Top Five Cool Places to Lodge in Austin, Texas

This article will not be about four star hotels. It will also not be about budget places to stay when visiting the "Music Capital of the World". This is article is to give you some inside, hometown information about the top five places to stay while you are visiting Austin, and there are some great places to stay to fit anyone's budget.

Starting in order of preference, the Hotel San Jose is located in what has become a very popular and hip part of austin, due to a recent boom in artsy and tasteful restuarants and shops moving into the South Congress area of town,also known as SoCo. At 1316 South Congress the Hotel San Jose has standard room rates starting at $145 per night. The rooms are very modern and decorated with a bit of a IKEA influence and a whisper of Central Mexico. All the rooms are tasteful and unique. There is a small heated pool near the outside hotel bar. The landscaping and gardens of this hotel are unique because all of the plants are Texas natives. The bar is a local favorite as well, due to its romantic atomosphere and central location. Hotel San Jose is directly across the street from The Continental Club, which offers live music every night. This bar is a legend and if you are ever in town on a Tuesday night, do not miss the Toni Price Happy Hour that starts at 7pm. She is Austin's Queen Hippie and she sings the sweetest blues you have ever heard.

Just a hop, skip, and a step away from Hotel San Jose is The Austin Motel . This historic motel has been in Austin for decades and at a cheaper rate than the Hotel San Jose, the Austin Motel has standard single rooms starting around $70 a night. Book them in advance folks, because this hotel is famous with a long list of celebrity clientele due to its charming personality. Every room has a theme and you can check out their website to see pictures of them all. The Austin Motel and the Hotel San Jose are surrounded by galleries, music venues, antique shops, unique salons, and plenty of shopping and places to eat, all within a very short walking distance.

Closer to the downtown area of Austin, there is another historic hotel located at 612 Brazos at the intersection of Austin's famous 6th Street Row. The Driscoll Hotel is a luxury hotel and room rates are in the higher ranges, but they do run special promotions now and then. The high ceilings and unique antique decor are what makes this hotel so special. It is very special place to spend a holiday or celebrate a unique occasion. It is in the heart of downtown and is along Austin's historic 6th street where there are live musicians lining the blocks of bars and restuarants to entertain you while you eat or just enjoy a Margarita. If Margaritas are your thing, the Driscoll bar makes the very best in town. Even if you don't drink alcoholic beverages, the bar is something you must visit to see the real horse saddles as bar stools.

I chose to include the next two hotels because of their excellent location dowtown. At 700 San Jacinto Blvd., the Omni Hotel has average rates and luxury rooms. It is a big fancy hotel and it does not boast any special theme or have anything uniquely Austin about it, but is is smack-dab in the middle of everything that is touristy and fun to do in Austin.

The Hilton, at 500 E. 4th Street, was just born last year, and is also a great downtown locations. It was built next door to the Austin Covention Center(ACC), so it is perfect for visitors that have business to attend to at the ACC. It's everything you can imagine a Hilton would be, and its location is perfect. I have been to the Hilton to visit many friends from out of town and it is really lovely with spectacular views of the city if your room is facing west. If your room is facing east, all you'll see, unfortunately, is Interstate Highway 35. Just something to think about when making your reservation.