Best Airbnbs in Austin, Texas
We all know that everything in Texas is bigger. And the selection of house rentals on Airbnb and VRBO is no exception. That’s why I compiled a list of the best Airbnbs in Austin.
When I first started to look at rentals for our Spring Break trip, I didn’t know exactly where I wanted to stay. I just knew that I wanted it to be on water–whether that meant a lake or a river made no difference to me. There’s so many things to do in Austin with kids, so I knew we wouldn’t be bored.
I spent a lot of time looking at Austin resorts for families, but I eventually decided that I wanted to to stay in a house rental, at least for a portion of the trip. We started off in an awesome Airbnb right on the river and then spent some time at one of the best family resorts in Austin: the JW Marriott Resort in San Antonio.
I have a family of 5, however I was looking at houses that could fit 10 because I really wanted to have another family join us. The house I originally found and booked fit 10, but that one eventually fell through–the lake in the backyard was basically drained due to dam damage, so I decided to switch houses.
Luckily I still had all my notes about the best Airbnbs in Austin, so I went back to the drawing board. By this time, we knew it was just going to be our family, so the house we ended up booking only fit a maximum of 6.
When I searched for the best Airbnbs in Austin, there was certain criteria I was looking for. Water in the backyard was a must. A dock or ledge that we could jump into the water from was also high on my list (which meant the water needed to be somewhat deep). A fire pit was a must-have, and a jacuzzi was on the nice-to-have list.
Many houses offered access to water toys, like rafts, kayaks, lily pads, but others required you to pay extra to use such things. Having these available was high on my list, and having them for free made the house even more desirable. Of course the niceness of the actual house was important too. Some houses had great yards, but were only so-so on the inside, so I would note that. I would also read the reviews to help learn more about what I could expect.
My list of Austin house rental options included the price for the 4 nights I was looking for, plus a brief overview of the amenities. After I had all of that listed out, I gave the houses a score (I know, I know–I nerd out of this kind of thing though, and now it can benefit you too). Then I listed out the top 10 highest scores, which was actually the top 15 because of tied scores. That’s how I came up with this list of the best Airbnbs in Austin.
Because we were visiting Texas in March, the weather would just be starting to warm up. I started looking into lake temperatures vs river temperatures and decided that the lakes would probably still be pretty chilly. Many of the rivers are spring-fed and stay 80 degrees year round. So that helped me narrow down my list even more. I sent the top choices over to my husband, and he helped me to pick the winner.
As I mentioned before, the first house we booked ended up not working out. I’ve still included it on my list though, because the dam would likely be repaired by now, restoring the water levels behind the house. Please do your part in conducting research and reaching out to the owner for verification if you have concerns.
Note: I have only stayed at one of these houses. I am just sharing the notes I have for the research I did, but I cannot vouch beyond that. Please check the links and take your own look at the reviews, price, information, etc. I am in no way affiliated with any of these houses, aside from studying their Airbnb or VRBO listings. I did take a look at the reviews, but they are not from my personal experience.
Best Airbnbs in Austin (or near there)
San Marcos River House (The house we did stay in)
*Note, this house is currently not accepting reservations in 2025. Will hopefully return by 2026.
3. Edgewater Escape – 4-Bedroom House
4. Shade Tree Cottage – Lakefront With Views & Boat Dock
7. Haus on The Rapids – Comal Riverfront
9. Newly Updated: Open Water: 2-level dock
10. Fika on the Guadalupe – One of the best Airbnbs in Austin
11. Spacious Lake Placid House
12. Tranquil Family Friendly Lake House on LBJ
13. Lake Placid Waterfront House
15. Whippoorwill Hill – Quiet Guadalupe Riverfront
Read more about our experience in the San Marcos House here. And if you’re looking for more information about other parts of Texas, check out our time in San Antonio at one of the best family resorts in San Antonio, along with these awesome family resorts in Dallas
Note: Links on this page may earn me commission if used to make purchases. This doesn’t cost you a penny extra, and it helps to keep my website up and running for free.
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Jaime
Thanks for reading my post. My name is Jaime and I am a mom to three busy children. When we're not at the soccer and football fields, we try to get away as often as possible. I'm a teacher and my husband is a firefighter, so we mostly get away for long weekends or over the school breaks. I hope to inspire busy families to take time to recoup and relax while making memories on camping trips or cruise ships, or at the fancy resort pool--we love it all! Follow me on Instagram for real-time inspiration.
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