Where to stay · Austin · United States
Where to stay in Austin
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: LoneStarMike, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Downtown. High-rise hotels, the Capitol, Sixth Street bars and the lakefront. Best alternatives — families: Zilker and Barton Hills; budget: East Austin.
Key facts
- First visit
- Downtown
- Families
- Zilker and Barton Hills
- Budget
- East Austin
- Nightlife
- Downtown
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Downtown | High-rise hotels, the Capitol, Sixth Street bars and the lakefront |
| Families | Zilker and Barton Hills | Parkland, Barton Springs and the greenbelt southwest of downtown |
| Couples | South Congress (SoCo) | Boutiques, food trucks, neon signs and Capitol views along South Congress Avenue |
| Budget | East Austin | Bars, barbecue joints and murals east of Interstate 35 |
| Luxury | Downtown | High-rise hotels, the Capitol, Sixth Street bars and the lakefront |
| Nightlife | Downtown | High-rise hotels, the Capitol, Sixth Street bars and the lakefront |
| Food lovers | South Congress (SoCo) | Boutiques, food trucks, neon signs and Capitol views along South Congress Avenue |
| Solo travellers | East Austin | Bars, barbecue joints and murals east of Interstate 35 |
| Shopping | South Congress (SoCo) | Boutiques, food trucks, neon signs and Capitol views along South Congress Avenue |
| Quiet stays | Zilker and Barton Hills | Parkland, Barton Springs and the greenbelt southwest of downtown |
Austin neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife and luxury
Downtown
Downtown runs from the State Capitol down Congress Avenue to Lady Bird Lake, with most of the large hotels, the Sixth Street and Red River music districts and the Warehouse District's cocktail bars. The Congress Avenue Bridge bat colony and the lake trail are at its southern edge.
- Good
- Walk to music venues and the Capitol; Lake trail on the doorstep; Wide choice of hotels
- Watch out
- Hotel prices soar during SXSW, ACL and the Grand Prix; Sixth Street is loud and rowdy on weekends
- Nearby
- Texas State Capitol, Sixth Street, Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, Lady Bird Lake
$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, shopping and food lovers
South Congress (SoCo)
South of the river, South Congress Avenue is lined with boutiques, vintage and Western-wear shops, restaurants, food trucks and the Continental Club music venue, with a straight view back up to the Capitol dome. Travis Heights and Bouldin Creek on either side are leafy residential streets with small hotels and rentals.
- Good
- Walkable strip of shops and restaurants; Boutique hotels; Short walk or ride to downtown
- Watch out
- Expensive boutique hotels; Busy and hard to park at weekends
- Nearby
- Continental Club, Bouldin Creek, Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park
$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, solo travellers and budget
East Austin
East Austin, historically home to the city's Black and Mexican-American communities, has become a hub of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and barbecue joints along East Sixth Street, East Cesar Chavez and East 11th Street. Franklin Barbecue is on its western edge, and gentrification has changed the area rapidly.
- Good
- Some of the city's best bars and food; More local feel than downtown; Close to downtown
- Watch out
- Mostly rentals and a few boutique hotels; Noisy around East Sixth on weekends
- Nearby
- Franklin Barbecue, East Sixth Street, Plaza Saltillo, Rainey Street
$$$ · Best for nightlife and solo travellers
Rainey Street
Rainey Street, at the southeast corner of downtown, is a short street of early-20th-century bungalows converted into bars with big yards and food trucks, now surrounded by tall hotel and condo towers. It is one of the main going-out spots and a short walk from the lake trail and the convention centre.
- Good
- Bars within a few steps of your hotel; Next to the lake trail; Walkable to downtown
- Watch out
- Very loud on weekends; High-rise hotel prices
- Nearby
- Lady Bird Lake, Austin Convention Center, Mexic-Arte Museum
$$$ · Best for families, quiet stays and couples
Zilker and Barton Hills
Zilker is the green, outdoorsy side of Austin, around Zilker Park, Barton Springs Pool and the Barton Creek Greenbelt trails. It hosts the Austin City Limits Music Festival and the Trail of Lights, and South Lamar Boulevard nearby has restaurants and the Broken Spoke dance hall.
- Good
- Swimming and trails on the doorstep; Residential and calm; Short ride to downtown
- Watch out
- Few hotels; mostly rentals; Very crowded during ACL weekends
- Nearby
- Zilker Park, Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Botanical Garden, Umlauf Sculpture Garden
$$ · Best for culture, budget and quiet stays
Hyde Park and the University
North of downtown, the University of Texas campus holds the Blanton Museum of Art, the Harry Ransom Center and the LBJ Presidential Library. Hyde Park beyond it is a quiet historic neighbourhood of early-20th-century houses with cafés and the Elisabet Ney Museum.
- Good
- Walk to the main museums; Quieter and cheaper than downtown; Frequent buses
- Watch out
- Student-oriented around Guadalupe Street; Little nightlife beyond student bars
- Nearby
- Blanton Museum of Art, Harry Ransom Center, LBJ Presidential Library, Bullock Texas State History Museum
$$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and luxury
Clarksville and Old West Austin
Clarksville was founded in 1871 by a formerly enslaved man as a freedmen's community and is now an upscale, tree-shaded neighbourhood west of downtown. West Sixth and West Lynn have small restaurants and shops, and Deep Eddy Pool and the lake trail are close.
- Good
- Quiet and walkable; Close to downtown and the lake; Good neighbourhood restaurants
- Watch out
- Few hotels; Expensive rentals
- Nearby
- Deep Eddy Pool, Lady Bird Lake, Mount Bonnell
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown | $$$ | Texas State Capitol, Sixth Street, Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, Lady Bird Lake |
| South Congress (SoCo) | $$$ | Continental Club, Bouldin Creek, Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park |
| East Austin | $$ | Franklin Barbecue, East Sixth Street, Plaza Saltillo, Rainey Street |
| Rainey Street | $$$ | Lady Bird Lake, Austin Convention Center, Mexic-Arte Museum |
| Zilker and Barton Hills | $$$ | Zilker Park, Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Botanical Garden, Umlauf Sculpture Garden |
| Hyde Park and the University | $$ | Blanton Museum of Art, Harry Ransom Center, LBJ Presidential Library, Bullock Texas State History Museum |
| Clarksville and Old West Austin | $$$$ | Deep Eddy Pool, Lady Bird Lake, Mount Bonnell |
Getting to your hotel
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is about 12 km southeast of downtown. A taxi or rideshare takes about 15–25 minutes, and a CapMetro bus route connects the terminal with downtown.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Austin for first-time visitors?
Downtown. Downtown runs from the State Capitol down Congress Avenue to Lady Bird Lake, with most of the large hotels, the Sixth Street and Red River music districts and the Warehouse District's cocktail bars.
+Where should families stay in Austin?
Zilker and Barton Hills: Swimming and trails on the doorstep.
+Which area of Austin is best for a budget stay?
East Austin ($$): Bars, barbecue joints and murals east of Interstate 35.