Travel: Soho House Austin

Soho House has always been our preferred home away from home when we travel, and the recently opened house in Austin is no exception. The city changes so much every time we visit, including this entirely new portion of South Congress where the house is conveniently located between downtown and South Austin. It’s the tenth house to open in North America, following Soho Beach House Canouan, and the first house that we’ve had the pleasure of visiting that isn’t situated in an older building. But that Soho House charm is still very much alive across the two floors designed with Texas Modernism and the Spanish aesthetic in mind thoughtfully integrating a mix of vintage and custom pieces designed by local craftspeople and artists, reclaimed timber floors, dotted with lush cactuses and plants that make it feel like a well-cared-for home.

The house features 46 bedrooms, ranging from Cosy to Extra Large, which are designed with limewash walls, cozy furniture, mid-century lighting, Texan tiled flooring, and generous marble bathrooms stocked with plenty of Cowshed products. Soft linen curtains allow for dappled afternoon light from South Congress (on which many of the rooms face), while heavy velvet blackout curtains provide privacy and peace of mind for good night’s rest in their signature oversized king beds.

Guests and members can roam about the club in a variety of common spaces across the two floors including a large rooftop pool with views of downtown and a striking mural by Desire Vaniecia which tells the story of African American women through a figurative practice to challenge stereotypes. The club floor includes a wrap-around terrace with space to lounge and to dine, the main bar where the Picanté’s are flowing, and a dining area where guests can entertain and relax without worrying about laptops. Large linen lanterns illuminate overhead from the dark reclaimed wood ceiling and unique lamps by local ceramist Keith Kreegar give the club floor some added character along with an enviable collection of vintage furniture mixed perfectly with stone tables, upholstered and leather seating.

The house also includes a screening room just off a private bar and a music room for member events like group fitness classes, tarot card readings, live performances and other programming curated by the Soho House team monthly. Like all the other houses in the world, the Austin house includes a gender-neutral art collection comprised of emerging talent and museum-level artists from Texas.

While Austin hasn’t seen its full recovery post-pandemic just yet, Soho House Austin will undoubtedly remain a hotbed for culture during the forthcoming festival season and for travellers yet to come.