A rendering of the Loren at Lady Bird Lake, looking south over West Riverside Drive. Image: Loren Hotel Group / Rhode Partners
Groundbreaking and other site work has begun for the Loren at Lady Bird Lake, an eight-story, 108-room hotel with 26 additional condo units including two penthouses planned for South Austin’s so-called “Taco PUD” at 211 South Lamar Boulevard, according to an announcement by hospitality firm the Loren Hotel Group.
A current view of the site at the corner of West Riverside Drive and South Lamar Boulevard, once home to a Taco Cabana and short-lived attempt at something called “Pollo Tropical.”
The 96-foot building, joining some other upcoming height in this downtown-adjacent district, was long expected atop the 0.93-acre site at the southeast corner of West Riverside Drive and South Lamar Boulevard — but it hadn’t received an official name or branding until now. The project, first proposed as a residential development but transformed over many years of tweaks and false starts into the hotel with residences and retail space now underway, dates back to at least 2013.
An aerial view of the Loren project, showing the building’s position at the corner of West Riverside Drive and South Lamar Boulevard. Image: Loren Hotel Group / Rhode Partners
A view of the hotel and its driveway entrance from Lee Barton Drive, seen here from the building’s northeast corner at West Riverside Drive. Image: Loren Hotel Group / Rhode Partners
The hotel group, which currently operates another Loren property in Bermuda, also announced its collaboration with several local firms on the new project — including well-known Austin architecture studio Rhode Partners:
The Loren Hotel Group and a team of advisors worked to fashion a true standout on the shores of Lady Bird Lake. The new five-star property will feature 108 guest rooms, all with lake and city views, as well as 26 spacious two to four-bedroom condominiums for sale, including two penthouses, all with panoramic views.
Onsite offerings at The Loren at Lady Bird Lake will include a rooftop restaurant and event facilities with a bar and lounge that open into an outdoor seating area with 180-degree perspectives on the ever-expanding city skyline. There will also be a luxury spa, gym, swimming pool and retail offerings with a health & wellness theme. The property will provide guests and owners a true live-work-play environment – a mantra synonymous with The Loren Hotel brand.
The Loren Hotel Group has worked with a number of advisors to bring this project to the finish line including Hall Structured Finance, a Dallas-based direct private lender, Rhode Partners, Drenner Group, Hoar Construction and Fleur-de-lis Interior Design. Eric Moreland with Moreland Properties, a leader in Austin’s market for premier luxury real estate, is the appointed agent for the development’s condo sales. The Loren Hotel Group was also very pleased to work closely with City of Austin officials and Foundation Communities of Austin to both substantially upgrade the parkland on the southern shore of Lady Bird Lake and provide a material contribution to the development of affordable housing in Austin.
The group’s flagship property is The Loren at Pink Beach in Bermuda which opened in 2017 and is 100% owned and operated by The Loren Hotel Group. The company has a long-term build-and-hold strategy and plans to expand The Loren Hotel brand across the U.S. and beyond, through design, development, and operation. Future projects will target a cultured, high-net-worth clientele by showing off spectacular views, surrounding them with detailed art and design and creating indelible local experiences.
— The Loren Hotel Group
Perhaps as part of its “spectacular views” branding mentioned in the press release above, the hospitality group included in its announcement this panorama of the view of downtown Austin from the Loren building’s expected rooftop restaurant space — click the image below for a larger view, because it’s pretty big:
Image: Loren Hotel Group
According to the developers, these views aren’t too far off, either — the project is currently scheduled to open its doors in the first quarter of 2022.
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