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Where to stay in Austin

Austin's main areas sit around Lady Bird Lake and Congress Avenue. Stay Downtown for Sixth Street's bars, live music and the State Capitol; on Rainey Street for bungalow bars by the lake; on South Congress for boutique hotels, vintage shops and the classic Capitol view; in East Austin for barbecue, breweries and a local feel; near the University for the UT campus and museums; or at the Domain for shopping and offices in the north. The airport is about 20 minutes' drive from downtown, and most visitors get around on foot, by rideshare or on CapMetro buses.

Find your area, then your hotel

Tap one of our picks, or any area, to see its hotels on the map, what it costs, where we'd book and how long it takes to get around.

In short: our pick for each kind of trip. Tap one to see why.

Should you stay in

Downtown?

Sixth Street, live music & the Capitol

What a night costs

Budget
$215
Mid-range
$285
Luxury
$1,140

4th cheapest of 6 areas, about $110 a night less than South Congress.

Where we'd book

The verdict

The heart of Austin, with the bars of Sixth Street, the live music venues of Red River, the Texas State Capitol and the Congress Avenue Bridge bats.

  • Stay here if
  • First-time visitors
  • Live music fans
  • Business travellers
  • Look elsewhere if
  • You want quiet nights
  • You're on a tight budget
  • You want a neighbourhood feel

Minutes to the sights

  • Sixth Street7 minwalk
  • Congress Avenue Bridge11 minwalk
  • Texas State Capitol13 minwalk
  • Franklin Barbecue13 min
  • South Congress Avenue16 min
  • University of Texas Tower19 min

Stations and airports

5 min to Congress Avenue. CapMetro buses run along Congress Avenue and Guadalupe Street, the MetroRail Red Line stops by the convention centre, and the lake trail is a short walk away.

  • From Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)CapMetro bus 20 from the airport, or a taxi in about 20 minutes35 min
Read the full Downtown guide →

Typical rates for a double outside peak events, not live prices. Updated Oct 2026 · How we rate areas · Minutes planned with the Transitous (MOTIS on published GTFS timetables and OpenStreetMap) for a weekday, including walking and waiting · Booking through our links costs you nothing extra and may earn us a commission. Learn more

Austin questions

What is the best area to stay in Austin for first-timers?

Downtown puts the big sights within easy reach and is 5 minutes from Congress Avenue. South Congress and East Austin are good alternatives.

Which area of Austin has the cheapest hotels?

University & Capitol and East Austin, with budget hotels from around $165 and mid-range around $225–$225 a night.

Where should families stay in Austin?

University & Capitol has the best mix of parks, calm streets and sights for kids. The Domain are good alternatives.

Where is the best nightlife in Austin?

Rainey Street has the most bars, restaurants and late nights. Downtown and South Congress are good alternatives.

Is it worth staying outside central Austin?

It can save around $135 a night on a mid-range room compared with South Congress, but adds travel time. The Domain is 35 minutes from Congress Avenue.