The Best Hotels to Book Near the Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Only 7mi (11km) from the Kennedy Space Center, your pooch Cosmo can stay with you and dream about being the first of his breed in space. While he lays in the room rehearsing his “one small step for mutts” speech, you’ll be down at the pool practicing your own doggie paddle. Grab some snacks from the 24/7 market, and enjoy an early rise to watch one of NASA’s shuttles fly into space.

Cape Crossing is at the crossroads of Port Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach, all within a 15-minute drive. The townhomes and condos of this resort and marina feel like the Florida summer homes you’ve always wanted, with luxury coastal-style decor and rocket-launch views from your balcony. Feel the urge to see a launch from the water? Be the captain of your own ship, rent a boat, and sail out into the ocean, with the stars to guide you back to the marina.

Kennedy Space Center may make you dream of space travel, but the Inn at Cocoa Beach will make you happy you’re still on planet Earth. The hotel’s wine-and-cheese (not moon cheese, sadly) social will definitely make you feel a little weightless after a few glasses of red. Sea and night sky views from your room are as dazzling as you can imagine. Close your eyes, and wish on a shooting star; open them, and you’ll find a jacuzzi tub in your room, already bubbling for you.

Surf Studio Beach Resort is an excellent carving station for wave riders young and old, but don’t feel like you’ll be out of place if you’re not paddling out. These standard rooms welcome beachgoers of all varieties. Head out to Cocoa Beach with a boogie board, or stroll the sand with a line in hand until you find a good fishing spot. Feeling lazy? Kick back at the resort, and grill out with your (hamburger) buns out.

With a shipload of things to do at Ocean Landings Resort, you’ll be surprised you found time to visit Kennedy Space Center more than once. From indoor racquetball games and an in-house comedy club to bingo sessions and family game nights, there’s a solid chance that the oceanfront view from your suite will go unobserved. No one will blame you for spending time with the fam, especially if you’re busy burying your little ones in the sand.

Want to see where the aerospace engineers of tomorrow learn their chops? The Celeste Hotel orbits the campus of the University of Central Florida. This cosmically colorful hotel is decked out in galaxy-inspired furnishings. You’ll be over the moon for the luxury poolside cabanas, but you shouldn’t be afraid to boldly go where coeds have gone before. Namely, across the street to long-time UCF staples like Lazy Moon Pizza, where you’ll find slices the size of asteroids – if the asteroid was the size of your face.

Touch down just south of Kennedy Space Center at Hampton Inn & Suites West Melbourne. You can soak up the sunshine at the outdoor pool after your free breakfast, but Melbourne Beach is also only a short drive away. Saving your beach trip for another day? Shop for a new pair of space boots at neighboring Palm Bay Village, or see if you can pull a few g-forces at Andretti Thrill Park without tossing your cookies.

If you didn’t bring your spacesuit, you at least packed your swimsuit and surfboard, right? Anthony’s on the Beach is escapism at its finest but still within 25 minutes of the Kennedy Space Center. Get ready for a healthy dose of vitamin sea, with sunny skies and waves for days. A one-bedroom crash pad is perfect for the solo wave rider, while the two-bedroom suite is ideal for a group surf getaway.

Finding yourself at the Wayward Traveler’s Inn is just the start of your adventure. Rooms are themed for the world traveler, the adventurer, the avid avian admirer and the friendly Floridian. No matter which you choose, this Mims manor house, only 25 minutes from the Space Center, is ready to help you on the next leg of your journey. Relax in the outdoor spa, ink your travels on the antique roll-top desk, and embrace the old Florida charm that isn’t lost on this contemporary coast.