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Indian Rocks Beach · Hotel shortlist

Indian Rocks Beach hotels with an airport shuttle

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Updated 1 September 2026 · 26 Indian Rocks Beach hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Indian Rocks Beach, out of the 26 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.7 down to 4.5.

The Karol Hotel, St. Petersburg Clearwater, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel is the one I would book myself.

The Karol Hotel, St. Petersburg Clearwater, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

Highest rated of the five

The Karol Hotel, St. Petersburg Clearwater, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

★★★★★4.7 from 745 reviews

The Karol Hotel, St. Petersburg Clearwater, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.7 from 745 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 4 star property, found under the airport and around $273 a night on the dates we checked.

26 hotels in Indian Rocks Beach qualified for this list and five made it. Opal Sands Resort 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
  • Bara drink without going back out

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All five, ranked

  1. The Karol Hotel, St. Petersburg Clearwater, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel1

    The Karol Hotel, St. Petersburg Clearwater, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

    ★★★★★4.7 from 745 reviews

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

    Check rates Read more

  2. Opal Sands Resort2

    Opal Sands Resort

    ★★★★★4.6 from 5,304 reviews

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

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  3. Belleview Inn3

    Belleview Inn

    ★★★★★4.7 from 481 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

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  4. Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park4

    Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park

    ★★★★★4.5 from 2,205 reviews

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

    Check rates Read more

  5. Sleep Inn Clearwater-St Petersburg5

    Sleep Inn Clearwater-St Petersburg

    ★★★★★4.5 from 1,946 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

26 Indian Rocks Beach 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.

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Works weekends at an animal shelter and saves the pay for off-season flights. Hostels, night buses, and volunteering at animal sanctuaries for a bunk. Six countries in three years.

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.