HotelChatter

"'Because of Texas’ size, its residents frequently take their vacations in-state, which mutes recessionary factors and gives it an advantage over other states,' said David Teel, CEO of the Texas Travel Industry Association.

'We’re well-positioned for downturns in the economy with shorter trips,' he said. 'Texas cities probably benefit more from the core market that is in Texas.'"

As of now, the only large scale hotel available to visitors is the SXSW-hawked Hilton Austin. But as we showed earlier today, two competing (and sometimes, neighboring) big-name hotels are better than one.

But the question doesn't seem to be whether or not this hotel will go up (after some stalling last year, it seems they've gotten the green light); instead, the city must figure out if the project merits such a generous break. Austin News reports:

"'A couple of years ago we lost the Dell Convention which has always been held here in Austin simply because we didn't have a hotel with enough rooms to accommodate them,' said Mayor Leffingwell.

Next Thursday city council members will vote whether to waive $4.3 million in fees for building the hotel. An incentive for the developer since the city can't contribute any money to the hotel because of an existing agreement with the Hilton Convention Center."

Can Marriott win the hearts of the Texans? Check back to find out!

[Photo: KXAN.com]