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.
We went to the Empire State Building late at night (maybe 11 or 11:30). We walked down after we saw Jersey Boys. It was perfect because there were no lines....but you could see all the ropes for the queues, and they went on forever!!