Sienna at the Thompson

I’ve lived at the Sienna for 2 1/2 years and I’m done. Do not live in this building. The elevators break constantly, so you’ll have to wait for 15-20 minutes for a lift up or down. There’s now a mandatory $200 “Club Fee” to use the amenities and get random perks like valet from the hotel(?) which nobody asked for. The sauna and cold plunge were added this year and they suck: the cold plunge never works, and the sauna was so cheap, it’s already on its last legs. I also have a friend whose apartment was robbed by the staff (a maintenance guy let himself INTO HER APARTMENT and stole money from her. Luckily she had a ring camera). The security will walk around and bang on your door if you have anything sitting outside of your door (uber eats, Instacart, anything). You can hear noise from the street on either side of the building, north or south. And on the weekend, you won’t be able to even enjoy the pool because it’s occupied by hotel guests. This place sucks.

I've lived here since the building opened in 2022. I was one of the first residents. In 2026, I've had enough. The units and the amenities are fine. But two major issues make it hard to recommend. First, the location. Sienna markets itself as a premium downtown address, but Brazos Street has a significant homeless problem that the building doesn't mention. Most other high-rises in downtown Austin don't deal with this to the same degree. If you're comparing Sienna against other Class A buildings in the area at a similar price point, go with the other building. Second, management. At renewal, I received a 12.5% total increase, a rent hike plus a new $200/month "club fee" that didn't exist when I signed, during a market where Austin rents are declining and vacancy is at a 20-year high. When I pushed back with market data, the leasing team claimed they couldn't negotiate renewals "due to fair housing laws," which is factually incorrect. Fair housing law prohibits discrimination based on protected characteristics. It has nothing to do with rent negotiation. The building is sitting at roughly 12% vacancy and offering free months to new tenants while hiking existing residents' rents aggressively. If you do move here, know that the renewal experience will not match the sales pitch.