You will make less money, but have far less expenses and it is very passive.I understand running a STR is the trendy thing to do, but there is already a shift happening back towards hotels.

Maybe start with the extended stay hotels and other companies that specialize in short term corporate housing, they might be able to point you in the right direction

I couldn't find any clear language even after searching "airbnb", "short term", "hotel", etc.

New restaurants, hotels, massive new residential buildings.

There is a breakfast meeting in St Augustine and an evening session at a local  hotel (Embassy Suites).

I would avoid all the above markets you mentioned and head for a true vacation market that is driven by tourism with a low hotel presence and a strong STR presence 

Outside of the caucus every four years, I am not certain the demand is strong enough outside of the center of town due to numerous low cost hotels spread around the MSA. 

Yeah, it sucks that it's not turning out like you planned, but if the whole deal falls apart due to what might amount to a few hundred dollars of storage lockers and/or hotel rooms, then it's not much of a deal to begin with.Ask your landlord if you can holdover for 2 weeks (paying the excess rent, of course), then slide your whole schedule forward 2 weeks, including the time off from work, etc.  

Not just in hotel rooms.

You would have to do it right, though.You would have to take possession of the property as your primary residence and then get the proper licenses from the city of Austin and pay hotel taxes on it.