Best Places to Stay in Clearwater Beach, Florida
Clearwater Beach is one of Florida’s most popular beach destinations. And for good reason! With crystal-clear water, restaurants, and plenty to do, it’s easy to see why so many people love visiting (and then coming back again and again!)
We are locals to the area and we love a good staycation, so we’ve stayed in Clearwater Beach more times than I can count.
Today, I’ve rounded up the best hotels in Clearwater Beach to help you plan the best fit for your vacation.
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Here are the best places to stay in Clearwater Beach:
Opal Sands Resort
The Opal Sands Resort offers upscale, modern accommodations with direct views of the Gulf. There is an oceanfront pool, an on-site spa, and dining. All of the guest rooms come with a private balcony.
It’s perfect for couples and travelers wanting a more high-end experience.
I’d describe the Opal Sands as being right outside the hustle and bustle for a bit more relaxation. You can still walk to everything, it’s just a little bit farther than some of the other hotels.
Photo: Hotels.com
Sandpearl Resort
The Sandpearl Resort is a perfect place for couples or groups looking for luxury. It’s a newer hotel on Clearwater Beach and is a bit more expensive than the other options on this list, but it is very nice with newer and modern amenities.
The lagoon style pool is beachfront. You have private beach access and there is a spa and fine dining on site. They also have sunset fires on the beach.
The resort is located a bit more north on the island. This makes it more secluded and quiet yet within easy reach to Pier 60.
If you’re not familiar, Pier 60 is one of the best things to do in Clearwater Beach. Technically, it is closed now because of the Hurricanes Milton and Helene but the general area of Pier 60 is where most of the action is (beach volleyball, water sports, restaurants, and so much more).
The only parking available is valet.
Book the Sandpearl Resort here
Photo credit: Hotels.com
Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa
If you know me, then you know I love staying at Hyatt hotels because they usually have the best value when using points to travel. Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach is no exception. Because of the points we can accrue for stays at Hyatts, this is the hotel we’ve stayed at the most.
It has a great location with just a short walk to the pier, restaurants, boat rentals, and more. The hotel itself has a rooftop pool (and a pool bar!), a kids club, fitness center, a spa, and on site restaurants (including a coffee shop).
The pool area itself is very cool because there is a restaurant/bar and incredible views of the Gulf. However, the pool itself isn’t that big compared to the size of the hotel and the pool deck area can get crowded.
It is on the beach, but you will need to cross the street to reach the beach area. You can rent chairs and umbrellas if you’d like, which is convenient. The photo I included does a good job of showing the street you’d cross to get to the beach. It doesn’t bother us, but I’ve heard other people mention this as a con and prefer the hotel is directly on the sand.
The Hyatt Regency is great for families (or anyone, really). It’s a perfect mix of relaxation while still being able to get into the action if you want to.
Book Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa
Photo: Hotels.com
Sheraton Sand Key Resort
The Sheraton Sand Key Resort is a bit more secluded than some of the other options. It’s located on Sand Key and right next to Sand Key Park.
Technically, Sand Key is technically just outside of Clearwater Beach. It’s not really in walking distance to many of the attractions Clearwater Beach has to offer. Ok, I guess technically you could walk, but it’s around 2 miles.
The resort has its own private beach, a nice pool, tennis courts, and a kids program. There are on site dining options here as well.
Something that gives this resort major bonus points for me is that it doesn’t have a resort fee, which is something that’s hard to find these days.
Photo: Hotels.com
Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach
We love the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach for its prime location and probably my favorite pool of all of the hotels on this list. It’s big and the hot tub is perfect if you’re visiting in one of the cooler months. It’s on the ground level which makes it easily accessible from the beach.
The Wyndham is right by Pier 60. It’s a newer hotel so it feels a bit more upscale without being pretentious. Like many of the other hotels, you can rent chairs and umbrellas right in front of the resort if you’re interested.
One con is that the hotel doesn’t have parking so if you’re bringing a car, you’ll have to use valet parking. While Clearwater Beach doesn’t have much free parking, parking at the Wyndham is more expensive than other places at $40/day.
Book Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach
Photo: Hotels.com
Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa
In my humble opinion, this is the least luxurious option out of all the hotels on this list. The hotel itself is starting to age, but Hilton Clearwater Beach is still a good option.
But the tradeoff is that it can be less expensive than some of the other hotels I’ve mentioned. It also has a good location right on the sand. So if you like a nice, long beach walk, you couldn’t be closer.
The Hilton also close to Pier 60 so you’re right in the middle of everything you’d want to do on Clearwater Beach.
While the pool isn’t as luxurious as some of the others, it is accessible from the beach. The hotel also has beach chairs and umbrellas right in front of the resort for a fee.
The hotel only offers valet parking for $29/day.
We also like Tommy’s Tiki, which is a tiki bar right on the beach. I absolutely love grabbing a tropical drink and enjoying it in the sugar-white sand. You don’t have to stay here to enjoy Tommy’s Tiki but it’s nice having such an authentic beach bar located so close.
Photos: Hotels.com
I love this photo of the Hilton because it also puts into perspective its location as well as some of the other hotels’ locations. On the other side of Pier 60, you can see the Wyndham Grand. Next to that is the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach. It’s the pink building but is kind of tough to see from this photo. Each of these 3 hotels have great locations near Pier 60.
Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key
Technically, Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key is on Sand Key, which is just outside of Clearwater Beach. They have a nice pool with a waterfall and also a splash pad for kids.
There is also a full-service spa and dining.
The hotel is on the bay side of the island, not the beach side. They do offer complimentary rides to the beach and have jet ski, kayak, and parasailing for purchase on site.
Book Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key
Photo: Hotels.com
Final Thoughts
We absolutely love Clearwater Beach and I think you will, too. With so many popular hotels to choose from, I know that making a choice can be really tough.
Each of these Clearwater Beach hotels are places we have personally stayed and would recommend, each with different pros/cons. Hopefully you found this helpful in planning your trip!
