Austin Travel Guide
Where to Stay in Austin
The base decision that shapes an Austin trip — downtown's walk-everywhere core, Rainey Street's nightlife, South Congress's bungalow hotels and the leafy Zilker side — with this guide's seven hotels placed.
Austin is spread out, hot and short on easy public transit for visitors, so where you stay decides how much you walk, how much you pay in rideshares and what your evenings feel like. The good news is that the four areas most visitors choose are close to each other, divided mainly by Lady Bird Lake. Pick the one that matches your trip.
Downtown: the walk-everywhere core. Downtown, north of the lake, puts you within walking distance of the Capitol, Congress Avenue, Sixth Street, the Red River clubs, ACL Live and the Congress Avenue Bridge bats. It suits first-timers, short stays, business trips and anyone who wants to step out the door into the action. The trade-offs are price, parking costs and late-night noise near Sixth Street on weekends. The Driskill, opened in 1886 at Sixth and Brazos, is the historic choice — a Romanesque palace with a famous bar and LBJ history, where you should request a high floor or a room away from the street. The Four Seasons Hotel Austin, on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake, is the calm luxury pick, with lake-view balcony rooms, a saltwater pool and lawns running down to the trail, a short walk from Rainey and Congress.
Rainey Street: nightlife with a pool. Rainey Street, at the southeast corner of downtown by the lake, is a district of old bungalows turned bars surrounded by new towers. It is lively, social and walkable to downtown, with the lake trail close by. Hotel Van Zandt, named for the songwriter Townes Van Zandt, is the music-lover's choice here: a heated fourth-floor rooftop pool with cabanas, live local music at Geraldine's included in the nightly amenity fee, and lake views from many rooms. Expect a busy street on weekend nights.
South Congress: bungalows, shops and music. Across the river, South Congress Avenue — SoCo — is a strip of vintage shops, boutiques, restaurants, coffee patios and live-music rooms, including the Continental Club, just south of the river on the same avenue that runs up to the Capitol. It suits couples, design lovers and travelers who prefer a neighborhood feel, and it has the most distinctive hotels in the city, three of them from the Bunkhouse group, now part of World of Hyatt. Hotel San José, a reimagined 1930s motor court with forty minimalist bungalow rooms, a hidden pool, on-site parking and Jo's Coffee in the lot, is the best all-round SoCo base. Hotel Saint Cecilia, an 1888 house with bungalows and studios around a pool, turntables in every room and a guests-and-members-only lounge, is the most romantic and private hotel in Austin, at a premium. The Austin Motel, in business since 1938, has a famous neon sign, a bean-shaped pool and playful retro rooms at more approachable rates — fun, sociable and sometimes loud.
Zilker and Barton Springs: the outdoor side. Southwest of downtown across the lake, the neighborhoods around Zilker Park and Butler Park put you near Barton Springs, the botanical garden, the hike-and-bike trail and South Lamar's restaurants and the Broken Spoke. It suits active travelers, families and anyone planning swims and runs. The Carpenter Hotel, built around a 1948 carpenters union hall at 400 Josephine Street, is the value pick: simple, warm rooms each with a private terrace, open-air walkways, a cafe and the Carpenters Hall restaurant, in a quiet leafy pocket near the trail.
Matching hotels to trips. First-timers on a short stay: the Driskill or the Four Seasons, to walk to most sights. Music weekends: Hotel Van Zandt for Rainey and Red River, or the Austin Motel and San José for South Congress and the Continental Club. Romance and occasions: Hotel Saint Cecilia, or a lake-view balcony at the Four Seasons. Families: the Four Seasons for space and pool downtown, or the Carpenter for park access at a gentler price. Outdoor-focused trips: the Carpenter, then the San José with its parking for Hill Country day trips.
What about other neighborhoods? East Austin, east of the interstate, has many of the city's best restaurants, bars and murals and a growing number of small hotels and rentals; it suits return visitors who know the city and want a local feel. The Domain, a shopping district in the north, and the airport area offer cheaper chain hotels but leave you a long ride from the sights, which erases much of the savings in rideshares and time. For a first or second visit, the four areas above are the ones to choose from.
Practical notes. Festival weekends — SXSW in March, ACL Festival in October and the autumn Formula One weekend — push rates sharply higher and sell out rooms, so book early or avoid those dates. Downtown parking is expensive; South Congress hotels with on-site parking are more car-friendly if you plan day trips. Rideshares between the four areas are quick and generally affordable outside peak times, and the hike-and-bike trail connects downtown, Rainey, Zilker and the bridge to South Congress on foot in good weather. Wherever you stay, choose a hotel with a pool if you are visiting between May and September — in Austin, it is not a luxury but a survival strategy.