As a regular business traveler, on a tight budget, I usually do not get the pleasure of staying in places as nice as the Omni. However, thanks to Priceline, I was able to get into this hotel at a rate comparable to what I normally would book.

I arrived and was promptly checked in, with a room on the 7th floor. The staff was very friendly, greeting me at the door, at the desk and anytime any of them passed by me or other guests. A nice, very customer centric touch and appreciated.

My room was huge, with a great view of......the freeway fly-overs. What can you do about that? They were not there a year or so ago, so hard to complain. A higher floor may have given me a better view of downtown, but I can't complain. The work space was large, with a comfortable chair and the necessary outlets. The TV was large, with a great selection of channels. The bed was firm and comfortable, with high end linens and plenty of pillows, both feather and foam.

The bathroom was spacious, with excellent soaps and shampoo. A nice touch was the little container containing q-tips and cotton balls. The things you wish you had at times when on the road. The shower was great and unlike many hotels, the towels thick and soft.

There was a mini-bar in the room, but I did not take advantage of that. There was no refrigerator or microwave, which is a drawback to the more expensive hotels. I guess they figure if you can afford to stay there, you won't be buying a 6 pack and drinking it in the room. How uninformed they can be. There was a nice sitting area, with several local magazines and books to help familiarize oneself with Austin. The elevators were prompt, and the parking area safe, clean and plentiful.

The pool area was pretty amazing, and I am sure if it was warmer out, would have been in full use. The fitness room and hot tub was large, clean and well appointed.

My only issue was one that is, again, typical of expensive hotels. You have to pay $10 a day for internet. Really?! What could it possibly cost to provide free internet to your customers? Not a lot, I am certain, and certainly not $10 per day, per room. Everyone uses wi-fi now, so this is a big complaint on my part. It is one of those charges that makes no sense and really feels like an extra grab at my wallet.

Other than that, all was good here. I signed up for their rewards program, hoping to benefit on my first visit. That did not happen. Not certain why, but I will make sure I get what is coming next time.

I stayed at the Omni located off I-35. My room was awesome - tall ceilings, large room, awesome bed - all top notch. I stayed on Christmas Eve and the wonderful staff put a Christmas stocking full of fruit and candy on my door. Their restaurant was open, even on Christmas Eve, and the food was delicious. Stayed a second time a week later, and even though I was not on the ground floor with the tall ceilings, the room still felt large and had a nice balconey overlooking the pool area. The pool was heated and had an indoor/outdoor area. The staff could not have been more courteous and helpful.

When you read descriptions that say "modern luxury, elegant, granite bath" you expect just that. Since this was a weekend away for me I was looking for a little pampering. This hotel may be fine for an overnight-need a place to sleep hotel. It is not a destination. It is surrounded by multiple level highways and that is the view from the tiny balcony in the premier room I first had. The bath was hotel ordinary and the granite was the counter. The room was okay but there was no luxury or elegance in sight. I took my confirmation back to the desk with luxury description and was upgraded to the "much sought after" parlor room. One was an ordinary hotel room, smaller and shabbier than the first. It had a connecting room with a large wooden table surrounded by 4 office chairs, two frat house quality love seats that I wouldn't have considered sitting on and a bed shoved into the corner. I checked out. In the Omni's favor the front desk staff was polite and patient and every employee I encountered was very nice. They tried but simply did not have anything to offer. The manager did say that the entire hotel was scheduled for an upgrade at the end of 2012 so things may be somewhat better after that.

We went there during a weekend that they are hosting a convention, and the front staff doesn't seem to be prepared. But given the hotel brand, I was willing to overlook that. We stayed on the 7th floor and the hot water is finicky at best, especially during early morning or late in the evening. Trick is that you run the bath water on super hot for 5 mins (and the water pressure will act funny), but keep at it. It will eventually get warm, then you can run the sink with warm water. I promise that trick works.