Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Almost all of the major hotel chains can be found in Austin downtown, and like most cities, they all vary in their quality of service and price. Perhaps the most historic hotel is the Driskill. More upscale hotels downtown include the Four Seasons, and W. As of this writing, plans for a Fairmont Austin are underway. Boutique hotels have surged in Austin as well. Among the most popular are the San Jose Hotel, Hotel Saint Cecilia, and Heywood.
There are plenty of properties citywide that average no more than 15 miles from city center. Almost all of them are conveniently located near shopping and restaurants.
If you're looking for quality pampering time, several resort spas are less than an hour away from town.
Festivals, conventions and university events can pack the city during the peak months, or during legislative sessions (held in odd-numbered years) so planning ahead is recommended. If you're staying downtown, the likelihood that you'll need a car is slim.
Everything’s bigger in Texas, and in Austin they don’t get any bigger than the Fairmont. This towering 1,048-room hotel is a city resort, with six restaurants and bars, an expansive spa, the city’s largest rooftop pool, and exclusive VIP floors that act as a ‘hotel with a hotel’. Basically, it’s all here in the downtown landmark.
Popular with groups, from bachelorette parties to corporate weekenders, this Rainey Street hot spot has become a downtown mainstay since opening in 2015. An early newcomer in the Austin hotel boom, the massive luxury operation offers live music–inspired decor, on-site entertainment, and, of course, direct access to downtown's best bars and venues. Complimentary TREK bikes are available for guests to cruise around downtown, and a 24-hour concierge provides expert recommendations for navigating the city. Weekend crowds are unavoidable, and advance reservations are imperative during annual events like SXSW. The excellent on-site restaurant, Geraldine's, is accessed by a separate elevator on the ground floor.
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.
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.
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.
