The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Madison

Where to Stay if You've Never Been to Madison

Visiting Madison, Wisconsin 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 Madison, we've compiled a list of the best hotels for first time visitors. We analyzed all of the hotels in Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison before. Also, guest ratings and reviews are also important to consider when choosing a hotel. Whether you're visiting Madison for the first time, or you're a seasoned traveler, the best hotels in Madison 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.)

Best Western Plus InnTowner Madison

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $208 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Madison

Located at 2424 University Avenue, Best Western Plus InnTowner Madison has great rooms from $208 (before taxes). It offers skiing, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and scuba diving. It has a terrific 8.60 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 1.3 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love snorkeling, a bar, parking, breakfast, and hiking at this relaxing hotel. Getting room service delivered is always a nice luxury.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Snorkeling
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Indoor pool
  • Horse riding
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Best Western Premier Park Hotel

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $185 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is Best Western Premier Park Hotel which has nice rooms starting at $185. Offering room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking, it also has a great guest rating of 9.10 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 22 S Carroll Street. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers laundry services, city views, an indoor pool, kids meals, and laundry facilities which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 0.8 miles from the city center. The indoor pool at this hotel is very nice, and is a great place to unwind and relax on your trip.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Indoor pool
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycle rental
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


The Madison Concourse Hotel

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $185 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

We found The Madison Concourse Hotel to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $185. We loved that is has skiing, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 8.90 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 1 West Dayton Street. You'll also find parking, hiking, laundry services, a free breakfast, and cooking classes which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 0.8 miles from the center of town. We love relaxing in a hot tub after a long day, and the one here is really nice.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Free breakfast
  • Indoor pool
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Table tennis
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


The Edgewater Madison

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $335 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Madison

With terrific rooms from $335, The Edgewater Madison, at 1001 Wisconsin Place provides room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. Its terrific guest rating is 8.60 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers rooms with kitchenettes, child care, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, and city views. It's located just 0.7 miles from the city center, too. Having the delicious restaurant in the hotel is an added bonus.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Fishing
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Luxury


HYATT PLACE MADISON DOWNTOWN

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $274 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip

HYATT PLACE MADISON DOWNTOWN has a great guest rating of 8.60 out of 10, and offers a restaurant, a fitness center, scuba diving, a bar, and parking. The great rooms here start at $274 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 333 W Washington Avenue. Furthermore, it also offers a kid-friendly buffet, breakfast, laundry services, a free breakfast, and pet-friendly rooms, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 0.7 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Indoor pool
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator


Doubletree By Hilton Madison East

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $172 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Madison
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Heated pool

The great guest rating of Doubletree By Hilton Madison East is 8.50 out of 10. This place has skiing, room service, a casino, a restaurant, and a fitness center. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $172, and it's located at 4402 E. Washington Ave.. We also love the a bar, a kid-friendly buffet, laundry services, golf, and pet-friendly rooms which are great for visitors. And since it's just 5.9 miles from the center of the town, the location is great, too. The heated pool is comfortable, relaxing, and fun for everyone. 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
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Indoor pool
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Casino
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


DoubleTree by Hilton Madison Downtown

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $173 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

A cool place is DoubleTree by Hilton Madison Downtown because it has great rooms that start at $173. It has room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking, it also earned a great guest rating of 9.20 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 525 West Johnson Street. Only 0.3 miles from the city center, travelers will especially love laundry services, golf, city views, kids meals, and a free airport shuttle at this convenient hotel. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Hilton Madison Monona Terrace

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $163 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Madison
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.

Hilton Madison Monona Terrace offers room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $163 (before taxes). It's located at 9 East Wilson Street and has earned a guest rating of 8.40/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, a hot tub, an indoor pool, and kids meals which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 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
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Indoor pool
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Coffee shop
  • Breakfast in the room


AC Hotel by Marriott Madison Downtown

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $254 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

Located at 1 N Webster St, AC Hotel by Marriott Madison Downtown has great rooms from $254 (before taxes). It offers a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, parking, and pet-friendly rooms. It has a terrific 8.80 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find city views, laundry facilities, family rooms, air-conditioning, and a coffee shop which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 1 miles from the center of town.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Parking
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Pets allowed
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator


Graduate Madison

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $172 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • Family-Friendly

A great place to stay is Graduate Madison which has nice rooms starting at $172. Offering a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, rooms with kitchens, and laundry services, it also has a great guest rating of 8.70 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 601 Langdon Street. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers pet-friendly rooms, car rentals, bicycle rental, family rooms, and air-conditioning. It's located just 0.3 miles from the city center, too. Having a kitchen in the room is a great way to make meals and save money, too. 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
  • Kitchen
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the First Time Trip hotels in nearby destinations: Wisconsin Dells and Middleton.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Madison, make sure you also see Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Madison, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Madison, Best Hotels for One Week in Madison, Best Hotels for One Night in Madison, Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in Madison, or Best Business Hotels in Madison.


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

Madison Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$174

Visitors will find a large range of terrific first time trip hotel choices when planning a visit to Madison, Wisconsin. The price of these first time trip hotels can vary according to location, type, and amenities. The average first time trip hotel price in Madison, Wisconsin based on data from 36 hotels is an affordable $174. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Madison.

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

  • 4-star hotels: $233
  • 3-star hotels: $182
  • 2-star hotels: $143


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