OverviewLocated one block away from Clearwater Beach and about a 9-minute drive from Clearwater's city centre, the Clearwater Beach Hotel (formerly the Days Inn Clearwater Beach) is popular with road travellers who require a hotel near the beach with easy highway access, extended kitchen amenities and a heated outdoor pool.
This non-smoking hotel has 65 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a mini-fridge, a microwave, a desk, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Standard rooms offer one queen, one king or two double beds, while rooms with a separate bedroom, a sitting area and sofabed, a bigger kitchenette and a dining table are also available.
The hotel also offers a heated outdoor pool, a business centre, barbecue facilities and one free parking spot per room. Pets are not permitted and wheelchair-accessible rooms are available upon request.
One adult of 21 years of age or older must stay in each room, and during the months of March and April, all guests must be 25 years of age or older.
Jimmy's Fish House and Iguana Bar is a 1-minute walk from the hotel, while Pier 60 can be found about 4 minutes away by car. Clearwater Mall is roughly a 15-minute drive eastward and Saint Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is a 25-minute drive southeast. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, one free parking spot per room, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: June 9, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with praise going to the hotel's location, rooms and staff.
Many guests were pleased with the hotel's location, finding it to be centrally located, as well as close to the beach, nightclubs, restaurants, mini-golf and shopping.
The hotel's accommodations were complimented by numerous reviewers. They described their rooms as clean, well equipped, spacious and comfortable, with nice ocean views and good water pressure. It should be noted, however, that a few guests had complaints about their rooms (see below).
Several lodgers praised the hotel's staff, and characterized them as friendly, accommodating and helpful with suggestions and directions. One guest stated, "the hotel staff is great. Everyone was friendly and professional, we didn't have any problems checking in or out, the housekeepers did a great job, and the folks at the front desk know where all the best places to eat are".
The hotel's value was also complimented by some reviewers, who described the rates as affordable and decent. Some guests were disappointed the hotel did not provide a free breakfast, however.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were some common complaints about noise transfer and the rooms.
Several reviewers complained of noise transfer at the hotel. They reported loud guests in adjacent rooms and rooms overhead, as well as noise from the streets in front-facing rooms. Certain times of the year, like public holidays and spring break, were deemed noisier than others.
While the majority of guests were pleased with their clean and spacious rooms, a few guests were disappointed with their accommodations. They reported uncomfortable beds (too firm), as well as a spotty Wi-Fi signal, worn decor and plumbing issues.
Also, as noted above, some guests would have appreciated a free breakfast.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 3.6 out of 5 with a 90% recommendation rate from 182 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 7.4 out of 10 from 126 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #47 out of 95 Clearwater hotels with an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 from 116 reviews.
The author called the hotel on June 9, 2013 to verify some information.
