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Ocala · Hotel shortlist

High end hotels near the airport in Ocala

Peter Halvorsen

Peter Halvorsen The Nordics

Updated 1 September 2026 · 8 Ocala hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Ocala, out of the 8 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.8 down to 4.4.

The Riding Academy Hotel is the one I would book myself.

The Riding Academy Hotel

Highest rated of the five

The Riding Academy Hotel

★★★★★4.8 from 442 reviews

The Riding Academy Hotel comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.8 from 442 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 $141 a night on the dates we checked.

8 hotels in Ocala qualified for this list and five made it. Couple's Cottage - Serene Getaway! is the one I would book if the first is full.

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All five, ranked

  1. The Riding Academy Hotel1

    The Riding Academy Hotel

    ★★★★★4.8 from 442 reviews

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    • Couple's Cottage - Serene Getaway!2

      Couple's Cottage - Serene Getaway!

      ★★★★★4.9384055 from 138 reviews

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      • SpringHill Suites by Marriott Ocala3

        SpringHill Suites by Marriott Ocala

        ★★★★★4.4 from 572 reviews

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

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      • Beautiful 3 bedroom apt Historic Ocala 18914

        Beautiful 3 bedroom apt Historic Ocala 1891

        ★★★★★4.9 from 73 reviews

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        • Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ocala by IHG5

          Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ocala by IHG

          ★★★★★4.4 from 489 reviews

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

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        How this list was put together

        8 Ocala 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.

        Peter Halvorsen

        Peter Halvorsen The Nordics

        Twenty-six years of teaching means 26 long summers. Trains and driving through most of Europe, now further afield, usually alone with a tent. Keeps every train ticket since 1994.

        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.