The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Saint Petersburg

Where to Stay if You've Never Been to Saint Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Florida, USA St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

Visiting Saint Petersburg, 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 Saint Petersburg, we've compiled a list of the best hotels for first time visitors. We analyzed all of the hotels in Saint Petersburg 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 Saint Petersburg 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 Saint Petersburg before. Also, guest ratings and reviews are also important to consider when choosing a hotel. Whether you're visiting Saint Petersburg for the first time, or you're a seasoned traveler, the best hotels in Saint Petersburg 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 Vinoy r Renaissance St Petersburg Resort & Golf Club

4-star Resort with prices starting at $406 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Family-Friendly

Located at 501 Fifth Avenue Ne, The Vinoy r Renaissance St Petersburg Resort & Golf Club has great rooms from $406 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and snorkeling. It has a terrific 8.20 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 2.4 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love a bar, parking, hiking, laundry services, and golf 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
  • Room service
  • Snorkeling
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Horse riding
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Tennis
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Kids' club
  • Luxury


Hollander Hotel - Downtown St Petersburg

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $143 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Saint Petersburg
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is Hollander Hotel - Downtown St Petersburg which has nice rooms starting at $143. Offering an outdoor pool, a pool bar, a restaurant, a bar, and rooms with kitchens, it also has a great guest rating of 9.10 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 421 4th Avenue North. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers rooms with kitchenettes, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, city views, and a spa and wellness center which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 2.5 miles from the city center. Don't forget to spend some time at the terrific pool bar where you can unwind and relax. 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
  • Kitchen
  • Spa
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Saltwater pool


Hilton St Petersburg Carillon Park

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $189 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Family-Friendly

We found Hilton St Petersburg Carillon Park to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $189. We loved that is has an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 8.60 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 950 Lake Carillon Drive. You'll also find child care, laundry services, a hot tub, a spa, and free parking which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 8.3 miles from the center of town. The restaurant serves delicious food, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Spa
  • Airport shuttle
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Refrigerator
  • Infinity pool


Hampton Inn & Suites St Petersburg/Downtown

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $159 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

With terrific rooms from $159, Hampton Inn & Suites St Petersburg/Downtown, at 80 Beach Drive Ne provides an outdoor pool, a fitness center, parking, breakfast, and laundry services. Its terrific guest rating is 9.00 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers golf, a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, laundry facilities, and bicycle rental. It's located just 2.8 miles from the city center, too. The pool here was very nice, relaxing, and fun. 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
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave


Hyatt Place St Petersburg/Downtown

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $215 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Saint Petersburg
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

Hyatt Place St Petersburg/Downtown has a great guest rating of 8.90 out of 10, and offers an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. The great rooms here start at $215 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 25 2nd Street North. Furthermore, it also offers breakfast, laundry services, a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, and laundry facilities, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 2.7 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. After a busy day, the heated pool is a nice place to unwind.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Avalon Hotel Downtown St Petersburg

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $136 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for first time trip hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

The great guest rating of Avalon Hotel Downtown St Petersburg is 8.90 out of 10. This place has an outdoor pool, a restaurant, rooms with kitchens, free parking, and a beauty salon. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $136, and it's located at 443 4th Avenue North. We also love the air-conditioning, a 24-hour desk, a microwave, a refrigerator, and private parking which are great for visitors. And since it's just 2.5 miles from the center of the town, the location is great, too. The kitchen in the room is great, because you can cook your own meals to save time and money. 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
  • Kitchen
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Free parking
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


The Birchwood

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $219 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Saint Petersburg
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

A cool place is The Birchwood because it has great rooms that start at $219. It has room service, a restaurant, a bar, parking, and a kid-friendly buffet, it also earned a great guest rating of 8.80 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 340 Beach Drive Ne. Only 2.9 miles from the city center, travelers will especially love breakfast, laundry services, a free breakfast, city views, and kids meals at this convenient hotel. We love the convenience of room service, and it's really nice here.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service


Comfort Inn & Suites Northeast - Gateway

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $121 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.

Comfort Inn & Suites Northeast - Gateway offers an outdoor pool, a casino, a fitness center, laundry services, and free parking which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $121 (before taxes). It's located at 875 - 94th Avenue and has earned a guest rating of 8.60/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers laundry facilities, a multi-lingual staff, air-conditioning, a 24-hour desk, and a microwave which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 6.4 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
More Great Amenities
  • Casino
  • Fitness center
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Holiday Inn Express St Petersburg North I-275

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $116 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Saint Petersburg
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 2-star hotels.

Located at 2171 54th Ave. North, Holiday Inn Express St Petersburg North I-275 has great rooms from $116 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, a fitness center, breakfast, laundry services, and a free breakfast. It has a terrific 8.40 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find free parking, laundry facilities, a multi-lingual staff, air-conditioning, and a 24-hour desk which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 3.7 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
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Holiday Inn Express & Suites - St Petersburg - Seminole Area

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $149 (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.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is Holiday Inn Express & Suites - St Petersburg - Seminole Area which has nice rooms starting at $149. Offering an outdoor pool, a fitness center, a kid-friendly buffet, breakfast, and laundry services, it also has a great guest rating of 8.80 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 4816 100th Way North. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, a hot tub, a spa and wellness center, and a spa. It's located just 3.7 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
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Spa
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Saltwater pool


Also, take a look at the First Time Trip hotels in nearby destinations: Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota, Saint Pete Beach, and Treasure Island.

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


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

Saint Petersburg Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$175

Visitors will find a large range of terrific first time trip hotel choices when planning a visit to Saint Petersburg, 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 Saint Petersburg, Florida based on data from 14 hotels is an affordable $175. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Saint Petersburg.

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

  • 4-star hotels: $406
  • 3-star hotels: $173
  • 2-star hotels: $133


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