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Best Kid-Friendly Hotels and Resorts in Austin

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Best Kid-Friendly Hotels and Resorts in Austin


Looking for the perfect place to stay in Austin with the whole family? Whether you’re planning a fun-filled adventure exploring the attractions in the state’s capital or a relaxing getaway, finding a kid-friendly hotel or resort is key to a good trip. These Austin hotels and resorts have kid-friendly amenities and good locations, so your family can have a blast while visiting all the Best Things To Do in Austin. 

For more to do near Austin, check out our Texas Hill Country with Kids guide.

 
The pool at the Sonesta Bee Cave. Photo by author Sarah Banks

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1. Sonesta Bee Cave $$ – West Austin

Sonesta Bee Cave is a fantastic, kid-friendly spot in the scenic Bee Cave area on the west side of Austin. Its refreshing outdoor pool is ideal for keeping everyone happy, with two shallow areas perfect for little kids. Plus, you’re next door to the Hill Country Galleria, with groceries, dining, and shopping just a short walk away. Austin Zoo, one of the Best Texas Zoos, and Lake Travis, a favorite of the Texas Swimming Lakes, are also in the nearby area. The hotel’s Buzz Around Bee Cave package includes discounts for Lake Travis ziplines and boat hire.

2. Hotel Van Zandt $$$ – Downtown – Zilker Park

Hotel Van Zandt combines cool, contemporary vibes with family-friendly perks like a rooftop pool – ideal for mini mermaids and pirates. Located near Zilker Park, you can easily swap the hotel pool for Barton Springs Pool if you’re feeling adventurous – one of the Best Hill Country Swimming Holes to Keep Kids Cool this Summer. 

3. Carpenter Hotel $$ – Downtown – Zilker Park

The Carpenter Hotel is another place to stay with easy access to the miniature train and kayaking opportunities in the beautiful Zilker Park. This hotel echoes the cool vibe of Austin with its 1970s-style décor. The Carpenter also has a pool to dip in when the Texas weather gets hot.

Hotels in Austin

The Driskill in downtown Austin.

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4. The Driskill $$$ – Downtown – Congress Avenue

This 100-year-old hotel is renowned for its history, so it’s a beautiful place to rest your head after exploring. This is our only recommendation without a pool, but the grand lobby is so stunning you’ll need a family photo session to capture the attractive setting.

5. Austin Marriott $$$ – Downtown – Congress Avenue

Austin Marriott Downtown is a great choice for families, with a rooftop pool where the kids can cool off. The location means you’re close to attractions like the Thinkery, so your little explorers can get their interactive science fix.

Hotels in Austin

Austin Motel offers access to downtown at a discounted price.

6. Austin Motel $$ – Congress Avenue

This retro motel on the south side of the river has a kidney-shaped pool and offers discounts for Texas residents bookings made more than 14 days in advance. If you want to save some money on your trip to Austin, check out our Fun Budget Weekend Getaways for Houston Families to learn more about free activities in Austin to keep costs down.

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7. Kalahari Resorts & Conventions $$$ – Round Rock

Home to one of The Best Indoor Waterparks in Texas, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions is the ultimate vacation playground. From wave pools to lazy rivers, your family will have so much fun splashing around. The resort is 20 miles north of Austin, so you can drop into the city on your stay. Day passes are also available to experience the waterpark while staying downtown.

8. JW Marriott Austin $$$ – Downtown – Lady Bird Lake

JW Marriott Austin offers luxury and family-friendly fun with a rooftop pool. Located close to Lady Bird Lake, its location makes combining city sights with outdoor activities easy. Lady Bird Lake is a great place to watch Austin’s famous bats fly out at sunset.

9. Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa $$$ – West Austin

Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa is a sprawling retreat west of Austin, where kids can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools (heated in the winter). With beautiful Hill Country views, it’s a great spot for relaxing as part of your trip to Austin.

10. The Westin Austin at The Domain $$ – North Austin

The Westin at The Domain is another option for families who enjoy shopping and dining nearby. With pet-friendly rooms and an outdoor pool, it’s a great choice for both the kids and the family pooch. The Domain area includes the Museum of Ice Cream, allowing you to learn, have fun, and enjoy cooling treats at the same time.

All photos courtesy of Visit Austin, unless otherwise noted.

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Austin, TX

Austin, TX venue Emo’s on the move again, AEG to take over the building

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Austin, TX venue Emo’s on the move again, AEG to take over the building


Emo’s in Austin is on the move again. 

After more than a decade at 2015 E. Riverside Drive (following the original Red River-era venue closing in 2011), Emo’s current Riverside space will be taken over by AEG Presents when the lease ends later this year. The Los Angeles, CA-based company will assume operations in January 2027 and plans to reopen the building under a new name in early 2027 following upgrades, renovations and a full rebrand.

AEG are also opening a new 4,000-cap venue nearby next spring as part of the River Park mixed-use development in southeast Austin.

C3 Presents, who reopened Emo’s at the Riverside location, say this isn’t the end of Emo’s — they’re working on a new home and plan to move the venue back to downtown Austin, with more updates to come.

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AEG Presents Vice President Robin Phillips shared the following:

There’s like no weirdness or any bad blood or anything. It just, you know, new lease and they’ll [Emo’s] go do something great. They have been important to the Austin music scene, so I have a lot of respect for them.

But I don’t think the Austin music scene or legacy is limited to one name. I know people will remember the original Emo’s and this Emo’s as, you know, both great venues… And I don’t think Austin’s music scene is just a name, it’s the artists, in my opinion.

 

A C3 spokesperson added:

Emo’s has a long history in Austin and we’ve been working behind the scenes for some time on a new home for this venue. After we wrap up at this venue in December, we will focus our efforts on our new location.

 

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Emo’s gave the following statement to Austin local news KXAN:

We’re grateful for all of the fans and artists who’ve shaped Emo’s to what it is today: a community of like-minded people who love live music. We have a vision for our future and will be moving into a new building downtown that celebrates our punk rock roots with the new amenities that fans are looking for from a venue. We’ll continue to share updates on the next chapter for Emo’s on social media.





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Austin, TX

Highly pathogenic virus found in herd of Texas dairy cows

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Highly pathogenic virus found in herd of Texas dairy cows


State and federal agriculture officials said highly pathogenic avian flu has been found in a herd of dairy cows in Texas.

What we know:

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Officials said the H5N1 virus was confirmed with laboratory tests in late May after cows at an unspecified farm became sick and milk production dropped. The dairy has since been quarantined and an investigation is underway.

This is the first case of avian flu in a Texas dairy herd this year, officials said.

What they’re saying:

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“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is confident that pasteurization is effective at inactivating H5N1, and that the commercial, pasteurized milk supply is safe,” officials at the Texas Animal Health Commission said in a statement.

A dairy cow is seen at a farm on June 1, 2026.

A dairy cow is seen at a farm on June 1, 2026. (Tim Evans/Bloomberg / Getty Images)

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Dig deeper:

H5N1 has a high rate of severe disease and death in animals that become infected.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk to the general public from avian flu is low. Some sporadic human infections have been reported around the world since 1997. There have been no known cases of person-to-person spreading of avian flu.

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The Source: Information in this story came from the Texas Animal Health Commission, the USDA, the FDA and the CDC.

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Austin, TX

New Texas law tightens rules for autonomous vehicle companies, including Waymo

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New Texas law tightens rules for autonomous vehicle companies, including Waymo


Self-driving cars have become a common sight on Austin streets, but a new Texas law is adding tougher requirements for the companies behind the wheelless vehicles.

Senate Bill 2807 imposes stricter rules on autonomous vehicle companies operating in the state, including state authorization, emergency response plans for law enforcement, and a public portal where residents can verify operators and file safety complaints.

The changes come as Austin continues to track incidents involving autonomous vehicles. The city’s autonomous vehicle dashboard shows 75 incidents in 2026, including a collision, eight near misses, and seven incidents of ignoring police direction.

Attorney Drew Gibbs, a partner at Slingshot Law, said one crash involved a Waymo vehicle.

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“There was a T-bone collision. A pretty serious T-bone collision where a Waymo just crashed into the side of my client’s vehicle,” Gibbs said.

ALSO| Waymo files voluntary software recall over flooded-lane risks on high-speed roads

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One of the incidents of ignoring police direction happened during the mass shooting on West Sixth Street back in March, when three people died, and 15 others were injured.

Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock said autonomous vehicles can struggle in unusual situations.

“It didn’t impede on anything in the moment, but it’s not necessarily uncommon where these vehicles don’t quite know how to deal with these one-off scenarios,” Bullock said.

The new law requires autonomous vehicle companies to be authorized by the state, to provide an emergency response plan for law enforcement, and to participate in a public-facing portal that allows the public to verify operators and submit safety complaints.

Kara Kockelman, a professor of transportation and engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, welcomed the added oversight.

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“I’m glad that the state is taking this a bit more seriously now,” she said. “It’s important not to just let others slip in without kind of meeting those basic minimums.”

Bullock said the emergency planning requirement may not make a major difference in fast-moving situations. Asked how impactful it is to have a fully laid out emergency response plan, Bullock said, “These plans are great, but it takes time to work through all of those versus the immediacy of having someone behind the wheel.”

The four autonomous vehicle companies operating in Austin — Waymo, Zoox, AV-Ride, and Tesla — are all state-authorized.

The Texas DMV said an autonomous vehicle company can lose its authorization to operate in Texas if the agency deems the vehicles are operating in a way that endangers public safety.

Waymo was contacted for comment, but had not responded.

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