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Sarasota · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels downtown in Sarasota

Daniel Kovac

Daniel Kovac Central Europe

Updated 1 September 2026 · 17 Sarasota hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Sarasota, out of the 17 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.7 down to 4.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $89.

Kompose Hotel Sarasota

Highest rated of the five

Kompose Hotel Sarasota

★★★★★4.7 from 9,437 reviews

Kompose Hotel Sarasota comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.7 from 9,437 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 downtown and around $89 a night on the dates we checked.

17 hotels in Sarasota qualified for this list and five made it. Comfort Suites Sarasota-Siesta Key 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
  • Gymopen to guests, not a partner pass down the road

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. Kompose Hotel Sarasota1

    Kompose Hotel Sarasota

    ★★★★★4.7 from 9,437 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

    Check rates Read more

  2. Comfort Suites Sarasota-Siesta Key2

    Comfort Suites Sarasota-Siesta Key

    ★★★★★4.4 from 1,065 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  3. Golden Host Resort Sarasota3

    Golden Host Resort Sarasota

    ★★★★★4.3 from 1,190 reviews

    • Pool
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  4. Comfort Inn & Suites Sarasota I754

    Comfort Inn & Suites Sarasota I75

    ★★★★★4 from 218 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

    Check rates Read more

  5. SureStay by Best Western Sarasota Lido Beach5

    SureStay by Best Western Sarasota Lido Beach

    ★★★★★4.1 from 347 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

17 Sarasota 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.

Daniel Kovac

Daniel Kovac Central Europe

Takes the same two weeks every August and drives somewhere far with his wife and daughter. Twelve countries, all by road, all in one battered estate car. Plans routes on paper maps.

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.