Hotel San José’s story begins in the 1930s, when it was a vibrant motor court on South Congress Avenue. But as Austin changed, the motel fell into disrepair.
In 1994, Liz Lambert left her job as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and returned to her native Texas to work in the Attorney General’s office in Austin. She used to hang out at the Continental Club on South Congress with her friend—and the club’s owner—Steve Wertheimer and fantasize about the rundown old hotel across the street. In those days, South Congress was a bad part of town, and the hotel was a haven for drugs, crime and cyclical poverty.
In a stroke of luck or destiny, she approached the owners on a whim and learned they had just put the property up for sale. She bought the hotel thinking she’d renovate it one room at a time, but reality set in, and she ended up running the property in its existing state as a low-rent residential hotel for several years while she worked on funding its renovation. In the course of chronicling her experiences with the residents of the hotel, she ended up making a documentary called “Through the Plexi-Glass: The Last Days of The San José,” which explores human relationships in gentrification and urban renewal.
Once funding came through, celebrated San Antonio firm Lake|Flato Architects helped transform the property into its current incarnation as a great example of Texas minimalist style. From bed platforms made of reclaimed native hardwood to custom saddle-leather chairs by artist Jamey Garza and from granite pathways to the impeccably curated landscape designed by artist Mark Word, the hotel’s design reflects a voice that is proudly local and uniquely Texan.
Along the way, a love for music gave birth to the South by San José Festival, which grew from three bands on the asphalt of the old motel in 1998 to a five-day festival in the parking lot with attendance in the thousands and headliners like Built To Spill, Billy Joe Shaver, Alejandro Escovedo, The Black Angels and countless other local and touring bands concurrent with the SXSW festival in Austin. The Hotel San José and Jo’s Coffee host a variety or regular and special events throughout the year too.