All the cool kids are off to Austin this Friday (8 March) and Madame micebook has her best sneakers packed…

SXSW. Not a geographic code, not a secret celebrity cabal and hopefully not four letters that visitors will have inked on to their forearm in a tribute to a most memorable Texan adventure. In fact, those four letters cause an influx of global visitors to Austin every spring and while in town, why not check out the latest new openings?

The 189-room Wyndham Austin provides a home-from-home atmosphere with residential-style suites while the super sleek The Line Hotel Austin (right) is where Madame micebook will be staying this trip.

Think rooftop cocktail bars serving toasted almond mai tai, sunset yoga and a lakeside infinity pool, combined with design-led rooms all housed in a former 1960s jazz club.

Planners of large-scale conferences and events will be impressed by the Fairmont Austin, which opened just in time for last year’s SXSW. Connected to the Austin Convention Center, it boasts 1,048 rooms and suites with panoramic views across Lady Bird Lake and the State Capitol plus 140,000 square feet of versatile event space.

When dusk falls, head down to the banks of Lady Bird Lake with a 50,000-strong crowd to enjoy a free outdoor concert – past artists have included The Strokes, Iggy Pop and Childish Gambino. But back to those all-important letters – Madame micebook is of course in town to check out the annual ten-day mega festival of creativity and innovation, as every self-respecting tech maven should.

For more inspiration, check out our online destination spotlights...

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