Book a room in this super chic 1928 mansion for your next trip to Austin

When I called two friends in Austin to tell them I was coming to visit, I got the same excited response from both of them: “Where do you live? Please tell me, Commodore Perry.” Both friends then treated themselves to dinner at Lutie’s during my stay, saying that the property’s restaurant was one of their favorite restaurants in town.

Travelers have fallen in love with Austin over the past decade or two, and the city’s hotel and restaurant choices have exploded with visitors’ ever-growing appetites. But the enthusiasm in the voices of my two local friends told me all I needed to know. There was no need to consider other hotel options for my stay in the Texas capital: I booked the Commodore Perry Estate.

Photos of the 10-acre Italianate-style estate surrounded by lush gardens evoke an idyllic country retreat in a more glamorous era. And indeed, Edgar Howard “Commodore” Perry built the lavish estate with his wife Lutie in 1928 to entertain guests in the grand style of the Roaring Twenties. (FYI: Perry was not a true naval “Commodore.” His friends reportedly gave him the nickname when the businessman and real estate developer’s boat was swept away by a flood on Lake Austin.)

The Perrys sold the property in 1944, and the 10,800-square-foot mansion went through several different conversions as a series of schools and other uses over the decades, and the city of Austin grew and changed all around it. In 2001, the property was added to the National Register of Historic Places. And finally, the Auberge Resorts Collection (the renowned hotel group that includes the charming Mayflower Inn & Spa) reopened the landmarked property in 2020 as a luxury boutique hotel.

Today, the property still looks and feels like a tranquil country retreat. But any visitor to the property will likely report wondering if they were in the wrong place when they arrived at the property—turning off a busy main drag across from the HEB grocery store, onto a busy street in Austin’s Hyde Park neighborhood. But don’t worry: From the moment you pull into the driveway and take in the 1920s mansion, stylish new inn, handsome chapel (built in 1947 when the property served as St. Mary’s Academy), lush organic gardens, and glamorous Palm Springs-inspired pool, you’ll feel like you’re at a wealthy friend’s country home far from the city—rather than a remarkably well-preserved piece of Austin’s glamorous history just a few miles from the Texas capital.

Location

The renovated historic mansion and 10-acre property are located directly on Red River Street in Austin’s Hyde Park neighborhood, north of downtown and the UT Austin campus.

Number of rooms & suites

54 in total: 42 hotel rooms and 12 suites

Highlights

• Mansion from 1928 listed in the National Register of Historic Places
• Super stylish interior by renowned designer Ken Fulk
• 50 foot retro outdoor pool
• On-site restaurants Lutie’s and Mansion
• 24-hour fitness center with fitness and wellness classes
• Local Discount: Texas residents receive up to 30% off the best available rate
• The private social club offers monthly events such as concerts, workshops and chef dinners
• Free house car for destinations within 8 km

Architecture and decor

Whether you stay in the historic Italianate mansion or the newly constructed inn, you’ll want to take in the property’s dreamy interiors, which are the work of renowned designer Ken Fulk.

From common spaces like the inn’s library to all of the guest rooms and suites, the interiors are a skillful and playful mix of contemporary furnishings with vintage accents. Fulk sourced bar carts, mirrors, record players, art and collectibles with their own rich patina from antique shops in and around Round Top, Texas, and these unique pieces give each individual room a curated feel and a touch of history.

Rooms & Suites

The mansion has four stylish suites. The most sumptuous suite, the Mr. and Mrs. Perry Suite, offers not only two elegant bedrooms and a bathtub, but also a living room with a fireplace and a dining room with eight seats. The Edgar Perry Junior Suite exudes a sophisticated college atmosphere. And the maximalist LaVerne and Hal Thomson Suites captivate with a playful mix of patterns including flowers, stripes and toiles.

Although the inn is a new build, it has been designed with great attention to detail so that the architectural details are reminiscent of the nearly 100-year-old manor house. These include ceilings with rough-hewn wooden beams, arched doorways and French doors, and French balconies that open onto the tranquil, palm-lined courtyard.

The Inn’s rooms and suites feel fresh and relaxing, with high ceilings and a clean, neutral color palette. White walls and ebony canopy beds are complemented by metallic accents like pewter lamps, gold sconces and silver bar carts, with the occasional pop of color from a light blue velvet sofa or red vintage rug.

Each room has its own “Estate Sale” exhibition, a curated collection of antique or vintage books, art, Object, and other curiosities, all available for purchase.

Eat

Luties (named after the Perry family matriarch) is the property’s garden-themed restaurant, open for dinner and weekend brunch. Led by husband-and-wife team Bradley Nicholson and Susana Querejazu (formerly of Austin’s beloved Barley Swine and Odd Duck), the menu focuses on local and regional ingredients with dishes like Yonder Way pork with okra and butter beans and grilled Texas Camembert with sourdough and pickled cherries. Not to be missed: the silky blue crab pudding and decadent kouign amann ice cream.

While Lutie’s is a popular restaurant for locals that is open to the public, breakfast, lunch and dinner are available at villa exclusive to overnight guests and members of the property’s social club. Dinner at the Mansion can begin with oysters or white sturgeon caviar on Texas toast and continue with a large aioli with garden vegetables or a classic wedge salad. Main courses include cheeseburgers, roasted confit chicken and the daily homemade pasta.

If the outdoor area pool is open during the season, you can also order lunch, snacks and cocktails with fresh juices and local spirits by the pool.

Who it is best suited for

• Couples
• Circles of friends
• Solo travelers
• Families

What’s nearby

• 1 mile from UT Longhorn Football Stadium
• 2 miles from Downtown / Capitol Building
• 2 ½ miles from Austin Convention Center
• 2 ½ miles from Lady Bird Lake
• 8 miles from Austin Intl. Airport (AUS)

For more information or to book a stay visit Commodore Perry Estate.