Today I wanted to share a full recap of our weekend itinerary from Austin last weekend. Earlier this week, I shared a peek into our stay and tips on how to book luxury travel for less (read more here). We had been to Austin only one other time before for a friend’s birthday party weekend, but this time around we felt like we really got a better sense of the city and the surrounding area. Austin is such a great city to visit if you love great food, music and shopping. There’s more than enough to do downtown, but for this trip we had a rental car so we were able to explore more outside the city and even spent an afternoon in Hill Country wine tasting. Keep scrolling to read more about our weekend.
Outfit Details (above): Divine Heritage Lace Trench Dress (also comes in nude, wearing a P) // Kenneth Cole Black Lace-Up Heels // Chanel Small Double Flap Bag // Urban Outfitters Hoop Earrings
Where We Stayed
Last time we were in Austin, we stayed at a really fun, trendy hotel, but this time around we wanted something a little calmer and quieter – a hotel that felt more like a resort. We chose the Four Seasons Austin because from our experience, there’s nothing quite as relaxing a Four Seasons. This was our first trip since completing our home renovations and after having contractors at our house 6 days a week for the last several months, we were ready to just enjoy a quiet space and maybe even sleep in a little too! Leo has a horrible habit lately of getting up between 4 and 6AM every morning.
The level of service at Four Seasons is unlike any other hotel. The staff always goes above and beyond to ensure you’re enjoying your stay. They delivered this setup to our room on our first night in the hotel. It was so nice to kick off the night with cocktails and a snack especially after flying in that day. They knew we were staying with them this time around especially since we were going to be taking pictures and sharing them here. Four Seasons has a pretty strict policy ensuring guest privacy so you won’t see people running around with cameras everywhere – which I love.
Our room included balcony views of the city – which were breathtaking. We had two balconies – one in our living room and one in our bedroom so we were able to catch the sunrises and sunsets perfectly. I think we spent most of the time in our room out there. It was so peaceful to just look out over the city.
We spent the first afternoon at the spa – the perfect way to unwind after an early morning flight. I tried The Four Seasons Sensory Experience – a signature experience that is meant to awaken your senses featuring Texas grown-sage. The smell was amazing! The experience features a combination of acupressure and Chakra techniques and it includes body brushing and ends with a full-body massage with local river stones. It was sensory-awakening, but also relaxing. I fell asleep by the end of it – the sign of a great spa experience in my book.
Where We Ate & Drank
I mentioned that we had been to Austin one other time to celebrate our good friend’s birthday – which she went all out for. The highlight of that weekend was her birthday dinner at Uchi – which she claimed had the best sushi in the world (and she’s a frequent world traveler). I’m not going to lie, I was a little skeptical if Austin could really have the best sushi, but after running through their 10-course dinner, there was no question it was the best sushi! Uchi has a policy on sustainability so their food is fresh and responsibly-fished. Of course we had to go back to Uchi on this trip. This time around was just as good! We sat at the sushi bar where got to watch and learn about each dish that we tried. It was entertaining and enjoyable.
We ran through most of their daily specials – including these oysters with ume-apricot sorbet and basil blossom oil. I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of oysters in general, but these were amazing!
The Sake Crudo (salmon) was our favorite sushi dish from the menu we tasted.
The Suzuki Yaki (grilled branzino) was probably our favorite hot dish. It was so good – it melted in your mouth!
We went for drinks at Irene’s one afternoon with a friend who lives in Austin. She recommended we have frozen rosé out on the patio and she brought along her Golden Retriever – who we’d been dying to meet. The frozen rosé was delicious and the company was great (obviously).
Phil and I had been craving In ‘N Out – it’s one of the many thing we miss so much about living in LA. So our first stop after landing in Austin was In ‘N Out.
Outfit Details (above): Bardot Polka Dot Top (wearing an XS) // ASOS RIDLEY Black Skinny Jeans (wearing a 24) // Chanel Espadrilles (more affordable version here) // Chanel Bag // Celine Sunglasses (more affordable version here)
What We Did
We really wanted to be able to soak in as much of the warm weather as possible so we rented a Porsche 911 convertible for the weekend from Hi Tech Motorcars. Growing up, I used to have a white Porsche convertible for my Barbies and I always said one day I’d own one. I’d never actually driven one before last weekend though, but after driving it, I want one so bad! We both do. Porsche’s are amazing cars! Phil and I both have an obsession with cars. Hi Tech Motorcars has a huge inventory of luxury cars so it was fun to look around too.
On our last day in Austin it was cloudy and rainy all day so we decided to escape to Hill Country – where the weather looked a little more promising. We had researched a few wineries before we headed out there, but once we were there, we realized all the wineries are off the main road so it’s super easy to stop at any of them. We only went to Grape Creek Vineyards because we didn’t have a ton of time and their grounds were some of the prettiest. We always love the more scenic wineries and their wines were great too!
Outfit Details (above): Celine Flattop Sunglasses (budget version here) // Similar Faux Leather Jacket // Club Monaco White Top (wearing an XS) // Asos Black Denim (wearing a 24) // Chanel Bag // Chanel Espadrilles // Gucci Belt (wearing a size 70) // Cluse Gold Watch
xo, Maria
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