Prepare for the Moxy Hotel’s Extremely Authentic Arrival in West Campus

The present state of the 2552 Guadalupe Street site. Image: Google Maps

When plans first emerged last year for the West Campus development of a Moxy Hotel, Marriott International’s boutique-esque chain seemingly intended to corner the wallets of the millennial set, details were scarce enough that I spent most of my time ranting about the brand’s dreadful marketing, which appeared as adept at capturing the hearts and minds of young people as a politician dancing the Nae Nae.

The back of the abandoned Jack in the Box building at 2552 Guadalupe Street, as seen last year. Photo by James Rambin.

Still, it would be irresponsible of me not to keep us all up to date on the project after making fun of it so much, so here’s the latest info on the 158-key hotel headed to the abandoned Jack in the Box site at 2552 Guadalupe Street. New city filings give us colored elevations of the upcoming building, along with additional layout info and floor plans — if current documents are to be believed, the hotel should start construction later this year, with a targeted completion date in late 2020.

Thanks to its compact rooms, which start at 183 square feet, the Moxy fits the whole shebang into four floors, with two additional subterranean levels of parking below — that comes out to 89,275 square feet of floor area in total, including the garage space, which almost entirely fills out the small site’s total area of 0.384 acres. Here’s a look at the building’s appearance, via Dallas architecture firm HKS:

An architectural illustration of the Moxy Hotel, as seen from Guadalupe Street in this perspective. Image: HKS Architects

The hotel’s ground floor, which includes the bar and lobby lounge designs typical for the Moxy brand, features Great Streets-compliant improvements on the three streets it faces — San Antonio, West 26th, and Guadalupe Streets, with the southern elevation of the building against the (fantastic) dive bar Hole in the Wall next door.

Detailed plans for the Moxy Hotel’s ground floor, with streetscape improvements and interior layout visible. Image: Stantec

There also appears to be a restaurant on the ground floor facing Guadalupe Street, identified in the elevations above as “Taco Mercado,” which could definitely be a placeholder name.

An illustration of the southern-facing elevation of the Moxy Hotel, which connects with the Hole in the Wall bar on this side. Image: HKS Architects

You see that Stevie Ray Vaughan mural on the right side of the building’s southern face up there? Here’s a closer look:

Detail from an architectural drawing of a mural shown on the southern-facing elevation of the Moxy Hotel. Image: HKS Architects.

Tacos and Stevie Ray? Forget what I said before, these folks did their research. Despite my complaints about what I perceive as inauthentic branding — which, let’s be real, are equally, if not more pretentious than the brand’s identity itself — it’s nice to see West Campus, perhaps Austin’s boldest experiment in high-density urban design, getting a hotel with what seems to be a more vibrant ground-floor usage than your average mid-market brand.

But can the Moxy Hotel’s bar really compete with the $3 Lone Star drafts at the Hole in the Wall next door? If nothing else, the bathrooms will probably be cleaner.

West Campus Condos

2612 San Pedro ST #118 , Austin

Home size: 642 sq ft
Lot size: 1,306 sqft
Year built: 1982

1 bed
1 bath
$215,000

1910 Robbins PL #307 , Austin

Home size: 930 sq ft
Lot size: 1,176 sqft
Year built: 1984

2 beds
2 baths
$305,900

2505 San Gabriel ST #103 , Austin

Home size: 355 sq ft
Lot size: 87 sqft
Year built: 2005

0 beds
1 bath
$199,000

908 Poplar ST #203 , Austin

Home size: 930 sq ft
Lot size: 1,393 sqft
Year built: 1982

3 beds
2 baths
$307,000

2409 Leon ST #202 , Austin

Home size: 788 sq ft
Lot size: 784 sqft
Year built: 1985

2 beds
2 baths
$263,000

2502 Leon ST #402 , Austin

Home size: 929 sq ft
Lot size: 87 sqft
Year built: 2017

2 beds
2 baths
$399,900

2708 San Pedro ST #203 , Austin

Home size: 1,659 sq ft
Lot size: 1,829 sqft
Year built: 2012

3 beds
2 baths
$429,800

2413 LEON ST #104 , Austin

Home size: 771 sq ft
Lot size: 827 sqft
Year built: 1963

2 beds
1 bath
$204,900

2205 N Lamar BLVD #122 , Austin

Home size: 1,255 sq ft
Lot size: 1,698 sqft
Year built: 2007

1 bed
2 baths
$449,900

2205 N Lamar BLVD #323 , Austin

Home size: 985 sq ft
Lot size: 1,306 sqft
Year built: 2007

1 bed
1 bath
$370,000

901 W 22nd ST #207 , Austin

Home size: 866 sq ft
Lot size: 1,132 sqft
Year built: 1982

2 beds
2 baths
$290,000

708 Graham PL #203 , Austin

Home size: 634 sq ft
Lot size: 871 sqft
Year built: 1982

2 beds
1 bath
$229,900

2408 Longview ST #212 , Austin

Home size: 710 sq ft
Lot size: 914 sqft
Year built: 1962

2 beds
2 baths
$242,900

2529 Rio Grande ST #63 , Austin

Home size: 536 sq ft
Lot size: 479 sqft
Year built: 1977

1 bed
1 bath
$215,000

806 W 24th ST #124 , Austin

Home size: 522 sq ft
Lot size: 784 sqft
Year built: 1982

1 bed
1 bath
$209,000

803 W 28th ST #106 , Austin

Home size: 699 sq ft
Lot size: 914 sqft
Year built: 1962

2 beds
2 baths
$219,900

2409 Leon ST #204 , Austin

Home size: 901 sq ft
Lot size: 871 sqft
Year built: 1985

2 beds
2 baths
$299,000

1010 W 23 #15 , Austin

Home size: 500 sq ft
Year built: 1975

1 bed
1 bath
$175,000

1010 W 23rd #2 , Austin

Home size: 850 sq ft
Year built: 1975

2 beds
1 bath
$255,000

1010 W 23 #6 , Austin

Home size: 500 sq ft
Year built: 1975

1 bed
1 bath
$169,000

2505 San Gabriel ST #206 , Austin

Home size: 1,100 sq ft
Lot size: 304 sqft
Year built: 2005

2 beds
2 baths
$379,900

708 Graham PL #205 , Austin

Home size: 604 sq ft
Lot size: 827 sqft
Year built: 1982

2 beds
2 baths
$234,900

2220 Leon ST #101 , Austin

Home size: 839 sq ft
Lot size: 1,001 sqft
Year built: 1972

2 beds
2 baths
$255,000

2502 Leon ST #415 , Austin

Home size: 868 sq ft
Lot size: 87 sqft
Year built: 2007

2 beds
2 baths
$319,900

2502 Leon ST #400 , Austin

Home size: 1,108 sq ft
Lot size: 87 sqft
Year built: 2008

2 beds
2 baths
$384,900

2612 San Pedro ST #118 , Austin

Home size: 642 sq ft Lot size: 1,306 sqft Year built: 1982

1 bed 1 bath $215,000
1910 Robbins PL #307 , Austin

Home size: 930 sq ft Lot size: 1,176 sqft Year built: 1984

2 beds 2 baths $305,900
2505 San Gabriel ST #103 , Austin

Home size: 355 sq ft Lot size: 87 sqft Year built: 2005

0 beds 1 bath $199,000
908 Poplar ST #203 , Austin

Home size: 930 sq ft Lot size: 1,393 sqft Year built: 1982

3 beds 2 baths $307,000
2409 Leon ST #202 , Austin

Home size: 788 sq ft Lot size: 784 sqft Year built: 1985

2 beds 2 baths $263,000
2502 Leon ST #402 , Austin

Home size: 929 sq ft Lot size: 87 sqft Year built: 2017

2 beds 2 baths $399,900
2708 San Pedro ST #203 , Austin

Home size: 1,659 sq ft Lot size: 1,829 sqft Year built: 2012

3 beds 2 baths $429,800
2413 LEON ST #104 , Austin

Home size: 771 sq ft Lot size: 827 sqft Year built: 1963

2 beds 1 bath $204,900
2205 N Lamar BLVD #122 , Austin

Home size: 1,255 sq ft Lot size: 1,698 sqft Year built: 2007

1 bed 2 baths $449,900
2205 N Lamar BLVD #323 , Austin

Home size: 985 sq ft Lot size: 1,306 sqft Year built: 2007

1 bed 1 bath $370,000
901 W 22nd ST #207 , Austin

Home size: 866 sq ft Lot size: 1,132 sqft Year built: 1982

2 beds 2 baths $290,000
708 Graham PL #203 , Austin

Home size: 634 sq ft Lot size: 871 sqft Year built: 1982

2 beds 1 bath $229,900
2408 Longview ST #212 , Austin

Home size: 710 sq ft Lot size: 914 sqft Year built: 1962

2 beds 2 baths $242,900
2529 Rio Grande ST #63 , Austin

Home size: 536 sq ft Lot size: 479 sqft Year built: 1977

1 bed 1 bath $215,000
806 W 24th ST #124 , Austin

Home size: 522 sq ft Lot size: 784 sqft Year built: 1982

1 bed 1 bath $209,000
803 W 28th ST #106 , Austin

Home size: 699 sq ft Lot size: 914 sqft Year built: 1962

2 beds 2 baths $219,900
2409 Leon ST #204 , Austin

Home size: 901 sq ft Lot size: 871 sqft Year built: 1985

2 beds 2 baths $299,000
1010 W 23 #15 , Austin

Home size: 500 sq ft Year built: 1975

1 bed 1 bath $175,000
1010 W 23rd #2 , Austin

Home size: 850 sq ft Year built: 1975

2 beds 1 bath $255,000
1010 W 23 #6 , Austin

Home size: 500 sq ft Year built: 1975

1 bed 1 bath $169,000
2505 San Gabriel ST #206 , Austin

Home size: 1,100 sq ft Lot size: 304 sqft Year built: 2005

2 beds 2 baths $379,900
708 Graham PL #205 , Austin

Home size: 604 sq ft Lot size: 827 sqft Year built: 1982

2 beds 2 baths $234,900
2220 Leon ST #101 , Austin

Home size: 839 sq ft Lot size: 1,001 sqft Year built: 1972

2 beds 2 baths $255,000
2502 Leon ST #415 , Austin

Home size: 868 sq ft Lot size: 87 sqft Year built: 2007

2 beds 2 baths $319,900
2502 Leon ST #400 , Austin

Home size: 1,108 sq ft Lot size: 87 sqft Year built: 2008

2 beds 2 baths $384,900