Pet and dog friendly hotels in Austin, Texas

How much do pet friendly hotels in Austin charge for a dog?

Among the Austin hotels we list that state a paid pet fee (November 2026), 11 charge $50 to $100 per stay (median $75) and 7 charge $15 to $50 per night (median $25). At those medians, a nightly fee overtakes the per-stay one from the fourth night, so long trips favor per-stay hotels.

Ten hotels state no pet fee. Six are Motel 6 locations, with from-prices of $61 to $88 a night. The other four are priced above the $152.50 median from-price of the 148 hotels we list: The LINE Austin; Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin; The Westin Austin Downtown; and Tommie Austin, JDV by Hyatt.

One hotel states a pet deposit: $75 at Candlewood Suites - Austin Airport by IHG, per IHG's page for the hotel, on top of a $15 nightly fee. A missing fee or deposit on the other hotels does not mean there is none. Pet policies change. Confirm with the hotel when you book.

Which Austin hotels accept large dogs, cats or two pets?

Of the 22 Austin hotels we list that state a weight limit (November 2026), 15 set it at 75 lb or higher and the median is 75 lb. The highest is 79 lb, at Red Roof Inn PLUS Austin South - Airport, so no hotel we list states that it takes a dog over 79 lb.

The tightest limits are 35 lb at Econo Lodge Austin North near The Domain and 40 lb at three downtown Hilton hotels. Per Hilton's pages, those are DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Austin Downtown Capitol, Hampton Inn by Hilton Austin Downtown East Side and Home2 Suites By Hilton Austin Downtown East Side.

Of the 148 Austin hotels we list, 24 state that they accept cats as well as dogs. Two state dogs only, per IHG's pages: Staybridge Suites Austin Airport by IHG and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Austin Airport East by IHG. The other hotels do not state a rule for cats.

Of the 38 hotels we list that state a maximum number of pets per room, 35 allow two or more. The exceptions take one pet: Econo Lodge Austin North near The Domain, Kasa Downtown Austin and Kasa 2nd Street Austin.

Where are the dog parks and off-leash areas in Austin?

The City of Austin's February 2026 off-leash map numbers 30 dog off-leash areas, 29 existing and one, Circle C Metropolitan Park, marked future. Of the 30, 17 are fenced, mostly small bark parks. The large sites below are unfenced. In every off-leash area, dogs must stay within sight and sound control of their handler.

Dogs must wear a leash no longer than six feet entering or leaving an off-leash area, and at fenced sites until fully inside the gates. One handler may have at most three dogs off leash. Dogs not spayed or neutered, or without a current rabies vaccination, may not use these areas.

• Zilker Metro Park: the Great Lawn (46 acres) at 2100 Barton Springs Rd., and Barking Springs (1 acre) at 2105 Andrew Zilker Rd.
• Walnut Creek Metro Park: 185 acres off N Lamar Blvd.
• Emma Long Metro Park: 193 acres, where the Turkey Creek Trail is listed as a shared-use hike and off-leash trail.
• Red Bud Isle: 13 acres on Lady Bird Lake (see the algae warning below).
• Auditorium Shores: 3 acres on W Riverside Dr.
• Onion Creek Greenbelt (107 acres) and Shoal Creek Greenbelt (31 acres).

Is it safe for dogs to swim in Austin's lakes?

Swimming in Austin's lakes is risky for dogs: the City of Austin attributes the deaths of six dogs since 2019 to toxins from blue-green algae, believed to have been swallowed. On October 6, 2026, the city still reported algae at most monitoring sites on Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake, including Red Bud Isle and Festival Beach, though much less than earlier that summer.

Austin Parks and Recreation says toxin-producing algae are most likely in Lady Bird Lake in summer and fall. After any contact with lake or creek water, Austin Watershed Protection advises rinsing the dog's fur before it can lick it.

Leave dogs out of Barton Springs Pool: pets are on the City of Austin's list of items not to bring. In Texas State Parks, pets are not allowed in swimming areas, and at McKinney Falls State Park they must be kept out of the water.

What leash and heat rules apply to dogs in Austin?

Outside Austin's 29 existing off-leash areas, Austin City Code requires dogs to be leashed in public, and leash violations can be fined up to $500 per citation. Tethering a dog within city limits is prohibited unless the owner is present.

Even leashed, dogs other than service animals are barred from city nature preserves, playgrounds, splash pads, pools, athletic fields and sports courts, and from Mayfield Park and Mayfield Preserve.

Per the National Weather Service, the normal high reaches 90°F by May 26 and stays above it until September 23, and the first 100°F day arrives on average on July 9. Austin Animal Services advises limiting exercise on hot days, keeping dogs off hot pavement and never leaving a pet in a car.

At McKinney Falls State Park in Austin and at Pedernales Falls State Park, Texas State Parks rules require a leash no longer than 6 feet and bar pets from park buildings. Travis County parks also require a six-foot leash and bar leaving pets unattended. The county welcomes leashed pets at Milton Reimers Ranch Park but bans them at Hamilton Pool Preserve, and at Hippie Hollow Park even on a leash or in a vehicle.