TX Austin Hilton Garden Inn Austin NW-Arboretum

[Nightfly]

There's nothing particularly unique or unusual about the Hilton Garden Inn Austin NW/Arboretum. Not to be smug, but one Hilton Garden Inn constructed in the last ten years is virtually indistinguishable from another. Additionally, unless there's been some hideous breakdown in employee performance standards at a particular location, staffing is also likely to be not very different (other than perhaps regional accents) from sea-to-shining sea. In that light, this review will attempt to offer enlightenment about the surrounds.

Just off the 183 freeway north of the 1/183/360 interchanges, this hotel is, in terms of walking, well north of the Arboretum/Gateway/Domain shopping complexes. In terms of Austin driving, it's a ten minute trip (which, again in Austin driving terms, might as well be a Star Trek 'transporter' trip... fast, I was to learn) If your interest is staying near these shopping centers, there are better lodging choices. There are two upscale hotels at the Domain itself, in fact, there seems to be very little in the way of want at the Domain if unbridled consumerism is your goal. Sporting the two aforementioned hotels, the Domain also has a Texas-gestated Nieman-Marcus, residential housing(?) and an automobile dealership (??) on-site. (handy if you need a new Fiat 500 to bring home a proportionally sized Tiffany & Co. robin-egg blue boxed bauble)

I digress.

Nearby the Hilton Garden Inn Austin NW/Arboretum are some interesting dining choices. On the hotel site there is a Big Daddy's Tacos & BBQ, Mexican Restaurant, a kind of Hooter's-ish affair. On the other side of the freeway, the better part of a mile away sits Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q a seemingly authentic BBQ convenience store operation. Closer to the hotel, still on the other side of the freeway and sharing a parking lot is a national chain outlet of Brick House Tavern and Tap, a sleek man-cave sports bar operation and Austin-based Tex Mex favorite Chuy's. Of those mentioned, Chuy's appears to be the real deal and well worth a visit.

Rounding out the other nearby businesses are some IHOP-class eateries, a few gas stations, a liquor store, quick loan operations and a 'news' stand (a Texas euphemism for an adult bookstore, I gather)

nuff' said.