The Best Beach Resort Hotels to Book in Clearwater, Florida

With a prime location on Clearwater Beach, this resort delivers everything you could want of a beach getaway: spa, heated pool, gym and seafood restaurant. Each oversized room – perfect for couples and families – features either a full kitchen or kitchenette, so you can self-cater with ease. After doing sun salutations in the resort’s complimentary poolside yoga classes, indulge in an ocean-inspired treatment – like a warm shell massage or a Florida orange body scrub – in an outdoor cabana at Sandava Spa.

Located on Clearwater Bay, these oceanfront suites offer a family-friendly retreat. The resort boasts an outdoor pool with a 35ft (10.6m) waterfall, a children’s pool, a kids’ club with supervised activities for guests aged five to 12 and plenty of dining options. Adults can have their own fun at the full-service spa with beach-referencing treatments like the sea salt body scrub and marine algae facial.

If you like to party, stay here. The most entertaining resort in Clearwater, Shepherd’s Beach Resort hosts live music daily from an oceanfront bar and a two-level nightclub. Start your evenings by sampling some of the 100 tequilas at the resort’s Tequila Bar and Tap Room. Book a Sand Bay Terrace Room on the fourth floor for the palatial balcony with views of the hotel’s Tiki Beach Bar, the band stage and the Gulf of Mexico.

Solo travelers and couples seeking sun and sand will appreciate this hotel for the elegant rooms, outdoor pool and beachside location. Across the street from Clearwater Beach Marina, the property boasts views of the Intracoastal or Gulf of Mexico from each of the well-appointed rooms. Ocean Hai – one of three on-site dining options – features Clearwater’s only Asian-fusion menu, while room service from 6am to 1am means you can start your day with breakfast in bed and end your evening with midnight snacks on your balcony.

Tennis anyone? Nestled on 13-acres (5ha) of private white sand beach next to Sand Key Park, Sheraton Sand Key boasts three tennis courts, five restaurants and an impressive waterfront pool, children’s pool and whirlpool. While there isn’t a spa, the resort’s amenities are yours for the taking – no resort fees or parking charges will be added to your bill. Your stay also includes complimentary transportation on the PSTA Jolley Trolley – that stops in Downtown Clearwater, the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks and other points of interest.

The Instagram-obsessed will feel right at home here. Less than a five-minute walk from Clearwater Beach, the Edge Hotel boasts Clearwater’s largest rooftop bar. Watch sports or music videos on the 30sqft (2.8sqm) projector screen and enjoy a free Fireball shot at the nightly 9pm Fireball Countdown Celebration held at the bar’s 28ft-long (8.5m) Firebar. Another brag-worthy amenity is the hip hotel’s glass-walled pool, which evokes the sensation of swimming into the Gulf of Mexico.

Across the street from Clearwater’s sugar sand beaches and a short walk from Pier 60, Pier House 60 is perfectly situated for solo travelers and couples. The Waterview Rooms have glass bay windows that overlook the beach or Intracoastal, while its North Beach Rooms have private balconies overlooking the water or marina. Enjoy the view over complimentary breakfast and sip sundowners at the rooftop Jimmy’s Crow’s Nest – where guests can claim a complimentary sunset shot each night.

This 91-roomed, ocean-themed hotel is inspired by the Dolphin Tale movies about Winter: a bottlenose dolphin who was entangled in a crab trap line and fitted with a prosthetic tail by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The eco-friendly hotel’s daily Conservation Resort Fee benefits the aquarium – while providing guests with amenities like water cartons, coffee and entertainment. The hotel’s mission to protect marine life is supported by initiatives like the installation of turtle-safe lighting and the elimination of single-use plastics.

A 10-minute walk from Pier 60, the pet-friendly, smoke-free Residence Inn Clearwater Beach features all of the beach town basics: an outdoor pool, a fitness 24/7 center, a Starbucks, a lobby bar with tropical cocktails and a free grab-and-go breakfast. The home-style hotel has studio, one and two-bedroom accommodations, each with a fully equipped kitchen and dining area – perfect for families and groups of friends.

From the outdoor pools and live entertainment to the spacious suites, this Holiday Inn is made for families. Offering a mix of king, queen and bunk beds, the suites sleep up to eight people and come complete with living rooms, dining areas and full kitchens – but with free dining for children aged 11 and under, can you really be bothered to cook? Plus, kids aged 18 and under stay for free.