Living Texas | Austin
Aloft, Element & Caroline Make a Name for Themselves in Downtown Austin
By Kayla Elliott
Upstairs at Carol Element Hotel with its chill, zen vibe that brings a bit of serenity to downtown life. With a small market and an area for daily breakfast and afternoon happy hour, the Element lobby is an inviting respite.
Austin isn’t the kind of city where you want to stay indoors. It’s a place for
exploring, hiking, shopping and eating. The new concept hotel/bar/ restaurant that combines Aloft and Element hotels, the restaurant Caroline and the bar Upstairs at Caroline, has become a neighborhood spot that is locally relevant and encourages both Austinites and visitors to sit, stay and work at this spot in the heart of downtown. Outside, spy the dark and light grey paneling indicating the Aloft Hotel. The white paneling you spy is for the 144-room Element Hotel. Guests check into the second floor Aloft lobby which has a funky vibe and is set next to seating areas that are part of Upstairs at Caroline. Entering the third floor, you are in the lobby of the
10 Texas Lifestyle Magazine | Spring/Summer 2018
As the elevator takes you up to your floor, you either turn right or left depending on the hotel you’re staying at. The 278-room Aloft Hotel is millennial-minded and tech-focused. The aim is for guests to be connected and be able to tap into the city they’re visiting. Element hotel is still a millennial mindset, but an extended stay version. Set up with a kitchenette along with the same amenities of a hotel, the ergonomic rooms have plenty of desk space for working and living. Art around communal areas in the building came from Austin Art Garage. The Boots to Borrow program allows guests to explore the city in genuine cowboy kicks from Allen’s Boots. The hotel also gives guests codes for Austin B Cycle, so they can get out and explore the city and take in the capital city like a local — the perfect way to cycle down to South Congress for shopping!
