Trip GrapevineTop places, picked by travellers

Pasadena · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels near Rose Parade

Mei-Lin Zhou

Mei-Lin Zhou Japan

Updated 1 September 2026 · 21 Pasadena hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Pasadena, out of the 21 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.7 down to 4.2.

All five are within 2.4 km of Rose Parade.

The Athenaeum

Highest rated of the five

The Athenaeum

★★★★★4.7 from 550 reviews

The Athenaeum comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.7 from 550 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 poi.

21 hotels in Pasadena qualified for this list and five made it. Saga Motor Hotel Pasadena is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • 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
  • Step free accesslevel entry and a lift

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. The Athenaeum1

    The Athenaeum

    ★★★★★4.7 from 550 reviews

    1.2 km from Rose Parade, about a 15 minute walk

    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  2. Saga Motor Hotel Pasadena2

    Saga Motor Hotel Pasadena

    ★★★★★4.4 from 336 reviews

    200 m from Rose Parade, about a 2 minute walk

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

    Check rates Read more

  3. Pasadena Rose & Crown Hotel3

    Pasadena Rose & Crown Hotel

    ★★★★★4.3 from 627 reviews

    1.0 km from Rose Parade, about a 12 minute walk

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

    Check rates Read more

  4. Pasadena Hotel & Pool4

    Pasadena Hotel & Pool

    ★★★★★4.2 from 1,043 reviews

    1.5 km from Rose Parade, about a 19 minute walk

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

    Check rates Read more

  5. Hilton Pasadena5

    Hilton Pasadena

    ★★★★★4.3 from 2,700 reviews

    2.4 km from Rose Parade

      Check rates Read more

    How this list was put together

    21 Pasadena hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating first and on how close they are to Rose Parade second, then 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.

    Mei-Lin Zhou

    Mei-Lin Zhou Japan

    Works agency hours in Vancouver and spends all 18 vacation days abroad. One new country and one repeat visit per year. Five trips to Japan and a running list of ramen shops.

    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.