The Driskill Hotel

The Driskill Hotel. 604 Brazos Street, Austin, Texas. Built in 1886.

The Driskill Hotel is the oldest operating hotel in Austin. It was conceived and funded (at a cost of $400,000) by Col. Jesse Driskill, a cattle baron, who aimed to build "the finest hotel south of St. Louis." The hotel is rumored to have been built with an entrance just for women so as to avoid the rough language used by the cattlemen in the lobby. A night, including meals, in The Driskill upon opening would have run $2.50 to $5.00, an unheard of sum for the location at the time.