Not Your Typical Hotelier, Liz Lambert and Bunkhouse Management Open 2nd Austin, Texas Property

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Not Your Typical Hotelier, Liz Lambert and Bunkhouse Management
Open 2nd Austin, Texas Property - the Hotel Saint Cecilia
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February 4, 2009 - Austin, TX � Bunkhouse Management announced today the opening of their newest hotel, the Hotel Saint Cecilia. The luxury hotel, named after the patron saint of music and poetry, is opening its doors on December 8, 2008 in Austin, TX.

Located in the heart of Austin, the Hotel Saint Cecilia resides on the estate of a historic 1880 Victorian and features a seamless combination of antiques, pop modern furniture and original artwork. With just 14 rooms scattered between the Victorian and modern bungalows, the hotel is a private haven situated just steps from South Congress and downtown Austin.

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�Come pay homage to Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of the poet and musician in all of us, says Bunkhouse owner Liz Lambert.�

The grounds, including a bar and lounge, are private and offer a secluded retreat amid the bustling city. Hotel guests will be treated to crepes to order for breakfast or the Saint Cecilia�s unique collection of European wines and traditional cocktails offered in the evenings. Each suite is equipped with a turntable to complement the vintage vinyl collection available in the lounge. Suites also have handmade Hastens mattresses from Sweden (the only North American hotel to feature them exclusively) as well as exquisite textiles and bedding. The Hotel Saint Cecilia also features a gorgeous swimming pool surrounded by lush gardens and pathways.

Liz Lambert:
Trial lawyer. Documentary filmmaker. Serial entrepreneur. Not your typical hotelier.
Liz Lambert is not your typical hotelier, and it's not only because her background includes prosecuting street crime in the Manhattan District Attorney's office. What makes her perspective unique to the industry is how she learned the business. She bought the Hotel San José fifteen years ago with little more than guts and a vision. Unable financially to begin renovations, she ran the hotel herself for three years while forming a business plan and working to secure financing.

Compared to today, the hotel and its South Congress neighborhood have little in common. It was not the center of a trendy shopping and dining district. It was at best run-down, at worst dangerous. The hotel was largely occupied by long-term tenants, most down on their luck, and Liz saw and dealt with it all. Documenting her experiences with a video camera, she eventually turned her footage into a gritty and moving documentary, The Last Days of the San José.

While waiting for financing, Liz had time to plan and dream � to think about all of the elements that make a hotel great. Not just design and amenities, but also the type of service and atmosphere appropriate for today's sophisticated travelers. The result of her efforts exceeded even her own expectations � a hotel both unique to Austin and uniquely Austin. Praised in feature articles in national magazines and coffee table books, the renovated San José became a not-quite-overnight success.

Liz is Bunkhouse's big thinker, constantly in motion with new grand visions forming all the time. After the San José, Liz saw an opportunity for a neighborhood coffee shop and built Jo's Coffee adjacent to the hotel. Next came the Thunderbird, a sleek, stylish hotel in West Texas followed by a second Jo's location in Downtown Austin. Liz and Bunkhouse have just opened the Hotel Saint Cecilia, the upscale hotel makeover of an historic Austin mansion. Among other planned projects, there are plans to expand San José, as well as plans to continue with the development for El Cosmico, a modern hippie campground/hotel in Marfa, Texas. It should be interesting.

The hotel will begin taking reservations and will be officially open for business on December 8, 2008. Hotel Saint Cecilia is located at 112 Academy Dr. Austin, TX 78704. For more info go to www.hotelsaintcecilia.com

ABOUT BUNKHOUSE MANAGEMENT

Founded in 1998 with the launch of Austin hotel the Hotel San José, Bunkhouse is a premier hotel management and consulting group led by visionary Liz Lambert. Bunkhouse provides urban real estate developers and landowners with specialized expertise in the staffing and management of unique, community-oriented hotel projects.

Bunkhouse currently owns or manages several projects, including the Hotel San Jose (www.sanjosehotel.com), the Hotel Saint Cecilia (www.hotelsaintcecilia.com) and Jo�s Coffee (www.joscoffee.com) in Austin along with the Belmont Hotel (www.belmontdallas.com) in Dallas. Current projects underway include hotels in Houston and San Antonio. For more information, contact Bunkhouse via the website at www.bunkhousemanagement.com or by phone at 512.326.1218.

Contact:

Kevin Osterhaus
Bunkhouse Management
1101 Music Lane #303
Austin, TX 78704
512.852.2313 tel
www.bunkhousemgmt.com

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Also See:

Bunkhouse Management L.L.C. to Provide Management for the Belmont Hotel in Dallas' Oak Cliff District; Susan Alarcon Appointed General Manager / November 2008