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New Smyrna Beach · Hotel shortlist

Hotels with a bar in the business district, New Smyrna Beach

Rosa Iglesias

Rosa Iglesias The American south

Updated 1 September 2026 · 9 New Smyrna Beach hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in New Smyrna Beach, out of the 9 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.9 down to 4.2.

Black Dolphin Inn is the one I would book myself.

Black Dolphin Inn

Highest rated of the five

Black Dolphin Inn

★★★★★4.9 from 451 reviews

Black Dolphin Inn comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.9 from 451 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 $215 a night on the dates we checked.

9 hotels in New Smyrna Beach qualified for this list and five made it. The Riverview Hotel & Spa is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Bara drink without going back out
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

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All five, ranked

  1. Black Dolphin Inn1

    Black Dolphin Inn

    ★★★★★4.9 from 451 reviews

    • Spa
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

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  2. The Riverview Hotel & Spa2

    The Riverview Hotel & Spa

    ★★★★★4.7 from 432 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

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  3. The Shores Resort & Spa3

    The Shores Resort & Spa

    ★★★★★4.2 from 3,682 reviews

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

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  4. Residence Inn by Marriott Daytona Beach Oceanfront4

    Residence Inn by Marriott Daytona Beach Oceanfront

    ★★★★★4.3 from 1,375 reviews

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

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  5. Hilton Garden Inn Daytona Beach Airport5

    Hilton Garden Inn Daytona Beach Airport

    ★★★★★4.3 from 1,013 reviews

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

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How this list was put together

9 New Smyrna 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.

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.