9 Best Hotels in Greater Austin, Austin

This Domain outpost provides basic, Euro-chic accommodations that placate the sensibility of the hotel's up-and-coming urban guests, especially within this retail-obsessed district. Rooms are stylish and functional, without straying too much in the luxury direction. The first-floor bar is hip and lively, with indoor and outdoor lounge spaces, multiple flat-panel TVs, pool tables, and a cozy fireplace. Ongoing construction (more hotels) within the continually expanding Domain can mean restricted self-parking space, but guests can enjoy free valet. There’s a shallow outdoor pool (more suitable for social hour than laps), and bars and cafés are within walking distance. 

Convenience is the specialty of the only hotel on the grounds of Austin–Bergstrom International Airport. The doughnut-shape building, originally built in the 1960s as a U.S. Air Force base, features a central atrium, with a dome soaring above three balconied floors and limestone pillars surrounding a lounge area. Rooms overlook either the atrium or the outdoor pool. A 24-hour business center near the front desk allows guests to print airline boarding passes before checkout. Free shuttles run to and from airport terminals and an Airport Flyer bus services downtown.

Business and some short-term leisure travelers patronize this five-story hotel in suburban, shopaholic northwest Austin. Set just off I–35’s access road, the hotel is surprisingly quiet, with ample parking. Rooms are clean and contemporary and have mini-refrigerators, microwaves, and coffeemakers. Hearty breakfasts, with made-to-order omelets, are served in the lobby lounge and on the outdoor patio. A full bar is popular most nights, and dinner service draws mixed reviews. The Domain shopping center (featuring fabulous dining options) is a short drive away.

One of Austin's most exclusive escapes, this Hill Country resort and spa is located 30 minutes from town, on a prime stretch of Lake Austin shoreline. The expansive property’s stretch of cottage-style guest rooms overlook verdant lawns and calm lake waters. A range of daily fitness and wellness programs, including yoga on the docks, culinary classes, and hydro-bike rides on the lake, are included in package rates. Signature services at the award-winning spa are extra, but well worth the splurge. The on-site Aster Café features healthy, yet flavorful, gourmet fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Rooms epitomize rustic elegance, with every imaginable comfort and amenity.

This lakeside resort getaway is centered on water in every way: nestled right on the shores of Lake Travis (about a 45-minute drive west of downtown), it boasts lake views, three pools, a swim-up bar, Jacuzzis, waterslides, and a terrific spa that features water-centric signature treatments like the Texas River Rock massage. 

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, like sliding barn doors to the bathroom. An on-site food truck offers an all-day menu, and the Watering Trough bar and café provides a free daily breakfast, dinner service, and live music throughout the week.

The enormous, skylighted lobby and atrium of this hotel—connected to the Arboretum shopping center—is a cavernous gathering place, befit for the conventioneer clientele. Rooms are modern, with most opening onto the atrium. Exterior-facing rooms on upper floors are quieter, with views of the surrounding 95-acre parkland and downtown in the distance. A patio bar, the Knotty Deck, features bites like brisket-stuffed jalapeños, local beers, and signature cocktails like lavender lemon drops. You can’t get any closer to the Arboretum’s flagship and specialty shops—and the Domain is a short drive away.

Another chain hotel in the Domain shopping district, the Westin 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.

On a hilltop ridge amidst the Balcones Canyonlands nature preserve, just 30 minutes from Austin, Travaasa delivers a refreshing spin on a luxury resort, inspired by its Hill Country setting. Daily itineraries of “adventures” engage guests with their surroundings, from Zen garden meditations and ropes courses to horseback riding and campfire stargazing. Do everything—or simply disconnect at the infinity pool and recently renovated organic spa, which debuted additional lounge areas and private steam rooms in 2014. As of this writing, a Watsu pool for specialized aquatic therapies is under construction. The Preserve Kitchen & Bar offers seasonal, farm-to-table cuisine in a romantic setting. Rooms are arranged in varying sizes, some with charming treeline views. The adults-only property is ideal for romantic getaways and executive retreats alike. À la carte and all-inclusive packages available.