Gorgeous old Austin hotel. Completely booked. Worth going just to see the heavily adorned lobby. Brunch in the restaurant is great, and not impossible to get into. Drinks at the bar in the back with other attendees also make this an alternate conference area.
I'm a hotel snob & history lover, which is why I can't get enough of the Driskill Hotel. Built in 1886, it's right up there will the Congress bridge bats & the Texas State Capital as far as city icons go.
Rent a bike -- best way to tour the city (and how the locals get around!), and be sure to make your way to this spiral church tower. A bazillion winding steps later, you'll have a great view of the city and can even see Sweden.
This is the place that introduced Breast Milk ice cream to the world (when I went there I asked about it--apparently they test the woman for diseases first). I tried the peanut butter and dark chocolate--very happy with both, I have to say.