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Dunedin · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels in the city centre, Dunedin

Gerald Whitfield

Gerald Whitfield The American northeast and Canada

Updated 1 September 2026 · 14 Dunedin hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Dunedin, out of the 14 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.4 down to 3.9.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $82.

La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Clearwater Central

Highest rated of the five

La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Clearwater Central

★★★★★4.4 from 2,375 reviews

La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Clearwater Central comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.4 from 2,375 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 a 3 star property, found under city centre and around $82 a night on the dates we checked.

14 hotels in Dunedin qualified for this list and five made it. Tropical Inn & Suites is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Clearwater Central1

    La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Clearwater Central

    ★★★★★4.4 from 2,375 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  2. Tropical Inn & Suites2

    Tropical Inn & Suites

    ★★★★★4.3 from 1,156 reviews

    • Pool
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  3. Palm Cove Motel | Clearwater Motel3

    Palm Cove Motel | Clearwater Motel

    ★★★★★4.2 from 145 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  4. The Floridian Inn4

    The Floridian Inn

    ★★★★★4.1 from 151 reviews

    • Pool
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  5. Royal North Beach5

    Royal North Beach

    ★★★★★3.9 from 338 reviews

    • Pool
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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How this list was put together

14 Dunedin 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.