Last updated:9/20/2022 Navarre Beach is a hidden gem in the Florida panhandle. Destin, Pensacola, and Panama City Beach get all the press (and the crowds). Navarre Beach is located on Santa Rosa Island just 15 miles west of Pensacola Beach. It’s about a half hour drive from either the Destin Fort Walton Beach Airport or the Pensacola Airport, which gives you flexibility searching for plane tickets. You might be surprised to find out there one chain Navarre Beach Hotel, but several non-chain resort type properties.
Best Overall Navarre Beach Hotels
Springhill Suites Navarre Beach
Our top choice in Navarre Beach, this Springhill Suites is one of the best values of any beachfront hotel in the US. It is extremely rare to find a beachfront hotel that is new (built at the end of 2017) with rates under $200 a night. Rooms here are often closer to $100 a night through Hotels.com: Check availability Springhill Suites Navarre Beach
As you can see above, the rooms are decorated in cool island vibe with decor specific to Navarre Beach, a welcome change from cookie cutter generic hotel styling. The rooms that face the water all have balconies with gorgeous views of the beach. Normally, balconies like this are only found on condo units, it’s pretty uncommon to find them in hotels along the gulf.
The amenities here are top notch as well. The pool complex is located directly between the hotel and the beach. If the water is too cold in the Gulf you can lounge in the heated pool and watch the waves crash on the beach. The attached restaurant, Beach House Bar & Grill has fantastic seafood with a great view of the water. You can check out the reviews on TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g34468-d12572420-Reviews-Beach_House_Bar_Grill-Navarre_Florida.html
Enough of what we think of this Navarre Beach hotel, let’s get to the ratings.
- Hotels.com: 9.4/10 (500+ reviews) Check availability: Springhill Suites Navarre Beach
- Expedia: 4.6/5 (500+ reviews)
- Google: 4.7/5 (700+ reviews)
- TripAdvisor: 4.5/5 (300+ reviews)
This is one of our favorite hotels in Florida, and arguably the best value of any hotel in the Florida Panhandle. Be sure to check the price on both Hotels.com and Expedia, sometimes one site will have a sale and offer a better deal. I would only recommend booking through Mariott if you are using points. Of all the Navarre Beach Hotels, this one is the best. Frequent Islander Grade: A+
Best Western Navarre Waterfront
So, the only Navarre Beach hotel that is actually on the beach is the Springhill Suites we reviewed above. The thing about Navarre Beach is, it is kind of a hidden gem. Until the Springhill was built in 2017 there wasn’t ANY hotels on the beach. Houses and private condominiums are pretty much all you will find on the beach. This means the beaches are super quiet, and feel almost private compared to Pensacola. If you don’t mind staying on the bay side of Navarre, the Best Western Waterfront is a great choice.
This hotel is located directly across the Navarre Beach bridge on the bay side of Navarre. According to Google Maps, you can drive from the parking lot at the Best Western to the Navarre Beach access parking lot in 4 minutes. It’s a quick drive across the bridge and you are there.
This hotel is a great choice if the Springhill is full (which does frequently happen). It’s also a nice option to save some money during busy season, where the Springhill might be charging closer to $200 a night. Staying on the beach is great, but it might not always be worth it. The rooms here are clean and nice, the pool is great (plenty of loungers) and the proximity to the beach is fantastic. Hotels.com sometimes has access to really cheap rooms at this property, it’s worth checking here: Check Availability Best Western Waterfront Navarre
It’s important to note that it’s not worth it to save $20 and stay at the Days Inn across the road from the Navarre Beach Best Western. The facility is not nearly as nice as the Best Western, and usually pretty similar in price. Only stay at the Days Inn if you can’t get a room at the Springhill or Best Western. Ok, let’s get to the ratings:
- Hotels.com: 9.0/10 (400+ reviews)
- Expedia: 4.4/5 (1000+ reviews)
- Google: 4.5/5 (600+ reviews)
- TripAdvisor: 4.5/5 (700+ reviews)
This is one of the highest rated Best Western properties I’ve ever seen, and from our experience, we wholeheartedly agree with the reviews. The location is fantastic, the only thing separating you from the beach is a beautiful drive across the bridge. This is easily the 2nd best of the Navarre Beach hotels, and 3rd place is a long ways off. Frequent Islander Grade: A
This is a pretty short list because there aren’t many hotels worth staying at in Navarre Beach. There are two other hotels in the area, but we do not recommend either of them. The first is the Navarre Days Inn located across the street from the Best Western. It is nearly the same price as the Best Western, yet gets terrible reviews. Avoid this one. The other option is the Hampton Inn Navarre. This is a perfectly fine hotel, it’s just not close to the beach and similar pricing to the Springhill. In short, stick to the Springhill or the Best Western.
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