The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Ocala

Where to Stay if You've Never Been to Ocala

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

Courtyard by Marriott Ocala

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $134 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Heated pool

Located at 3712 Sw 38Th Avenue, Courtyard by Marriott Ocala has great rooms from $134 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. It has a terrific 8.00 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 3.9 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love breakfast, laundry services, golf, a hot tub, and an indoor pool at this relaxing hotel. You'll love relaxing in the hot tub at the end of the day, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Indoor pool
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Ocala Conference Center an IHG Hotel

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $129 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Ocala
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

A great place to stay is Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Ocala Conference Center an IHG Hotel which has nice rooms starting at $129. Offering an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar, it also has a great guest rating of 8.40 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 3600 SW 38th Avenue. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers laundry services, free parking, laundry facilities, a multi-lingual staff, and air-conditioning which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 3.7 miles from the city center. We love the convenience of room service, and it's really nice here.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Sleep Inn & Suites - Ocala

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $89 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 2-star hotels.
  • Heated pool

We found Sleep Inn & Suites - Ocala to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $89. We loved that is has an outdoor pool, a fitness center, a kid-friendly buffet, breakfast, and hiking, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 8.10 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 13600 SW 17th Court. You'll also find laundry services, a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, city views, and free parking which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 11.3 miles from the center of town. Make sure to set aside some time for swimming in the pool, too. 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
  • Free breakfast
  • Horse riding
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Saltwater pool


Hampton Inn & Suites Ocala - Belleview

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $130 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Ocala
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

With terrific rooms from $130, Hampton Inn & Suites Ocala - Belleview, at 2075 SW Highway 484 provides an outdoor pool, room service, a fitness center, breakfast, and a free breakfast. Its terrific guest rating is 8.80 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers pet-friendly rooms, free parking, laundry facilities, bicycle rental, and family rooms. It's located just 11.1 miles from the city center, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Hampton Inn & Suites - Ocala

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $155 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

Hampton Inn & Suites - Ocala has a great guest rating of 9.10 out of 10, and offers an outdoor pool, a fitness center, a kid-friendly buffet, breakfast, and laundry services. The great rooms here start at $155 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 3601 Southwest 38th Avenue. Furthermore, it also offers a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, free parking, horse riding, and laundry facilities, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 3.7 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. You'll love relaxing in the heated pool after a busy day exploring.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Horse riding
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Saltwater pool


Equus Inn

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $125 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Ocala
  • Heated pool

The great guest rating of Equus Inn is 8.10 out of 10. This place has an outdoor pool, room service, a fitness center, a bar, and a kid-friendly buffet. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $125, and it's located at 3434 Southwest College Rd.. We also love the breakfast, laundry services, a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, and free parking which are great for visitors. And since it's just 3.3 miles from the center of the town, the location is great, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Kid-friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Fitness room
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Hilton Ocala

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $132 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.

A cool place is Hilton Ocala because it has great rooms that start at $132. It has an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar, it also earned a great guest rating of 8.00 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 3600 Southwest 36th Ave. Only 3.7 miles from the city center, travelers will especially love a kid-friendly buffet, laundry services, golf, pet-friendly rooms, and a hot tub at this convenient hotel. The service at the restaurant is terrific, and so is the food.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Tennis
  • Refrigerator


Homewood Suites by Hilton Ocala at Heath Brook

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $160 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

Homewood Suites by Hilton Ocala at Heath Brook offers an outdoor pool, a fitness center, breakfast, rooms with kitchens, and rooms with kitchenettes which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $160 (before taxes). It's located at 4610 SW 49th Road and has earned a guest rating of 8.80/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers laundry services, a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, a hot tub, and free parking which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 4.8 miles from the city center. Don't forget that there's a kitchen in the room to cook your meals, too.

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


Comfort Inn Ocala Silver Springs

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $91 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Ocala
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 2-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

Located at 1212 S. Pine Ave., Comfort Inn Ocala Silver Springs has great rooms from $91 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, room service, breakfast, laundry services, and a free breakfast. It has a terrific 8.60 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find pet-friendly rooms, free parking, laundry facilities, a multi-lingual staff, and air-conditioning which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 0.7 miles from the center of town. It's a great value, as the price is less than the average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
More Great Amenities
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking


Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Ocala

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $94 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 2-star hotels.

A great place to stay is Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Ocala which has nice rooms starting at $94. Offering an outdoor pool, a fitness center, parking, breakfast, and hiking, it also has a great guest rating of 8.10 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 4101 South West 38th Court. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers laundry services, a free breakfast, a hot tub, laundry facilities, and family rooms. It's located just 3.9 miles from the city center, 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
  • Outdoor pool
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the First Time Trip hotels in nearby destinations: Orlando, Gainesville, and Mount Dora.

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


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

Ocala Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$119

Visitors will find a large range of terrific first time trip hotel choices when planning a visit to Ocala, Florida. The price of these first time trip hotels can vary according to location, type, and amenities. The average first time trip hotel price in Ocala, Florida based on data from 15 hotels is an affordable $119. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Ocala.

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

  • 3-star hotels: $139
  • 2-star hotels: $109


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