The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Gulf Shores

Where to Stay on Your First Trip to Gulf Shores

Visiting Gulf Shores, Alabama for the first time can be an exciting, yet overwhelming experience. With so many incredible hotels to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to stay. If you're deciding where to stay for your first visit to Gulf Shores, we've compiled a list of the best hotels for first time visitors. We analyzed all of the hotels in Gulf Shores based on price, location, amenities, guest ratings, and more to determine which would be the ideal places to stay for first timers. Whether you're here for just a few days or longer, these hotels offer the perfect combination of amenities, location, and price. For those visiting Gulf Shores for the first time, it's important to choose a hotel in a safe and convenient area to make the most of your first visit. You'll want to be close to the activities, shopping, and dining options, of course. When looking for hotels, consider the amenities they offer. Some hotels may have a fitness center, a bar or restaurant, a pool, or even a spa. All of these features can add to your overall enjoyment if you've never been to Gulf Shores before. Also, guest ratings and reviews are also important to consider when choosing a hotel. Whether you're visiting Gulf Shores for the first time, or you're a seasoned traveler, the best hotels in Gulf Shores for first-timers offer the perfect combination of comfort, convenience, and affordability. So, here's our list of suggestions for your next trip.

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

The Lodge at Gulf State Park A Hilton Hotel

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $268 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Gulf Shores
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach

Located at 21196 East Beach Blvd, The Lodge at Gulf State Park A Hilton Hotel has great rooms from $268 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar. It has a terrific 8.80 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 2.1 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love parking, a kid-friendly buffet, hiking, laundry services, and a game room at this relaxing hotel. Getting room service delivered is always a nice luxury. The price of this hotel is less than average for first time trip hotels, which makes it a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Game room
  • Table tennis
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Courtyard Gulf Shores Craft Farms

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $143 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Beach
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is Courtyard Gulf Shores Craft Farms which has nice rooms starting at $143. Offering an outdoor pool, a water park, a restaurant, a fitness center, and scuba diving, it also has a great guest rating of 8.40 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 3750 Gulf Shores Parkway. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers snorkeling, a bar, hiking, laundry services, and golf which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 3.7 miles from the city center. The kids will love the water park, too. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Water park
  • Snorkeling
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Fishing
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Staybridge Suites Gulf Shores

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $171 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Gulf Shores
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Beach

We found Staybridge Suites Gulf Shores to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $171. We loved that is has an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, breakfast, and rooms with kitchens, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 8.00 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 3947 Gulf Shores Pkwy State Highway 59. You'll also find laundry services, golf, a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, and free parking which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 4.5 miles from the center of town. The pool here was very nice, relaxing, and fun. It's a great value, too, because it's less than the average price for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Breakfast included
  • Kitchen
  • Free breakfast
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Tennis
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Mustique 901

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $872 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Heated pool

With terrific rooms from $872, Mustique 901, at 2000 West Beach Boulevard provides an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, rooms with kitchens, and golf. Its terrific guest rating is 9.99 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers a hot tub, an indoor pool, free parking, fishing, and a heated pool. It's located just 3 miles from the city center, too. After a busy day, the heated pool is a nice place to unwind.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Kitchen
  • Indoor pool
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Fishing
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground


Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Gulf Shores

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $157 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Gulf Shores
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 2-star hotels.
  • Beach

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Gulf Shores has a great guest rating of 8.10 out of 10, and offers an outdoor pool, room service, a fitness center, a free breakfast, and city views. The great rooms here start at $157 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 160 West Commerce Avenue. Furthermore, it also offers a hot tub, free parking, laundry facilities, a private pool, and air-conditioning, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 1.7 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. Having a hot tub at this hotel is also a nice splurge. We found the price of this hotel to be a great value because the price is less than average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Free breakfast
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Private pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Hampton Inn Gulf Shores

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $183 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for first time trip hotels.
  • Beach

The great guest rating of Hampton Inn Gulf Shores is 8.50 out of 10. This place has an outdoor pool, a fitness center, breakfast, golf, and a free breakfast. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $183, and it's located at 1701 Gulf Shores Parkway. We also love the pet-friendly rooms, free parking, laundry facilities, family rooms, and air-conditioning which are great for visitors. And since it's just 1.8 miles from the center of the town, the location is great, too. The price of this hotel is less than average for first time trip hotels, which makes it a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms


Phoenix All Suites West

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $219 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Beach

A cool place is Phoenix All Suites West because it has great rooms that start at $219. It has an outdoor pool, parking, rooms with kitchens, laundry facilities, and air-conditioning, it also earned a great guest rating of 8.10 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 533 West Beach Blvd. Only 0.2 miles from the city center, travelers will especially love a 24-hour desk, a microwave, a refrigerator, and balconies at this convenient hotel. Having a kitchen in the room is a great way to make meals and save money, too. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Parking
  • Kitchen
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Paradise Isle Resort by VRI resorts

3-star Resort with prices starting at $203 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Gulf Shores
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach

Paradise Isle Resort by VRI resorts offers an outdoor pool, rooms with kitchens, a hot tub, free parking, and family rooms which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $203 (before taxes). It's located at 628 West Beach Boulevard and has earned a guest rating of 8.90/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers air-conditioning, a microwave, a refrigerator, and private parking which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 0.1 miles from the city center. It's a great value, too, because it's less than the average price for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Kitchen
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the First Time Trip hotels in nearby destinations: Mobile, Pensacola, Orange Beach, and Daphne.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Gulf Shores, make sure you also see Best Beach Hotels in Gulf Shores, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Gulf Shores, Best Hotels for One Week in Gulf Shores, or Best Hotels for One Night in Gulf Shores.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in Gulf Shores?

Gulf Shores Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$277

Visitors will find a large range of terrific first time trip hotel choices when planning a visit to Gulf Shores, Alabama. The price of these first time trip hotels can vary according to location, type, and amenities. The average first time trip hotel price in Gulf Shores, Alabama based on data from 8 hotels is an affordable $277. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Gulf Shores.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 3-star hotels: $313
  • 2-star hotels: $170


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