W Austin

The pool

• 4th-floor WET deck
• Cabanas + tanning shelves
• DJs Memorial Day–Labor Day
• Day passes from $25

Why it's on the list

WET deck is the W's branded pool scene, four floors up above the 2nd Street District — a real deck with cabanas, tanning shelves and a fireplace rather than a token plunge. DJs run Memorial Day to Labor Day; outside that stretch it is a considerably quieter afternoon.

The stay

The W is the music-industry anchor downtown — it shares the Block 21 development with ACL Live at the Moody Theater, the venue where Austin City Limits tapes, so on a show night the commute is an elevator ride. You're in the 2nd Street District behind City Hall, with Lady Bird Lake and its trail just south and downtown's restaurants all around. At $$$$ it's the most expensive way onto an Austin rooftop — worth it if you're timing the trip around a show or want the WET deck scene built in, less so if a quiet room is the priority.