The Complete MICHELIN Guide to Austin Hotels

Austin Motel: It’s the kind of affordable, personality-drenched location that ropes in repeat travelers like a cowboy at the rodeo. It’s not fancy, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously — the Austin Motel is just fun. In the courtyard, you’ll find drag shows, live music, shuffleboard, and what is perhaps the best hotel pool of all the hotel pools in South Congress.

Hotel San Jose: Restored from an old motel like the Austin Motel above, the design is now a sophisticated, Texas-meets-Japan minimalism. An institution since 1999, today the new secret garden and patio means a thriving scene all its own. During South by Southwest, the hotel hosts a supplementary festival — South by San Jose — in the parking lot shared with the iconic Jo’s Coffee.

Hotel Magdalena: You’re greeted at reception by a little Willie Nelson doll complete with his trusty side-kick, a doobie. Magdalena replaces what was once a large hotel and an apartment complex owned by Nelson with a concept meant to mimic the funky design touches of a ‘70s Texas lake house. But for us it’s the large outdoor lawn, secluded on a deck above the busy neighborhood, that defines the sun-drenched space.

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Austin Proper: Just steps from Lady Bird Lake, Austin Proper Hotel is a fantastic option for travelers seeking grand hotel amenities — a modern fitness center, wellness classes, plenty of dining options and a spa with a full treatment menu — and a prime location in the heart of Downtown Austin. The Proper hotels are known for their boldly elegant design. Here, it feels particularly sumptuous. The second floor features live music and the rooftop pool is an oasis.

The Line: With floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping views of Lady Bird Lake, the rooms are one of many selling points of The Line in Downtown Austin. From Arlo Grey, the restaurant led by award-winning chef Kristen Kish, to Tex-Mex cuisine at the sister restaurant of Veracruz Fonda & Bar (there will be queso) and more, travelers don’t have to leave the property for an authentic taste of Austin. 

Hotel ZaZa: The meeting spaces at ZaZa are a big draw for the tech crowd, but this Downtown luxury hotel offers so much more. Alongside two restaurants and a zen spa, the hotel has room options catering to every taste. The airy King rooms with balconies and marble soaking tubs are perfect for travelers in search of supreme comfort. ZaZa doesn’t skimp on design either. The concept suites are screaming with personality — like the “Backstage Pass” suites, decked out in animal prints, leather, velvet and plenty of heavy metal memorabilia.

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Commodore Perry: If you don't know Austin, you might take one look at the Commodore Perry Estate and assume it’s far from the city limits. In fact, Hyde Park, while residential, is squarely in Austin proper. The Commodore Perry Estate, however, feels as far from it as it looks. Our Inspectors’ highest-rated hotel in Austin lives up to the hype, a members’ club that welcomes hotel guests to its exclusive grounds and gorgeously restored historic mansion. Also see: Lutie’s, the hotel’s on-site restaurant.

Moxy: The Moxy is a perfect option for anyone visiting the University of Texas. More affordable than The Otis, The Moxy’s neon signs and outdoor board games might appeal more to visiting students and travelers on a budget. Rooms are comfortable, quirky, and decidedly Texas: think word-search shower curtains, southwestern-inspired comforters, and leather accents. Check in at the bar and grab a cold beer, then head right to the giant Jenga set in the backyard.

The Ruby Hotel: On the north side of the Austin metro area is Round Rock, Texas, an Old West town that’s seen its fortunes rise along with Austin’s boom. It’s no longer as sleepy as it was when it was a bedroom community for workers who commuted to the capital, but from within the grounds of the Ruby Hotel it’s as tranquil a place as you could ask for. It’s built on three acres of land on a bluff overlooking the sedate Brushy Creek, surrounded by century-old live oak trees, and while the house that was once the property’s sole occupant still stands — it’s home to the hotel bar — it’s joined by a strikingly modern 39-room boutique hotel.

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Thompson: Just across the street from the Thompson is one of Austin’s most iconic blues venues: Antone’s Nightclub. Through a special partnership, guests can inquire with the hotel concierge to secure complimentary entry, a $100 bar tab, and/or a VIP table held just for hotel guests (based on availability). Another perk from the concierge: complimentary tickets to a live music crawl through the city. That, and suites have their own record players.

Otis: While many guests at The Otis are visiting the nearby University of Texas, this luxe hotel has nothing in common with a dorm. Except in one respect: rooms feature record players and guests can browse the hotel’s extensive library of 1,000-plus vinyl records. A Vinyl Ambassador is on hand to help you peruse the selection.

The Carpenter: You won’t find a hotel closer to the Austin City Limits Music Festival than the Carpenter. Each year during the festival, the hotel creates a few special offerings for guests. In the past, they’ve had a Reverse Happy Hour with food and drink specials post-show, grab-and-go specials at the Carpenter Coffee Bar, and even a food truck by the hotel for pre and post-show meals.

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Lutie's: Its own building on the estate of the best hotel in Austin, the Commodore Perry Estate, the grand space in a green and gold palette overlooks the hotel's stunning patio and gardens. Run by the husband-and-wife team of Chef Bradley Nicholson and pastry chef Susana Querejazu, it is a seasonally inspired, refined approach to Texas heritage cooking, where estate bread is made from a decades-old starter and fermented corn grits and given a good sear -- and tastes even better with their exquisite cultured butter with layers of brown butter.

Maie Day: Tucked inside the South Congress Hotel, a festive, always-hopping spot from Chef Michael Fojtasek of Olamaie. The menu almost reads like a traditional steakhouse, but that belies a cooking both inventive and heartfelt, where everything is shareable and starters include a seafood focus. Meats stray from standard with selections like whiskey-brined pork chop and chicken fried steak with black pepper-dotted white gray.

Garrison: Nestled in the Fairmont Austin, it stands out from the endless offers of one of the city's largest hotels with its large open kitchen and live fire cooking. But while there's plenty of grilling and smoking, the kitchen's dishes shine. A flaky leek tart accompanied by goat cheese and a quenelle of onion and bacon jam is a delicious opener before tucking into the main event — grilled meat, like the Akaushi wagyu ribeye. Expertly seared and lush, it's even better sided by hasselback potatoes with saffron rouille, fine herbs, and Bearnaise sauce.

Fairmont Austin Gold Experience: The Gold Experience is the hotel within a hotel at the massive Fairmont, which makes for a particularly elevated experience with all the resources (and many diverse dining and entertainment options) of the city's largest hotel. Parents will appreciate MICHELIN-selected Garrison, kids might prefer pizza at Revue or queso fries from the pool bar.

Lone Star Court: A half-hour drive from downtown on the premises of the outdoor shopping complex known as the Domain, this restored motor court retains its retro vibe, with guest rooms set around a grassy central yard and swimming pool. Stock your room's refrigerator with kid-friendly snacks and enjoy the outdoor space, either with complimentary bikes or at the series of fire pits and outdoor food trucks on-site.

The Frame Hotel - Treehouse: An adults-only hotel, but its relaxed common areas in the shade of the giant, heritage tree, surrounded by sleek, apartment-like rooms, make it a perennial favorite for grown-up family reunions just off of Austin's famous South Congress strip.

Saint Cecilia: One of Austin’s most essential hotels is tucked just off South Congress Avenue, on a spacious, green estate home to a Victorian mansion from 1888. Lodgings dot the estate, while club members and hotel guests gather in the indoor/outdoor lodge for meals and cocktails. One of Austin's most private hotels is strict about its guest list, all the better to foster a serene, upscale atmosphere.

The Heywood: Cruising through East Austin, it’s easy to miss this tiny, intimate space. Keep an eye out for the charcoal sign outside this pistachio-hued boutique hotel. There’s no food and beverage onsite, just a friendly concierge on the first-floor lobby, seven sunny rooms full of handcrafted furniture and local art, and a charming outdoor terrace. Most rooms feature baths illuminated by gorgeous skylights.

Frame Hotel - SoCo: Tucked away between the taco bars and boot shops of South Congress Avenue, Frame Hotel is a minimalist oasis in one of Austin’s liveliest neighborhoods. There’s no front desk, no elevator, and no pool or restaurant, just a collection of calm, elegant suites set around a lush courtyard garden with a koi pond, fountain and custom-made lounge chairs and café tables. Sliding glass doors open onto each suite’s private wood-lined veranda.

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East Austin: Named for its vibrant and quickly evolving neighborhood, the East Austin Hotel is a microcosm of everything that makes the Texan capital so interesting: classic Americana influenced by modernist design, in both the European and homegrown varieties, and a focus on the good life that’s down-to-earth rather than decadent. Sixth and Waller may be styled like a diner, but its menu is both healthier and more inventive; the two bars are the Upside, a rooftop bar with a Latin/Caribbean vibe, and the Pool Bar, a concept that can be trusted to speak for itself.

Hotel Ella: Set downtown, this opulent Greek Revival-style structure has been reborn after more than a century as an excellently crafted, characterful hotel. The 37 guest rooms are filled with heavy, luxurious materials that harken to the buildings original era, and they're supplemented with a pool, bar, and Goodall's Kitchen restaurant, a charming onsite American bistro with al fresco seating on the building's original porches.

Arrive: For something a little more upscale, the Arrive is Austin's most consistently affordable MICHELIN Key hotel, where rates begin at $190 per night and rarely rise above the mid-200's. Explore the experience at this vibrant East Side hotel with a MICHELIN Guide writer, here.