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Clearwater · Hotel shortlist

High end hotels in the business district, Clearwater

Gerald Whitfield

Gerald Whitfield The American northeast and Canada

Updated 1 September 2026 · 17 Clearwater hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Clearwater, out of the 17 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 5 down to 4.6.

Downtown Dunedin Walking District is the one I would book myself.

Downtown Dunedin Walking District

Highest rated of the five

Downtown Dunedin Walking District

★★★★★5 from 616 reviews

Downtown Dunedin Walking District comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 5 from 616 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is found under the business district and around $439 a night on the dates we checked.

17 hotels in Clearwater qualified for this list and five made it. Opal Sol Resort is the one I would book if the first is full.

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All five, ranked

  1. Downtown Dunedin Walking District1

    Downtown Dunedin Walking District

    ★★★★★5 from 616 reviews

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    • Opal Sol Resort2

      Opal Sol Resort

      ★★★★★4.7 from 773 reviews

      • Pool
      • Spa
      • Gym
      • Restaurant
      • Bar
      • Parking

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    • 2/2 Penthouse, Clearwater Beach, 801 Avalon!3

      2/2 Penthouse, Clearwater Beach, 801 Avalon!

      ★★★★★4.8904295 from 326 reviews

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      • Opal Sands Resort4

        Opal Sands Resort

        ★★★★★4.6 from 5,304 reviews

        • Pool
        • Spa
        • Gym
        • Restaurant
        • Bar
        • Parking

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      • Waterfront Mid-Century Chic 4 Clearwater Beach .5

        Waterfront Mid-Century Chic 4 Clearwater Beach .

        ★★★★★4.8 from 324 reviews

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        How this list was put together

        17 Clearwater hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

        Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

        The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

        What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

        Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

        Gerald Whitfield

        Gerald Whitfield The American northeast and Canada

        Volunteers three days a week and travels the rest. Maritime museums and working boatyards in 19 countries, mostly by ferry and train, talking to the shipwrights in every one.

        Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.