Trip GrapevineTop places, picked by travellers

Marathon · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels in the old town, Marathon

Rosa Iglesias

Rosa Iglesias The American south

Updated 1 September 2026 · 86 Marathon hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Marathon, out of the 86 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 5 down to 4.969112.

Pet Friendly Papaya Bay is the one I would book myself.

Pet Friendly Papaya Bay

Highest rated of the five

Pet Friendly Papaya Bay

★★★★★5 from 642 reviews

Pet Friendly Papaya Bay comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 5 from 642 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 old town.

86 hotels in Marathon qualified for this list and five made it. \"Your own private resort\" - Mockingbird Pointe - Waterfront, pool and dockage is the one I would book if the first is full.

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. Pet Friendly Papaya Bay1

    Pet Friendly Papaya Bay

    ★★★★★5 from 642 reviews

      Check rates Read more

    • \"Your own private resort\" - Mockingbird Pointe - Waterfront, pool and dockage2

      \"Your own private resort\" - Mockingbird Pointe - Waterfront, pool and dockage

      ★★★★★5 from 512 reviews

        Check rates Read more

      • Luxury Waterfront DOCK 4/3 BEACH ICE MACHINE / PRIVATE POOL / HEATER/CHILLER3

        Luxury Waterfront DOCK 4/3 BEACH ICE MACHINE / PRIVATE POOL / HEATER/CHILLER

        ★★★★★4.997251 from 251 reviews

          Check rates Read more

        • ( 6)Waterfront Beautiful 4 Bed 3 Bath Pool Home4

          ( 6)Waterfront Beautiful 4 Bed 3 Bath Pool Home

          ★★★★★5 from 209 reviews

            Check rates Read more

          • Beachfront Home Pool/Tiki/Dock5

            Beachfront Home Pool/Tiki/Dock

            ★★★★★4.969112 from 259 reviews

              Check rates Read more

            How this list was put together

            86 Marathon 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.

            Rosa Iglesias

            Rosa Iglesias The American south

            Teaches in term time and plays weddings in summer, which pays for the travel. Goes where the music is, usually festivals in small unrecommended towns. Owns three unnecessary accordions.

            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.