The 14 Best SXSW Hotels in Austin, Texas

Trying to make sure SXSW doesn’t break your budget? Hampton Inn is less expensive than some other options on this list – and maybe less glamorous – but if location factors into your SXSW game plan, you won’t find many better deals. It’s one block from the epicenter of SXSW action, Austin Convention Center, and less than a five-minute walk from most other venues. The hotel has fitness facilities and a rooftop pool. Next door you can eat like a Parisian at Le Café Crêpe, a cafe run by a French brother and sister.

Situated in Downtown Austin on the shores of Lady Bird Lake, also known as Town Lake, the Holiday Inn offers lakefront views, a rooftop pool and full-service dining at its Boathouse Bar & Grill. It’s less than a 10-minute walk from the nightlife and dining on Rainey Street, but the hotel is also ideal for SXSW visitors who are keen to explore the city’s leisurely side, with its easy access to local hiking and biking trails and to the lake for those urban fishing fans.

Located just one block from Austin’s world-famous Sixth Street, this hotel combines Texas hospitality with luxuries that cater to the monied millennial and to SXSW-goers looking to see and be seen. Perhaps the star attraction of the hotel is its rooftop pool bar, Azul Rooftop, said to be the highest in Austin. It offers excellent views and an unmatched social scene.

Luxurious and well-positioned for the SXSW crowd, the Hilton is adjacent to Austin Convention Center and one block away from Sixth Street. It has a full-service spa and fitness center, a lap pool and a rooftop whirlpool and sun deck, and offers unparalleled views of the capital and Lady Bird Lake. The hotel is pet-friendly for those who can’t bear to leave their fur-kids at home and offers several dining options including Tex Fresh fare at Cannon & Belle and tacos and craft beer at Austin Taco Project.

Built in 1924 as the city’s first high-rise hotel on Congress Avenue, the InterContinental Stephen F Austin offers visitors luxurious accommodation at the heart of the city. Beyond its opulent art deco facade, marble floors and burnished wood abound. You’ll find plush robes, expensive toiletries and custom furniture in your room, and an incomparable view of the Capitol building from Stephen F’s Bar & Terrace.

Completed in 1886, The Driskill is the oldest operating hotel in Austin. It was here that President Lyndon B Johnson took his future wife, Lady Bird, on their first date, and Concrete Blonde’s hit Ghost of a Texas Ladies’ Man recounts an encounter that rock legend Annie Lennox is reputed to have had with one of the three ghosts that haunt the property. If you like adventure mixed with Texas-style luxury, this venue is for you.

If you’re looking to indulge during your SXSW stay, The Four Seasons is the place to do it, and is also the most likely place to run into an artist or two during your stay. Overlooking Lady Bird Lake, the hotel offers pristine views of the cityscape, lakeside dining and a saltwater pool (for guests not content to slum it in chlorinated water). The hotel’s restaurant, Ciclo, is a modern Texas kitchen created in collaboration with the world-renowned chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval.

What better way to experience SXSW fully than by staying in a musically furnished hotel? Set in the heart of Rainey Street near Downtown Austin, Hotel Van Zandt celebrates the Live Music Capital of the World from the moment you walk in, with chandeliers made from horns and a record player in the lobby. The hotel regularly has live music at Geraldine’s, one of its in-house restaurants, not to mention some of the best margaritas in town to enjoy on their rooftop deck.

Conveniently located in the heart of south Austin, the Springhill Suites delivers quality service well above its price tag. This three-star hotel boasts a modern, fresh design, large rooms, a 24-hour gym and wellness facilities with an indoor pool. It’s also worth noting that the Springhill Suites is only a short drive from Austin-Bergstrom Airport, so you’ll have more time to explore the city at the beginning and end of your trip. The hotel also offers an affordable regular shuttle into Downtown Austin.

This retro motor inn is famed for its funky retro rooms, kidney-shaped swimming pool and suggestive neon sign. Its prime location gives guests a great opportunity to explore Austin’s bars, live music and quirky shopping on the buzzy South Congress Avenue. The famous pool is at the heart of the action, while Joann’s Fine Foods, a diner specializing in home-made Tex-Mex, is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Many of Austin’s best bars and music venues (including the legendary Continental Club) are an easy walk away, as is the city’s downtown area – just a short stroll across the famous bat bridge.