2 Best Hotels in East Austin, Austin

The East Austin Hotel provides another incredible access point to the burgeoning East Sixth Street district, teeming with delicious local restaurants, hip boutiques, and live music venues. Some of the 75 rooms have shared bathrooms for budget travelers, while others provide private, well-appointed rooms overlook the pool. The pool area hosts live music and parties on select weekends. The on-site restaurant, along with the rooftop and poolside bars, offers diverse menus throughout the day.

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 Rooms come with clean, hardwood floors, but the furniture is outdated and the beds fairly shabby, but for these prices it's hard to complain.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.