Best Sign

Austin Motel

The – let's just call it what it is – phallic sign in the sky on South Congress is your beacon to the city's best place to kick your shoes off. 2011 marks year 73 for this iconic motel. The decor of its 41 rooms is always changing, each one sporting its own personality with a varied use of colors, murals, and antiques. Sadly, Dottye Dean, the owner of the Austin Motel, passed away in the spring. The successful West Coast opera singer took over the motel in 1993 when her mother passed away. It had fallen on hard times when Dean revitalized the motel and transformed it into a SoCo destination. Without her, SoCo wouldn't be the mecca it is today.

Austin Motel
1220 S. Congress, 512/441-1157
www.austinmotel.com