Downtown Austin
Hotels, Venues and Offsite Activities in Downtown Austin
Downtown Austin comes alive just as much during the weekdays as it does on the weekends. With top-rated hotels and venues, award-winning restaurants and an array of live music venues, this area of town is sure to keep conference attendees entertained before, during and after their meetings.
Hotels
Choosing a hotel in Downtown Austin is easy. As Austin’s largest hotel, Fairmont Austin regularly exceeds guest expectations. The hotel offers a variety of amenities including the Fairmont Austin Spa, six distinct dining outlets and direct access to the Austin Convention Center. The JW Marriott Austin brings an upscale hotel experience to meetings and conventions. The hotel boasts three restaurants and the Spa by JW just two blocks from the Austin Convention Center. Austin Marriott Downtown offers a similar upscale experience, with a more intimate footprint. This hotel features spectacular views of the city, four onsite restaurants and a convenient location right next door to the Austin Convention Center.
Hilton Austin is connected to the Austin Convention Center and welcomes guests with first-class customer service and expert assistance as you plan your next meeting. W Austin often partners with neighboring ACL Live at the Moody Theater to host large events in the iconic music venue. Just on the other side of the river you’ll find Hyatt Regency Austin situated along the shore of Lady Bird Lake, only steps away from Palmer Events Center.
Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden. Credit Michelle Williams.
Venues
Find venues as unique as the events they host in Downtown Austin. ACL Live at The Moody Theater is a state-of-the-art live music, performance, and private event venue that also serves as the home of Austin City Limits, the longest-running music series in American television history. Brazos Hall is a two-story venue that serves as a blank slate for events of all kinds. Restored 100-year-old pine floors, exposed steel beams, and round-top windows make for a timeless and chic atmosphere. Sister venue 800 Congress is an industrial, urban warehouse-style venue with a covered street-level terrace. On Rainey Street, Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden offers Texas country vibes in an urban setting. The rustic venue has seating inside or on a tree-shaded beer garden with picnic tables, strings of lights and a live music stage.
Home to Austin’s deep blues and soul roots, Antone’s is a historic venue located just off Sixth Street. At multi-level Speakeasy, attendees can spread out across three floors of customizable venue space including a rooftop deck. Just across the river, Palmer Events Center serves as Austin’s second largest convention facility in the city with 131,000 square feet of meeting space and 70,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space.
Attractions
Downtown Austin is situated along the banks of Lady Bird Lake, with easy access to the city’s 10-mile Butler Hike and Bike Trail. Take the team offsite to the Waller Creek Boathouse and end the day with a guided paddle tour on the water. Capital Factory is an entrepreneurial think-tank, where Austin’s intellectual capital shines. The venue can be booked for offsite meetings, with classrooms, coworking space, “zoom rooms” and more. Don’t forget to stop by the Austin Visitor Center, where visitors can hop on tours, shop goods from local makers or get curated recommendations of things to do by local experts.
Mohawk. Credit to Chad Wadsworth.
Things to Do
There’s no shortage of things to do in Downtown Austin. As the Live Music Capital of the World®, Austin has venues with live music seven nights a week. Local favorites like multi-level Mohawk, legendary Maggie Mae’s, spacious Empire Control Room & Garage and the new Moody Center all double as rocking live music venues and rentable event space. On West Sixth Street, bars like Buford’s and The Belmont will show you what nightlife in Austin is all about. Skybox on 6th, Mayfair and Bull & Bowl are three separate venues that share a building, depending on your vibe. Rainey Street was made for bar-hopping, starting at Electric Shuffle for high-tech shuffleboard, great music and yummy drinks.
It’s no surprise that downtown plays host to a variety of restaurants from upscale eateries to local icons. Try slow-smoked Texas barbecue at Lamberts or Stubb’s or find a little something for everyone at the Fareground food hall. Micheladas and Polvos have amazing Tex-Mex, while ATX Cocina and La Condesa showcase elevated regional Mexican food in modern digs.
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