Austin Staycation Ideas: Your Ultimate Summer Guide
June 27, 2024
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Summer calls for vacation. But you don’t have to book a flight or hit the road to enjoy your time off. Whether you want to unwind or explore, there are plenty of ways to do both without even leaving Austin.
From unique stays to adventurous activities to elevated meals, here’s our guide for putting together the best staycation in Austin this summer.
Stay at a Boutique Hotel
Kick off your Austin staycation at a uniquely local hotel like the Heywood Hotel. Proudly located in East Austin’s Cesar Chavez neighborhood, we’re just blocks from downtown Austin and some of the city’s best barbecue joints, microbreweries, honky-tonks, and craft cocktail lounges. We also have free parking and free bikes to explore Austin on foot or two wheels.
Looking to discover Austin’s hidden gems but not sure where to find them? Our concierge team can help you craft a custom itinerary so you don’t have to do any of the searching or planning.
If you’d rather spend your staycation in relaxation mode, we’ve got you covered. Book one of our seven guest rooms for an intimate, boutique hotel experience complete with locally roasted coffee and ridiculously comfortable beds amidst award-winning architecture.
Or maybe you want to relax by the pool? When you book your stay this summer, you get free passes to Barton Springs Pool or another local pool of your choice.
Celebrate the summer season with a staycation at the Heywood Hotel. Book a great summer rate, plus get free passes to Barton Springs Pool or your choice of more than 30 Austin pools. Book here.
Take a Tour
Staycations are all about being a tourist in your own city. And what better way to do that than by going on a guided tour?
Hop on a sightseeing city bus tour hosted by AO Tours to see Austin’s major landmarks, art installations, and public parks. The tour company offers several different tours varying in duration and routes. All of them take place in sprinter vans (either open or closed), so they’re a more intimate experience than larger bus tours.
If you’re looking for a less traditional tour, Still Austin is a fun option. Austin’s only grain-to-glass distillery offers a glimpse at the process of transforming locally sourced grains into craft bourbon, rye, and gin. Tours are one hour long and end in the tasting room.
Go to Dinner
Your Austin staycation is the perfect opportunity to try a new restaurant or experience one of the many fine dining establishments around town.
If you’re staycation-ing at the Heywood, you can walk across the street to Oseyo. The modern Korean restaurant serves family recipes in a fun, comfortable environment. Dishes are served with homemade banchan (side dishes like kimchi).
We also recommend Juniper, one of the most cosmopolitan restaurants in our neighborhood. With a focus on North Italian cuisine, Juniper serves plates like fried eggplant, cacio e pepe, and roasted sea bass. The interior design with an exposed kitchen is really striking and the atmosphere is lively, making it a fun night out.
If you want to head into downtown, consider going to Comedor. Comedor is an upscale Mexican restaurant in a stunning industrial-themed restaurant space downtown with indoor and patio seating. The menu features a mix of small plates, entrees, and sides, with a highlight being the bone marrow tacos – split bones with marrow topped with hoja santa and pecan gremolata ready for scooping into fresh-made heirloom corn tortillas. After your meal, you can pop over to the nearby cocktail bar, Garage, for a nightcap.
Book a Spa Day
Nothing says staycation better than a relaxing spa day. Viva Day Spa is a local favorite that offers a range of spa treatments such as massages, hydra facials, manicures and pedicures, and couples massages. There are four locations around Austin, with the closest one to the Heywood located on S. Lamar.
Another local spa is milk + honey spa. The spa offers a range of spa, salon, and med spa services depending on how you want to be pampered. The closest location to the Heywood is the one in the Second Street District, so you can go shopping before or after your spa treatment.
If you’re looking for a specialized experience nearby, eleMINT Skin Studio offers customized bespoke facials and is located less than a mile away from the Heywood.
Take a Class
Looking for something interactive? Try taking a fun class. You can expand your skills, meet new people, and, as a bonus, you usually get to take home whatever you create.
The options here are endless, from a cooking class with The Prickly Pear Cooking Classes to a ceramics class at Broad Studios Clubhouse. You can also visit sushi restaurant Uroko for one of their many classes, including Sushi 101, sake tasting, and Japanese floral arranging.
Enjoy Indoor Activities
You can use your summer staycation to get a reprieve from the heat by partaking in one of many fun indoor activities in Austin.
Near the Heywood, you can play a round of mini golf at the indoor golf club Holey Moley. The space features 27 holes inspired by pop culture, and pricing ranges from $14-$36 per person, depending on which day you go and how many holes you want to play. There’s also karaoke and plenty of food and drink.
If you find yourself on Rainey Street, head to Electric Shuffle for high-tech shuffleboard and other bar games, plus food and craft cocktails in a lively environment. For more indoor entertainment, head a little further downtown on West Sixth Street to Bull & Bowl. Think of it as an upscale arcade with games, duckpin bowling, billiards, and — as the name implies — mechanical bull riding.
Get Active
Take advantage of living in a city surrounded by lakes by getting out on the water during your staycation. From paddleboarding to kayaking to swimming, there are plenty of ways to get active and soak up the sun during your summer vacation.
If you want to get your exercise while avoiding the heat, try indoor bouldering. There are a few places to test your climbing skills, including Austin Bouldering Project and Crux Climbing Center.