Hotels in Austin

Austin: Live Music Capital on the Colorado River

Austin, the Texas state capital, sits on the Colorado River 165 miles west of Houston. The city has grown from roughly 650,000 residents in 2010 to over 978,000 today, making it one of the fastest-expanding metros in the United States. 6th Street and the Red River Cultural District anchor a live music scene that fills more than 250 venues on any given weekend. The Texas State Capitol, completed in 1888 from sunset-red granite, rises 308 feet and sits at the north end of Congress Avenue, the main corridor connecting downtown to South Congress (SoCo), a stretch lined with vintage shops, food trailers, and mid-century diners.

Where to Stay in Austin

Hotels cluster in three main zones. Downtown/Rainey Street puts guests within walking distance of the Capitol and Lady Bird Lake trails. East Austin, across I-35, offers independent boutique properties amid craft breweries and taqueria rows. The Domain, 10 miles north, is preferred by business travelers visiting tech campuses including Apple's 133-acre regional headquarters that opened in 2022.

Practical Tips

• Getting around: Capital Metro's MetroRail connects Leander to downtown; ride-share covers gaps in the bus network.
• Timing: The Sxsw festival (March) and Austin City Limits Music Festival (October) compress hotel rates sharply — book 3-4 months ahead.
• Airport: Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS) sits 8 miles southeast of downtown; taxi fare averages $25-35.