The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in San Clemente

Where to Stay if You've Never Been to San Clemente

If it's your first trip to San Clemente, California for the activities and sightseeing, then you're in for a treat. But the biggest question is often where to stay for a first time visitor to San Clemente. With so many amazing hotels to choose from, it can be tough to make a decision to make the most of your first trip here. That's where we come in! In this comprehensive guide, we'll help you find the best hotels for first-timers in San Clemente. After analyzing all of the hotels based on price, location, amenities, ratings, and more, we have come up with our list of the best hotels in San Clemente for first time visitors. We'll cover everything you need to know about these hotels, including the amenities, location, prices and ratings. So, whether you're traveling solo, with family, or as a couple on a romantic getaway, you'll find the perfect hotel if you've never visited San Clemente beofre. So check out these terrific hotels, many of which have sparkling swimming pools, delicious restaurants, and top-notch amenities, along with the perfect balance of comfort, location, and affordability. So, let's get to it and discover the best hotels in San Clemente for your first trip!

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

Holiday Inn Express San Clemente N - Beach Area

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $196 (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.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach

Located at 35 Via Pico Plaza, Holiday Inn Express San Clemente N - Beach Area has great rooms from $196 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, a fitness center, scuba diving, snorkeling, and breakfast. It has a terrific 8.60 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 0.9 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love laundry services, golf, a free breakfast, free parking, and car rentals at this relaxing hotel. Make sure to set aside some time for swimming in the pool, 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
  • Snorkeling
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


San Clemente Inn

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $198 (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 great place to stay is San Clemente Inn which has nice rooms starting at $198. Offering an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and outdoor tennis, it also has a great guest rating of 8.20 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 2600 Avenida Del Presidente. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers rooms with kitchenettes, golf, a hot tub, a game room, and free parking which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 1.4 miles from the city center. Having a kitchenette is a nice way for you to have some meals in the room, 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
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Table tennis
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground


Casablanca Inn San Clemente

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $172 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to San Clemente
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for first time trip hotels.
  • Beach
  • Heated pool

We found Casablanca Inn San Clemente to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $172. We loved that is has an outdoor pool, a fitness center, breakfast, hiking, and rooms with kitchens, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 8.20 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 1601 N El Camino Real. You'll also find rooms with kitchenettes, laundry services, golf, a free breakfast, and pet-friendly rooms which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 1 miles from the center of town. We always love being able to cook meals in a hotel room, and the kitchen here was a nice touch. 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
  • Spa
  • Horse riding
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Tennis
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Saltwater pool


The Volare an Ascend Hotel Collection Member

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $197 (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

With terrific rooms from $197, The Volare an Ascend Hotel Collection Member, at 111 S Ave De La Estrella provides an outdoor pool, room service, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, and a hot tub. Its terrific guest rating is 8.00 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers free parking, laundry facilities, a multi-lingual staff, air-conditioning, and a 24-hour desk. It's located just 0.1 miles from the city center, too. Everyone loves a good hot tub, and this one is really nice. 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
  • Airport shuttle
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Hampton Inn & Suites San Clemente

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $231 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in San Clemente
  • Beach

Hampton Inn & Suites San Clemente has a great guest rating of 8.50 out of 10, and offers an outdoor pool, a fitness center, breakfast, laundry services, and golf. The great rooms here start at $231 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 2481 South El Camino Real. Furthermore, it also offers a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, a hot tub, a spa, and free parking, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 1.3 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice.

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


Always Inn San Clemente Bed & Breakfast

Bed & Breakfast with prices starting at $208 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for first time trip hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach

The great guest rating of Always Inn San Clemente Bed & Breakfast is 8.70 out of 10. This place has scuba diving, breakfast, hiking, child care, and golf. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $208, and it's located at 177 Avenida Cabrillo. We also love the a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, a hot tub, free parking, and horse riding which are great for visitors. And since it's just 0.2 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
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Horse riding
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Hiking
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Nomads Hotel

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $130 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to San Clemente
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 2-star hotels.
  • Beach

A cool place is Nomads Hotel because it has great rooms that start at $130. It has a restaurant, a bar, pet-friendly rooms, free parking, and kids meals, it also earned a great guest rating of 8.20 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 101 Avenida Serra. Only 0.1 miles from the city center, travelers will especially love family rooms, air-conditioning, a microwave, a refrigerator, and balconies at this convenient hotel. The restaurant serves delicious food, 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
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


San Clemente Little Inn by the Beach

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $125 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 2-star hotels.
  • Beach

San Clemente Little Inn by the Beach offers golf, pet-friendly rooms, city views, free parking, and air-conditioning which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $125 (before taxes). It's located at 1819 S El Camino Real and has earned a guest rating of 8.10/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers a 24-hour desk, a refrigerator, balconies, wheelchair-accessible units, and outdoor dining areas which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 0.8 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
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Refrigerator


San Clemente Cove Resort Condominiums

3-star Resort with prices starting at $301 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach

Located at 104 South Alameda Lane, San Clemente Cove Resort Condominiums has great rooms from $301 (before taxes). It offers a fitness center, rooms with kitchens, a hot tub, free parking, and laundry facilities. It has a terrific 9.00 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find family rooms, a 24-hour desk, a microwave, a refrigerator, and a sauna which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 0.6 miles from the center of town.

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


Sea Horse Resort

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $322 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to San Clemente
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly

A great place to stay is Sea Horse Resort which has nice rooms starting at $322. Offering room service, rooms with kitchens, rooms with kitchenettes, pet-friendly rooms, and free parking, it also has a great guest rating of 8.80 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 602 Avenida Victoria. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers family rooms, a multi-lingual staff, a microwave, a refrigerator, and balconies. It's located just 0.7 miles from the city center, too. You'll enjoy relaxing while having room service delivered.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Kitchen
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Kitchenette
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the first time trip hotels in nearby destinations: San Diego, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Carlsbad, and Tijuana.

For more terrific hotel ideas in San Diego, make sure you also see Best Family-Friendly Hotels in San Diego, Best Beach Hotels in San Diego, Best Cheap Hotels in San Diego, Best Luxury Hotels in San Diego, Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in San Diego, Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in San Diego, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in San Diego, Best Hotels for One Week in San Diego, Best Hotels for One Night in San Diego, Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in San Diego, Best Hotels for Scuba Diving in San Diego, or Best Business Hotels in San Diego.


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

San Clemente Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$212

After analyzing 13 first time trip hotels in San Clemente, California, we found the average first time trip hotel price to be a remarkably economical $212. Naturally, this destination has many fantastic first time trip accommodation options with a variety of prices. The price will vary by the hotel's amenities, available dates, and the general location. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in San Clemente.

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

  • 4-star hotels: $208
  • 3-star hotels: $266
  • 2-star hotels: $158


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