals alongside additive-free tequilas, raicilla, sotol, and ancient corn whiskey. “Opening a restaurant in Austin has been a dream for a long time,” Curiel said. “The meals I remember most from growing up were spent around the fire with family and friends, sharing food and staying at the table long after we had finished eating. At Alteño, I want guests to feel like they have been welcomed into our home, where plates are passed, drinks are poured, and everyone has a place at the table.”

Photo: Mikkel Vang, courtesy of 1 Hotels

watr, sixteen stories up

watr brings its Japanese-inspired rooftop to Austin for the second time after South Beach, sixteen stories above the city with views across the skyline and Lady Bird Lake. The menu is social and shareable, with tasting flights of signature hand rolls, a raw bar, and a low-waste cocktail program. The rooftop pool deck sits at the same level, which makes this one of the most booked tables in the city within a month.

Photo: Mikkel Vang, courtesy of 1 Hotels

Neighbors Café and Wine Bar

Downstairs, Neighbors Café and Wine Bar opens directly to both the lobby and the street, and to the Rainey Street neighborhood itself. It runs from breakfast through late-night small plates, with a beverage menu centered on Mediterranean wines from biodynamic, minimal-intervention, and sustainably farmed producers, alongside spritzes, mini martinis, and a Nitro Espresso Martini.

The bottom line

Texas has not seen a hotel opening at this scale in years, and the eco-luxury positioning is a bet that Austin’s traveler, younger, design-literate, and willing to pay for sustainability credentials, wants something the legacy luxury flags do not offer. With Curiel’s name on the dining, the hotel has a credible claim on the city’s food conversation from day one, not just the hotel one. Fire-cooked Jalisco cuisine in a hotel lobby is a statement. We will be watching the first reviews.

The details

• Address: 96 Red River Street, Austin, TX (Waterline tower, floors 1 to 16)
• Rooms: 252 rooms, 60 suites, from $489/night
• Dining: Alteño (lobby), Neighbors Café and Wine Bar (street level), watr (rooftop)
• Wellness: Bamford Wellness Spa, 2,000-square-foot fitness center, dedicated yoga studio
• Events: 10,000+ sq ft of meeting and event space
• Sustainability: LEED Gold certification in pursuit
• Official site and bookings: 1hotels.com/austin