48 Best Hotels in Austin, Texas

This chic downtown destination sets the scene for being seen with its vibrant decor, au courant outdoor lounges, and a coveted rooftop pool that attracts hip, beautiful crowds of travelers and locals alike. A lunch and lounge menu, plus a full-service restaurant and bar, have you covered for on-site dining, but countless local eateries are a stone's throw away. Plus, a complimentary car service shuttles guests anywhere within a 3-mile radius.

On the shores of Lady Bird Lake in between the Congress and South First Street Bridges, this hotel provides great views and convenient downtown access thanks to its prime location. The huge, skylit lobby opens into a central atrium rising 17 stories. Request a high-floor room to ensure views of Lady Bird Lake and Austin’s skyline. Business meetings, wedding parties, and seasonal events at the nearby Auditorium Shores keep this location busy (and loud) year-round.

Always a trusted brand, the JW Marriott is a one-stop shop for modern business travelers. Guests are within walking distance of the convention center, Lady Bird Lake, the hike-and-bike trail, and dozens of downtown's best restaurants and bars. Thousands of square feet of meeting space, three on-site restaurants, and rooftop lounges are ideal for groups who don't need to explore beyond the central business district.

A stunning, design-lover's dream, this boutique hotel is tucked one block off South Congress Avenue and boasts the dual appeal of an exclusive, private escape and direct access to an urban neighborhood. The virtual concierge and keyless entry (guests use personalized pin codes) make check-in a thing of the past, and the award-winning design, from Eames-laden interiors to an open-air courtyard centered around a massive live oak tree, is equally modern. Built-in perks, like self-serve gourmet breakfasts and automated coffee machines spouting specialty drinks at the touch of a button, feel downright futuristic. 

This lakeside resort getaway, nestled right on the shores of Lake Travis (about a 45-minute drive from downtown) is particularly well-suited for families with enough space to accommodate adults-only and kids-play areas. The luxury property is centered on water in every way, with lake views from every angle, three pools, a swim-up bar, Jacuzzis, waterslides, boat rentals, and a terrific spa that features water-centric signature treatments like the Texas River Rock massage. Rooms are spacious and some have patios overlooking the lake.

The expansive Domain shopping district is known for its high-end retail and upscale dining, so it’s refreshing that the area has this boutique hotel, inspired by retro motor courts, that's more affordable and approachable than its competitors. Centered on an outdoor pool and courtyard, rooms feature trendy “retro-ranch” interiors, with stylish throwbacks like full-size Smeg refrigerators alongside Lone Star accents such as sliding barn doors to the bathroom. An on-site food truck offers an all-day menu, and the Watering Trough bar and café provides daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner service, plus live music is hosted regularly.

The Loren at Lady Bird Lake offers one of the most unique vantage points of downtown—with a panoramic view of the city skyline from the lake's less-populated southern shore. It's steps away from the hike-and-bike trail, and many guest rooms directly overlook the Lamar pedestrian bridge, which  always teems with activity. Special occasions are celebrated here, from long anniversary staycations to prom dates taking photos on the stunning rooftop patio at the NIDO restaurant. World-class art, from the hotel's striking architectural design to large-scale sculptures and decor carefully curated throughout the property, elevates the entire experience. The city is right at your fingertips here, and a helpful 24-hour concierge can help arrange any kind of downtown or Lady Bird Lake excursion, from paddle-board rentals to boat tours. 

This 89-room boutique hotel, strategically tucked away on Music Lane, feels a world away from the immediately adjacent South Congress Avenue, thanks to its brilliant architectural and landscape design that highlights intuitive privacy and proximity to nature. Four buildings, interconnected by elevated walkways and courtyards surrounding a lovely outdoor pool and lounge, compose this treehouse-esque complex that boasts views (from certain rooms), plush beds and amenities, and access to the excellent on-site Summer House restaurant.

Your introduction to this bustling, business-oriented hotel is a soaring, granite-and-glass atrium lobby. From atrium-view rooms you can spy on diners and scurrying businesspeople below. Exterior rooms have balconies and city vistas (on upper floors). The decor, simple but modern, neither inspires nor offends. The rooftop pool offers beautiful downtown views but fills up fast on weekends. The central downtown location can mean loud Sixth Street overflow for lower-level rooms. At breakfast, the eggs are cage-free and the bagels are shipped in from New York. Service is professional, if on the cool side.

Families, group travelers, golf aficionados, and business professionals flock to this resort just a short drive west of Austin to disconnect and unwind on 4,000 pristine acres of rolling Hill Country terrain. Among the top resort amenities are four championship golf courses, two pools, 11 tennis courts, a full spa with salon services, and a huge fitness center. Omni acquired the property in recent years, with ongoing plans to update the outdated guestrooms and interiors. Standard rooms are spacious, with one king- or two queen-size beds, flat-screen TVs, and minibars. Many have panoramic Hill Country views.

The first Autograph Collection property in Austin, the Otis features clean, chic, and modern rooms and on-site dining options that are unmatched for the west campus area. The Acre 41 restaurant is a contemporary steakhouse, with additional menus for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, while the rooftop Otopia bar offers raw-bar selections, and a walk-up window at the Burger Bar rounds out your on-the-go needs. All guest rooms have vinyl record players, and most have views of downtown or UT campus.

Set back from the roar of I–35, this handsome five-floor hotel (formerly a Hyatt Hotel) is a step up from your usual off-ramp inn. The lobby has a convenient 24/7 café menu and grab-and-go market, serving Starbucks drinks, sandwiches, and beer and wine most of the day. Hot breakfasts are complimentary, with updated items like garden vegetable and egg-white skillet sandwiches. Spacious rooms have contemporary accents like screens separating the lounge area from the bedroom; all have pull-out sofas. The 42-inch flat-screen TVs have ports for laptops and swivel to allow for viewing in different rooms. Decent restaurants are nearby, but most of the city’s best spots are a drive away.

This boutique hotel boasts posh accommodations, a rooftop pool, three on-site restaurants, a coffee shop, a lobby bar, and street-level retail shops that add to the charms of its South Congress address. It's a beloved gathering space for locals just as much as for out-of-towners, with a wide range of special events, weddings, pop-up markets, and other themed parties hosted in their various communal spaces on most weekends.

A charming bastion of historic hospitality sits just off UT campus, amid the otherwise lackluster surroundings of student apartments and frat houses. The B&B operates two guesthouses on neighboring lots, but we recommend the original two-story Victorian house with wraparound porches. All rooms, furnished with antiques and vintage elements, have the same amenities and private bathrooms; most with tubs. Breakfasts, served either buffet-style or made-to-order, are delicious and the staff doubles as a knowledge resource for restaurant recommendations or directions to nearby attractions, like Pease Park or the Capitol. Downtown is a short drive away.

Locally known as the “Stephen F.,” this 1924 hotel relies on its landmark location on Congress Avenue, next door to the equally historic Paramount Theatre, to maintain its downtown appeal. But the "four star" standards of its glory days have reportedly been left in the past. Rooms are bland and in strong need of updating. It's still convenient for downtown theatergoers, and the hotel bar's popular terrace overlooks Congress Avenue and the Capitol.

For no-frills, reasonably priced lodging close to downtown, you could do worse than this basic two-story brick motel located just east of the northbound I–35 access road. There's an outdoor pool and decent views of downtown from the second floor. Rooms come with clean, hardwood floors, but the furniture is outdated and the beds fairly shabby, but for these prices it's hard to complain. An employee cautions to beware of "party people," so ask for a quieter room, away from highway noise, especially during UT home games and citywide festivals like SXSW. Breakfast is free but nothing special, with the exception of Texas-shape waffles. Franklin Barbecue is a short walk away.

Located next to Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater, Austin’s W Hotel is one of the city's busiest places to see-and-be-seen. The Second Street property, encompassing a full city block, is the first mixed-use occupancy building of its type in the world to be LEED-certified. Rooms are contemporary yet inviting. The lobby features a variety of hip hangout spots, from the Records Room to the in-house W restaurant featuring a seasonal all-day menu. The Wet Deck outdoor pool lounge swells with beautiful people on weekends, and the AWAY Spa provides a relaxing oasis the otherwise crowded property.

This Westin location in the Domain shopping district offers the dependability of an established brand with a slightly more sophisticated sheen. The lobby and main floor lounges are light-filled and modern and usually bustling with business travelers and happy-hour crowds of Domain shoppers, who frequent the gourmet on-site restaurant, Urban, which is extremely satisfying, albeit pricey. Rooms and suites are spacious, with comfy beds complete with pillowtop mattresses and down pillows.