Construction continues on The Westin Austin Downtown rooftop pool, patio and bar area, which oversees much of downtown Austin. Construction continues on The Westin Austin Downtown rooftop pool, patio and bar area, which oversees much of downtown Austin.[/caption]

Construction continues on The Westin Austin Downtown hotel at Fifth and San Jacinto Boulevard.

The 20-story, 366-room luxury hotel is slated to open July 16, General Manager Kristofer Carlson said during a June 10 tour of the new structure. Carlson told Community Impact Newspaper in January he expects the hotel to serve more Austin residents than larger convention hotels in the city.

For example, there have already been multiple requests from local groups seeking access to The Westin's rooftop patio, pool and bar area, according to Carlson. He said construction on the area should be completed in the next two weeks.

"There's a lot of work going on right now, but most of the effort is at the top of the building," Carlson said.

Much work also remains on the hotel's lobby, which, once complete, will feature multiple guitar-inspired decorations. The pattern on the ceiling, for example, is inspired by vintage guitar styles, Carlson said.

Another nod to Austin lifestyle is a running concierge program in which a hotel employee leads guests on a morning jog throughout the city, said Alison Berg, The Westin Downtown Austin director of sales and marketing. The hotel even provides gear for active guests should they need anything, she said.

Both locals and out-of-town convention goers will also make good use of the hotel's two-floor event space, Berg said. Separate events can be held on each floor, she said, and both floors include large pre-event spaces before entering the ballroom, which features custom light fixtures, sound-proof walls and other unique design features.

In addition, Berg said the downtown Westin is the only Austin hotel to feature breakout spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows.

The hotel will host a job fair 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 12 and 13 at Trinity Hall, 311 E. Fifth St., to help complete its anticipated 250-person workforce. Half of those positions are filled so far, according to Carlson, who is looking to hire at all levels from supervisors to housekeepers.

"We're doing really well so far—well above the pace I thought we'd be at this point," he said.

Construction on the building has also resulted in 800 temporary jobs, according to crews on-site.