Extended Stay America – Austin – Arboretum

If you have food delivered the front desk makes you pick it up. Parking near the door can be a problem.
Other than that, this is cleaner and better than most extended stays. It’s near some bars, restaurants and other stuff. Right on the access road southbound side.

Pros:
Friendly staff (specifically who we dealt with were Louis during check in and Amalia during check out), free breakfast (Granola bars, apples, chocolate muffins, and coffee), free Wi-​Fi, a microwave in the room, a basic hotel with the necessities for a short stay, and a comfortable bed
Cons:
Unlike other extended stay hotels, the kitchen does not have utensils, flatware, dish detergent, a dish sponge, or a coffee maker readily available. Most of those items are available at request at the front desk.
Also, no check out receipt available upon requesting one «since the reservation was made thru Expedia»
Overall, I had a pleasant stay and would consider staying again.

This stay was a cascade of disappointments. The best summary is, thank goodness I didn’t pay full price!
The non — smoking room I’d reserved was unavailable, and the reservation was non — refundable. They were full, as were the other hotels in the area, leaving a choice between a smoking room or the street. I made the mistake of taking the smoking room.
The deadbolt lock did not work. The coffee maker boiled water, but the water never made it to the coffee. The desk clerk was less than helpful.
The breakfast was substandard. The usual rate for the room should cover something better than Famous Amos cupcakes, instant oatmeal, a fresh fruit bowl and coffee. I skipped their breakfast.
All in all, I’m glad my wife didn’t come on this trip. She wisely prefers a better hotel.

This hotel is located near freeways with easy on/​off access. Within walking distance you have several restaurants, shopping centers, Whole Foods & Sprouts grocery stores, Panera Bread, Nordstrom Rack, sporting goods store, BofA, Sam’s, Radio Shack, Crate ‘n Barrel, and more.
Plus, there are trees here to shade your car.
Update, Sept 16, 2010 I experienced a noisy fan downstairs that took weeks to fix. (I actually don’t know whether it was fixed but it hasn’t been a problem for a couple of weeks. If the problem reoccurs, I will be back to lower the score.)

Although I did not expect much for the price I paid, I thought the place was lacking in terms of amenities and cleanliness.
One interesting thing about this place was that it came with kind of a full kitchen, with a full-​size refrigerator, microwave, and a stove.
Unfortunately I had no use for any of them.
All in all, it was not too much better than motels.