A Local’s Guide to the Best Places to Stay in Dunedin, Florida

Dunedin, Florida is one of Florida’s most popular small towns and a fabulous place to spend an evening or a couple of days. The town is home to many locally owned businesses, especially in the downtown core. This commitment to promoting local business extends to the many places to stay in Dunedin.

The Tampa suburb with small town vibes is my home. And just like my local’s guide to Dunedin’s best restaurants, in this guide I point out the many lodging options as well as information about each. The amazing experience of staying in one of these places reflects that small town feel and hometown friendliness.

2. Meranova Guest Inn

Meranova Guest Inn, in the heart of downtown Dunedin, offers one of the most charming places to stay in Dunedin. The small property attends to every detail, such as umbrellas by the pool, free Wi-Fi, coffee and tea, and welcome chocolates. Optional services include grocery delivery, shuttle service, and breakfast.

The Meranova Guest Inn is beautifully landscaped, making guests feel as if they are staying at a tropical retreat. The location is across the street from Pioneer Park where the Downtown Dunedin Market, a farmers’ market, sets up every Friday and Saturday. The park also hosts concerts and festivals.

The Inn’s building was constructed in 1920 and exhibits 1920’s idiosyncrasies, like floors that aren’t quite level. These only add to the charm of the Guest Inn.

Smack in the middle of downtown. everything was within walking distance. it was SUPER clean, you could smell it when you walked in.

Christina – Read more reviews

→ Check availability and rates at Meranova Guest Inn ←

3. Hampton Inn Dunedin

When the consistency of a franchise is what you seek, look no further than the Hampton Inn Dunedin, one of the newest places to stay in Dunedin. Opened in 2019, this hotel is the only one on the Dunedin Causeway, providing a great place to stay in Dunedin near the town’s best nature – Honeymoon Island State Park.

Guests at the Hampton Inn enjoy traditional Hampton Inn amenities, like free breakfast, pet friendly rooms, and included parking. The location is an easy and walkable one. The adjacent strip mall offers one of the best breakfast spots in Dunedin (Benedicts), one of the best Mexican restaurants in Dunedin (Happy Cactus), and one the best pizza joints in the Tampa Bay area (Madison Ave Pizza).

From the hotel, guests can walk a couple miles along the Dunedin Causeway, watch the sunset along the walk, rent kayaks to visit Caladesi Island, ride bikes on the Pinellas Trail, and enjoy the beaches at Honeymoon Island. If nature is why you’re in Dunedin, you can’t beat the Hampton Inn’s location.

→ Check availability and rates at Hampton Inn Dunedin ←

4. Fenway Hotel

The oldest hotel in Dunedin is the Fenway, though until recently it had not operated as a hotel in a very long time. In fact, it sat empty and boarded up for several years, passed through several owners’ hands, until Mainsail Lodging and Development purchased the property in 2018.

The 1920’s era building was renovated and reopened as an Autograph Collection (Marriott) hotel in late 2018. It features a rooftop bar, full service restaurant, pool, and fitness center.

The Fenway’s location features stunning views of the water across the hotel’s front lawn. It’s an easy walk to Dunedin Municipal Marina and the restaurants and boutiques found in downtown Dunedin. If an historic property sits high on your list for places to stay in Dunedin, the Fenway is a hotel you’ll definitely want to book.

→ Check availability and rates at the Fenway Hotel ←

5. Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Clearwater North-Dunedin

The Holiday Inn Express sits on a prime corner in downtown Dunedin, at the corner of Broadway and Skinner and backing to the popular Pinellas Trail. One of the best places to stay in Dunedin, the Holiday Inn Express includes parking and breakfast. It’s pool overlooks the Pinellas Trail where guests can watch walkers, cyclists, joggers, and more pass by all day.

This hotel’s location makes walking downtown easy and enjoyable. Just step out onto the Trail, and Main Street is less than a half mile away. The bike shop across the Trail offers bike rentals to further enjoy the Trail, whether biking it to the north where it connects with the Dunedin Causeway or heading south to Clearwater.

→ Check availability and rates at the Holiday Inn Express ←

6. Best Western Plus Yacht Harbor Inn

If a waterfront hotel is important to you when considering places to stay in Dunedin, you’ll want to consider the Best Western in downtown Dunedin. Located next to the Dunedin Municipal Marina, nearly every room in this hotel has waterfront views.

With this great location, guests can easily walk around downtown shopping and visiting the breweries and restaurants. Or take a stroll along historic Victoria Drive to enjoy the sunset views. But if walking at sunset isn’t your idea of a great close to the day, enjoy the sunset from the hotel’s restaurants.

Home of two of Dunedin’s best restaurants, you’ll love gazing over the water from your upscale table in Bon Appetit or take in the views from the open-air Marina Cafe. If these don’t suit you, grab a table at Olde Bay Cafe on the first floor of the marina’s dock house.

The Best Western Plus in Dunedin is pet friendly and includes breakfast, parking, and Wi-Fi.

→ Check availability and rates at the Best Western Plus Yacht Harbor Inn ←

7. Sunny Side Cottages

Several duplex cottages around a courtyard type area make up Sunny Side Cottages. Each unit features a kitchenette, private bath, and small porch. Charming details include chocolates or cookies in each unit.

Located on Skinner, just off Main Street, Sunny Side Cottages location is an easy, walkable one to downtown Dunedin. Good restaurants and popular breweries are just across the street, making this a great location for a vacation “home” base.

Additional amenities include a swimming pool, free parking, and barbecue facilities.

→ Check availability and rates at Sunny Side Cottages. ←

8. Dunedin Motels

Small motels and motor courts continue to find life in Dunedin’s quaint embraces. What, exactly, is the difference between a hotel and a motel though?

According to USA Today, it really comes down to price, location, and structure. Motels generally offer fewer services, fewer rooms, for fewer dollars. We tend to think of them as the folksy, one-story places from the 1960s and 1970s. You know the ones… U-shaped, a pool in the middle, parking right in front of your room.

In Dunedin, you’ll find these kinds of throwbacks though the service, decor, and amenities are anything but ancient. An accommodation in Dunedin such as the Seaside Artisan, Amberlee Motel, or Palm Court provides a homey feel, often with rooms that include a small kitchenette. Here, the weary traveler feels like family.

With daily, weekly, and monthly rates, stay as long as time allows. For many of our temporary residents, that’s through Spring Break or Spring Training.

9. Camping in Dunedin

Camping in Dunedin is very limited. And you’ll need a boat. There are no campgrounds IN Dunedin; however, a couple exist nearby in Palm Harbor. Those will fill up quickly for season (February – April), often booked months in advance, and are usually booked solid through all of winter as snowbirds spend the cooler months in their RVs.

For tent camping, if you have a small boat, kayaks, or a canoe available to you, the best bet is the spoil islands. These are small islands created when the Intracoastal Waterway was dredged 50+ years ago. Today they are treed over and are a popular daytime spot with kayakers and day sailors.

Camping on the spoil islands requires that you bring in and haul out everything you need. This is primitive camping so you’ll need to bring all the regular camping gear – tent, sleeping bags, food, bug spray, etc – plus firewood, water, a grate or stove to cook with, extra batteries for the phones, etc. There is no electricity and no fresh water. It is, however, one of our favorite places to camp and gets quite crowded on long weekends, especially during the cooler months.

Final Thoughts on a Good Accommodation in Dunedin

Places to stay in Dunedin run the gamut from traditional and historic hotels to charming vacation rentals and nearly everything in between. New boutique hotels are being added each year, with a new one slated to open within weeks and another in 2025 so check back often for updates.

While staying in Dunedin, be sure to check this local’s guide to the amazing things to do in Dunedin. This comprehensive list includes everything, from nature activities to museums, festivals to golf.