Austin. 3rd November 2025.
After 28 days in Texas our holiday is finally coming to an end with the last full day spent relaxing in the hotel. I returned the car to the rental company after completing 2165 miles over the Texan highways.
It’s been another beautiful day weatherwise, perfect for exploring the hotel and looking at its unique history.
It was originally built in 1968 as the headquarters building for Bergstrom Air Force Base. It’s a circular building with a hollow centre leading it to be often referred to as “The Do-Nut”. It served as a strategic command centre for many major conflicts including the Vietnam War, the Gulf Wars and Desert Storm.
The basement is made of thick reinforced concrete with bullet resistant windows and could be made into a secure area if required. Indeed it was one of three Cold War bunkers in the USA where the President could be flown to safety in the event of a nuclear attack.
The base closed in 1993 and the city converted it into today’s Austin International Airport with the HQ building originally scheduled to be demolished. In 1998 it was converted from a three storey USAF building into the four storey airport conference hotel that it is today.
We spent most of the day lazing by the pool as inside the hotel staff readied the place for a conference.
This will be the last posting this holiday, I hope you’ve all enjoyed coming along with us. As they say around these parts, “ Happy Trails, until we meet again”.