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Built in 1924 to compete with The Driskill a block away, the Stephen F. Austin was another favorite power center for state legislators, along with celebrities like Babe Ruth and Frank Sinatra. Closed in 1987 and reopened in 2000 after being gutted and built from the ground up, the hotel is once again welcoming movers and shakers, although now they're most likely to be high-tech and music industry execs. Everyone's made to feel like a power broker, with such perks as a packing and unpacking service (only if you want it) and complimentary umbrellas for guest use (not that it rains all that often).

The public areas are elegant, if not quite as grand as those in The Driskill. The tradeoff is the more spacious, less fussy rooms here, done in soothing earth tones. Luxe amenities include down duvets, alarm clock/CD players, in-room safes large enough to fit a laptop in -- and every type of in-room business perk that one could desire, including ergonomic chairs. Beware the sensitive, sensor-operated minibar, however, which may register a charge for jellybeans if you simply move, rather than consume, the contents of the jar. Anyway, it's better to take your drinks in the second-story terrace of the Stephen F bar, before great views of Congress Avenue and the capitol.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.