The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Santa Ana

Where to Stay on Your First Trip to Santa Ana

Are you looking for a hotel for your first trip to Santa Ana, California? With plenty of activities and sites, this is a great destination for first-time visitors. So if you're deciding where to stay on your first trip to Santa Ana, don't worry, we've got you covered. We've analyzed the hotels in Santa Ana to find out which are the best for first timers based on price, amenities, location, reviews, and guest ratings. In this guide, we'll be showcasing the best hotels for first-time visitors in Santa Ana, taking into consideration all of these important factors. Whether you're traveling solo, with family, or with friends, there's a hotel that caters to every traveler's needs to make the most of your first trip here. So, if you're visiting Santa Ana for the first time, the hotels below will be great options, as many of them have pools, breakfast, and plenty of comforts to help you relax. So, here they are, the best hotels in Santa Ana for first time visitors.

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

Courtyard Santa Ana Orange County

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $150 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Family-Friendly

Located at 8 MacArthur Place, Courtyard Santa Ana Orange County has great rooms from $150 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar. It has a terrific 8.10 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 3.2 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love parking, rooms with kitchenettes, child care, laundry services, and city views at this relaxing hotel. You'll enjoy relaxing while having room service delivered.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Airport shuttle
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


DoubleTree by Hilton Orange County Airport

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $155 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Santa Ana
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is DoubleTree by Hilton Orange County Airport which has nice rooms starting at $155. Offering an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar, it also has a great guest rating of 8.00 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 201 East Macarthur Blvd. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers parking, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, a hot tub, and a pool table which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 3.1 miles from the city center. You'll love relaxing in the heated pool after a busy day exploring.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Parking
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Table tennis
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator


Courtyard Costa Mesa South Coast Metro

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $157 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

We found Courtyard Costa Mesa South Coast Metro to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $157. We loved that is has an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 8.30 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 3002 South Harbor Boulevard. You'll also find laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, kids meals, laundry facilities, and a heated pool which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 4 miles from the center of town. The pool here was very nice, relaxing, and fun.

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


Holiday Inn Express & Suites Santa Ana - Orange County

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $147 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Santa Ana
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Pool

With terrific rooms from $147, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Santa Ana - Orange County, at 1600 E 1st St provides a pool, a fitness center, a kid-friendly buffet, laundry services, and a free breakfast. Its terrific guest rating is 8.30 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers free parking, bicycle rental, family rooms, a multi-lingual staff, and air-conditioning. It's located just 1.2 miles from the city center, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Pool
  • Free breakfast
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Best Western Plus Orange County Airport North

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $116 (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.

Best Western Plus Orange County Airport North has a great guest rating of 8.10 out of 10, and offers an outdoor pool, room service, a fitness center, breakfast, and laundry services. The great rooms here start at $116 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 2700 Hotel Terrace Drive. Furthermore, it also offers a free breakfast, a hot tub, free parking, laundry facilities, and a free airport shuttle, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 2.6 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. Everyone loves a good hot tub, and this one is really nice. 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
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the First Time Trip hotels in nearby destinations: Los Angeles, Anaheim, Carlsbad, Long Beach, and Santa Monica.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Santa Ana, make sure you also see Best Hotels for One Night in Santa Ana.


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

Santa Ana Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$145

Travelers to Santa Ana, California will have a large number of terrific first time trip accommodation options with a variety of great prices. The price of first time trip hotels here can vary by amenities, dates, and the neighborhood. Based on thorough data from 5 first time trip hotels, their average price is a very reasonable $145. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Santa Ana.

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

  • 3-star hotels: $154
  • 2-star hotels: $132


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