Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Clearwater Beach

The Holiday Inn is a Mediterranean-style hotel set in a hub of activity in Clearwater Beach. The hotel is two blocks south of the public beach, or about a five-minute walk. Across the street sits Crabby’s Beachwalk Bar & Grill and Post Corner Pizza. In the middle of the beach is Pier 60, featuring live entertainment in the evening.

Inside, the lobby is home to Jimmy’s Stone Creek Coffee Shop, and the hotel's design theme is standard Florida decor -- wicker chairs, a dolphin sculpture, and palm tree art throughout the public places. The nine floors of rooms are decorated in a similar fashion. Downstairs, Jimmy’s Fish House (which can get loud at night) is a congregating area for dining and happy hour fun, with food served both indoors and on a deck overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

The hotel abuts the Gulf of Mexico but is not located directly on Clearwater Beach, which is about a two-block walk north. A trolley stops by the hotel to take guests to the beach. Other notable sites in the area are the Clearwater Country Club, a 10-minute drive away, as well as many restaurants and bars. Next door is the Shepherd’s Tiki Bar, a live music venue, as well as Maui Nix, a surf and skate shop that sells bathing suits, surf gear, and other beach necessities. Nearby Pier 60 has nightly free festivals with artisans, street performances, and live music.

The rooms are decorated in the standard Florida style: tropical decor, green walls, palm tree paintings, and oak wood furniture. Most rooms have private balconies, and larger rooms also come with full-size refrigerators and cook-top stoves. Bathrooms have bathtubs or standing showers. Rooms have flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi. The pool and bar area can get quite loud at night. Rates are average when compared with other hotels of the same caliber and location.

The Holiday Inn includes a full-service salon offering haircuts, waxing, manicures, and pedicures, and the fitness center is conveniently open for long hours. The hotel also has an arcade room with air hockey, video games, Skee ball, and other games. For food, Jimmy’s Stone Creek Coffee in the lobby offers small bites and coffee, smoothies, and other quick snacks while Jimmy’s Fish House specializes in seafood dishes and beach cocktails. The hotel overlooks the Gulf of Mexico, and sometimes dolphins and manatees can be seen swimming around. For strictly libations, Rum Runner’s Tiki Bar is located by the pool, and stays open late into the night. The pool deck also overlooks the ocean and has two swimming areas -- one large pool and one smaller kids' pool.