Firehouse Hostel

Visiting Austin on the cheap these days is a challenge, but one way to significantly decrease the damage of a weekend trip is to score one of the few rooms at the Firehouse Hostel. It isn’t the Four Seasons, but the oldest-standing fire station in Austin has been transformed into a cozy respite for budget travelers just feet from the fray of Dirty 6th Street. Standard and deluxe dorm offerings are great for large groups, but for those who’ve outgrown the charms of sleeping in the bunk beds they also offer a pair of more conventional suites with private baths. Bonus points for a cocktail lounge that you enter through a secret sliding false bookshelf.