The premier host home in Texas's capital city is the perfect antidote for those weary of formal, frilly Victorian B&Bs. Ziller House offers a unique brand of contemporary sophistication that has drawn such famed visitors as Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, and Linda Ellerbee.

A gated, secluded estate on the cliff above the south bank of Town Lake, the 1938 Italian-style mansion is at the very center of Austin, a stone's skip from the Texas capitol.

The four guest rooms, three of which are upstairs, have their own personalities. The Library Room, for example, is lined with bookshelves and offers a pretty view of the lake. The balcony that gives the Balcony Room its name is surrounded on all sides by live oaks; the room's bathroom, with its dynamic black-and-saffron-yellow color scheme, is also striking. The Sun Suite has a queen size bed and a separate sitting area with TV and carved pine daybed. Fifty feet from the main house, a guest cottage includes a private patio and porch.

There are plenty of places to relax on the grounds, from the stone patio, to the cliffside gazebo, to the spa and swimming pool.

The self-contained qualities of the guest rooms, which feature a small refrigerator tucked in the service cabinet, a microwave oven, and a cordless cellular phone especially appeals to business travelers.

Location: 800 Edgecliff Terrace, Austin

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