21 Best Hotels in Northeast Coast, Florida

Rustic furniture and beds swathed in mosquito netting are a nod to Old Florida at this 11-story beachfront resort, but there's nothing rustic about the amenities, including a luxury four-poster bed, doorless Italian marble showers, and a 42-inch plasma TV in every room. Rooms are spacious and have views of either the ocean or the Intracoastal Waterway. The Indonesian-inspired spa, Indulge, and the Azure restaurant and bar also overlook the ocean.

Across the street from the beach, this convenient, midsize inn is an economical, family-friendly alternative to the area's luxury resorts. Several restaurants are within walking distance, and a full breakfast is served each morning in the lobby. Rooms are modestly furnished and have ocean views and pool views (though the pool is practically in the parking lot, so there's not much of a view).

The hospitality at this 1920s-era downtown boutique hotel starts with a free welcome goodie bag and continues throughout your stay. The property has been through various iterations, but the latest renovation created a trendy, updated space that preserves the original hardwood floors, the stone-floored lobby, and the exposed brick walls. Most rooms are spacious suites that offer modern amenities but also remain faithful to the history of the century-old structure. Restaurants and shops are a short walk away, but staying in is an option, too: there's a cozy lounge with a full bar and a delightful on-site Cuban restaurant.

Families love this Best Western for its affordable suites, and everyone loves it for its oceanfront location (just a half block from the Cocoa Beach Pier), its great views of launches from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, and its proximity to Port Canaveral. The cruise pier is only five minutes away. The suites are modest but have two TVs, a separate living room, wet-bar area with sink, refrigerator, microwave, sofa bed, and a private balcony. In addition to the beach, outdoor spaces include fire pits and two pools.

There's a reason you feel like you're stepping back in time when you enter this 1820s-era inn made of coquina and handmade bricks—it's on the oldest street in the oldest European-settled city in the country. Innkeepers Jeffrey Sonia and Luis Castro's warm hospitality and attention to detail hearken back to days of yore. In addition to a hearty breakfast, you can enjoy a social hour featuring wine and appetizers. Most rooms have a whirlpool tub, fireplace, and balcony and some have private entrances and their own ghost (the inn's been featured on several ghost-hunting TV shows). Add-on services like breakfast delivered to your door, picnic baskets, and floral arrangements make the inn especially popular with those en el amor.

If you're visiting Daytona Beach for something other than surf and sand (a certain iconic racing facility comes to mind), this smartly located Marriott is the perfect base. It's within walking distance to Daytona International Speedway, surrounding restaurants and shopping venues, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Public spaces include a pool and barbecue picnic area with umbrella-shaded tables for outdoor dining and a chic lobby area with media pods and a mounted flat-screen (often tuned to NASCAR). The lobby Bistro serves breakfast and dinner.

As a nod to its location near the Kennedy Space Center, this hotel has space-themed decor and amenities and a rooftop Space Bar where you can take in views of the Indian River, watch launches, and enjoy flavorful food and drink. Rooms feature wall murals taken by the Hubble space telescope and, on the night stand, a toy astronaut that projects nebulas on the ceiling. The river side of the hotel's exterior features fire pits, Adirondack chairs, recreational games, and a resort-style pool with cabanas and a bar. 

Proximity to the Kennedy Space Center and reasonable rates make this four-story hotel a top pick for an overnight. Guests deem the rooms clean, comfortable, quiet, and larger than those in comparable hotels. The property also scores points for conveniences like 24/7 coffee and tea service in the lobby, complimentary hot breakfast, microwaves and refrigerators in every room, and a fitness room and pool.

Proximity to the beach and comforts like in-room microwaves and refrigerators make this six-story hotel a favorite of vacationing families, particularly Orlandoans on weekend getaways. Most rooms have ocean views with private balconies. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.

With 25,000 square feet of meeting space, the University of Florida's flagship hotel caters most obviously to business travelers, but its location on the southwest corner of campus also makes it a good choice for UF visitors. Guest rooms, which look like they came straight off the Rooms to Go showroom floor, have two phones with voice mail, large work desks, coffeemakers, and 50-inch flat-screen TVs. The hotel offers room service, and its on-site restaurants include Shula's American Steakhouse.

Although it's part of a chain, this bright, bold boutique hotel makes you feel like you're staying in a hip apartment rather than a by-the-night lodging. Suites have a spacious soaking tub, as well as a kitchen alcove with a small refrigerator and microwave, a dining area, and a living room with a second large TV. All rooms have a desk, flat-screen TV, high-end coffeemaker, tiled walk-in shower, and large windows, as well as free Wi-Fi and access to a tech concierge on call. A stay here puts you 20 to 30 minutes from Downtown, amid office parks where many businesses have headquarters. Tapestry Park's collection of stores and restaurants is only steps away. The hotel has a bar and eatery with outdoor seating that overlooks the nicely landscaped lake. Room service is available.

This charming oceanfront inn has spacious, individually decorated rooms, some with four-poster beds, upholstered chairs, and balconies or patios; most have ocean views. Deluxe rooms are much larger, with a king-size bed, sofa, and sitting area; most also have a dining table. Jacuzzi rooms are different sizes. Included in the rate are evening wine and cheese and a continental breakfast that includes a quiche du jour.

Chains have since taken over St. Augustine Beach, but this longtime favorite—the only remaining "Mom and Pop" on the beach—is still doing business (lots of it) and remains as beloved as ever. The location, just steps from the beach, helps, of course. But so do the inviting, consistently updated rooms, in-room continental breakfast delivery (you choose the time), private walkway to the beach, warm service, and reasonable rates. There are a wide variety of room types and locations (some with balconies and/or fireplaces), so it's best to call and make sure you get the room you want. For a special treat, book a room in the property's adults-only bed-and-breakfast, a short walk from the main building.

Guests at this 1885 Queen Anne dwelling say they're so comfortable and at ease that they feel as if they're in a home, not an inn. The inn's Southern hospitality begins with breakfast by the fireplace and continues with complimentary beverages, homemade cookies or fresh bread throughout the day, and a social hour in the evenings. The "bedchambers" have thoughtful touches, such as plush robes, house bath salts, and organic coffee. Rooms feature a fireplace or gas stove and flat-panel TVs; most have thermo-massage tubs. Lush gardens and stately oak trees give the property a secluded feel, though downtown Gainesville is just a short walk away.

From the upper levels of this imposing 16-floor tower, which is across the street from the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, the smart, neutral colors and modern lines of the furnishings set off the views of the St. Johns River and its iconic bridges. A marble-floored, wood-paneled lobby leads to the reception area, an upscale lounge (JBar), and Juliette's Bistro, where cozy banquettes and tables bask in the airiness of a lofty atrium. Bell service is exemplary; many porters have more than a decade on the job, so they can and will happily help you find just about anything, including a cab.

For cruise-ship passengers who can't wait to get under way, this splashy resort, done up in pink and turquoise, already feels like the Caribbean. Guest room decor is simple and restrained, but the pool is lushly landscaped and features a cascading waterfall, tiki bar, and occasional appearances by the "Radisson parrots," about a dozen wild birds who call the resort home. This resort, a little south of Port Canaveral, is not on the ocean, but only a short ride away.

A landmark since 1885, this former bridge tender's home is set back from the Intracoastal Waterway at the edge of the north causeway, which still has an operating drawbridge. Rooms open out to plant-filled verandas and balconies, and views look either through trees to the waterway or onto the private courtyard and pretty pool. Each room is furnished differently with charming antique touches, such as an old washbasin, a quilt, or a rocking chair. An "expanded" continental breakfast is served in your room. The inn has a charming waterfront restaurant, full-service spa, and an excellent gift shop; it's also near art galleries and stores.

Located a block from the Atlantic, this hotel is 2 miles from Fernandina Beach's historic district. It features a resort-style pool deck with firepits and a full-service bar. Amenities include free, hot breakfast; free Wi-Fi; pet-friendly rooms; and the on-site Tides Pool Bar and Grill, which serves small plates and cocktails.

Inside two grand Victorian homes—surrounded by gardens in historic downtown and within walking distance of restaurants and entertainment venues—nicely appointed guest rooms have gleaming hardwood floors, antique furnishings, and modern conveniences like free Wi-Fi. There's also plenty of Southern hospitality, as well as amenities such as an eco-friendly salt pool, business services, and detached cottages with full kitchens.

If you want to be within walking distance of all that World Golf Village has to offer (including championship courses and a full-service day spa), this resort is an excellent choice. Rooms and suites, stylish and elegant with spa-inspired bathrooms, surround a 10-story atrium, at the bottom of which is the Villagio Italian Grille set amid tropical foliage and streams. In addition to playing rounds of golf and indulging in a spa treatment, you can work out in the 24-hour fitness center or play a game or two in the billiards room.