Lake Flato-Designed Canopy by Hilton Hotel Opens Tomorrow on West Sixth

The hotel’s terrace-level pool deck and bar. That’s downtown Austin condo tower Fifth & West on the left. Photo by Paul Calvin

It feels like only yesterday we announced plans for the Canopy by Hilton hotel staking its claim at 604 West Sixth Street in the heart of one of downtown Austin’s busiest entertainment districts, but it turns out that was actually three years ago — they say time flies when you’re having fun — and now this six-story, 140-room hotel designed by one of the state’s most well-known architecture firms Lake Flato is ready for action, despite the unfortunate timing of a global pandemic.

The original rendering of the hotel project from the same view as the photo below. Image: Lake Flato

Looking at the completed Canopy by Hilton Austin Downtown hotel from West Sixth Street. Photo by James Rambin

A street view of the hotel site, which shows it under construction at 604 West Sixth Street.

Developed by local private equity firm Scenic Capital Advisors, what’s officially known as Canopy by Hilton Austin Downtown celebrates its grand opening tomorrow, July 1, and since the project features design from Lake Flato — which, despite its original San Antonio roots, opened an Austin office a few years back — we thought you folks might appreciate a look inside the first hotel to grace this part of downtown.

An interior lobby space at the hotel. Photo by Jane Kim

Canopy by Hilton Austin Downtown is pleased to announce its grand opening on Wednesday, July 1. Situated at 604 W 6th Street, the six-floor, 140-room property provides a dynamic urban oasis for guests seeking to experience the city at the intersection of metropolitan living and a lively nightlife scene. The developer and owner is locally-based Scenic Capital Advisors, a private real estate investment firm founded by Rick Singleton, and the property’s operations are managed by PM Hotel Group. 
— Canopy by Hilton Opening Announcement, June 29, 2020

The real star of the show, design-wise, is the ground-floor courtyard space that leads to the hotel’s lobby, which you can see in the two photos below.

A courtyard water feature near the lobby and entrance of the hotel. Photo by Jane Kim

Another outdoor section of the ground-floor courtyard. Photo by Paul Calvin

An homage to the city, Canopy Austin’s design captures the unique sense of Austin’s hill country setting imbued with the energy of West 6th Street. Lake Flato Architects, Seifert Murphy, STG Design, and Hocker contributed to the design of the project. 
— Canopy by Hilton Opening Announcement, June 29, 2020

Looking east into downtown from the hotel’s pool deck. Photo by Paul Calvin

(We’d be negligent not to mention part of the reason why this hotel can look the way it does is due to its parking being located entirely underground, rather than a surface-level garage requiring the building to be at least somewhat designed around it. It’s a lot easier to pay for the digging when you’re only parking 140 rooms instead of a 40-odd-story tower, but the point remains the same.) 

A pavilion space on the hotel’s pool level. Photo by Paul Calvin

A view of a typical room at the hotel. Image: TrueTour® by Visiting Media

At this point you might be asking yourself why anyone would want to stay in a hotel during an ongoing viral outbreak unless they absolutely had to. The Hilton folks are prepared to answer that question with the brand’s new “CleanStay” program, a plan for bumped-up cleaning and disinfection standards created in partnership with, no joke, the owners of Lysol, among other experts.

The new Canopy property will participate in this program, though by all accounts it’s still going to take a while to get our local occupancy rates back to normal no matter how hard anyone scrubs. Still, the project isn’t just bringing rooms to the neighborhood — though it’s not open yet, the Canopy property will also feature Verbena, an all-day restaurant and bar with some local talent on hand.

A rendering of the Verbena restaurant space at the hotel. Image: Lake Flato

Guests seeking a taste of Austin’s brimming culinary scene can experience Verbena, a full-service restaurant and bar by local chef Nic Yanes of Juniper and Uncle Nicky’s, opening soon. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Verbena will offer a menu of approachable and hearty, yet healthy dishes, with Mediterranean, French, and Californian influences. The restaurant will also offer a morning grab-and-go counter serving locally roasted coffee, breakfast items, and pastries. In addition, Verbena has partnered with Proprietors LLC, an award-winning cocktail company behind acclaimed establishments like Death & Co. and Nitecap, to aid in developing a drink program with local mixology talent that emphasizes the use of fresh, local ingredients. 
— Canopy by Hilton Opening Announcement, June 29, 2020

A view of the hotel’s courtyard, looking into the building at its restaurant and bar space. Image: Lake Flato

It’s certainly not an ideal time to open a hotel, but it seems like everyone involved is making the best of it — and it’s obviously a well-designed and useful addition to this corner of downtown, an ever-growing entertainment district sorely lacking in lodging options compared to somewhere like Rainey Street. We wish them luck!

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