Best Sarasota Hotels

This is one of Ritz-Carlton’s signature properties, with decor and amenities to match that lofty status. Whether this is the best of both worlds or simply the best is up to you. With its downtown location and a guests-only beachfront club just three miles away, this Ritz-Carlton puts you steps away from the art and culture of downtown and the laid-back mojo of the Gulf beaches. The balconies overlooking Sarasota Bay are a favored place to view the annual boat races. Inside there’s the usual (for Ritz-Carlton) acres of marble, brocaded fabric and upper-crust ambience. There are apartments on the upper floors, so the hotel actually has residents who’re a wealth of information about what’s going on in town. You’ll see them by the pool or catching up on their cocktails downstairs before dinner. Rates in season start around $320 for a King room and go up, up, up into the four figures depending on the room you choose and the floor you’re on. The 9th-floor rooms are recommended for their marina views of Sarasota Bay.

A fun-and-funky chain with hotels in downtown areas around the country, the Hotel Indigo is counterintuitive, conveying a beachy feel through the use of bright colors, wood, tile and wicker while being located in the urban core. The guest rooms make you feel like you’re staying in a friend’s cozy beach house though there are few of the usual beach resort features—there’s an outdoor jacuzzi but no pool, for example—but rates dip as low as $126 for a King room in the off season and go up to $194 in the high season.

If you’re not interested in staying beachfront, the newly renovated Hyatt is within walking distance of all the downtown attractions. The interior has been redone in modern style, with the angular whitewashed architecture accented by fabrics highlighted in pinks, blues and greens. The hotel has its own 32-slip marina and there’s a freeform pool with waterfall and bar surrounded by loungers for working on your tan, but chances are if you stay here you’re probably going to be off exploring much of the time.  It’s a short drive across the causeway to the Lido Key beaches, a little further to Siesta Key, but you can be on the Gulf in less than a half-hour either way. Rates start at $135 during the week in the off season, with package savings and other discounts available, especially to Florida residents.

The early pioneers built their homes of cypress—weather and pest resistant, it stood the test of time. The Cypress is one of those homes, operating now as a bed and breakfast. There are just five suites, each with private bath and tastefully decorated with period antiques and Oriental carpets. Book the Martha Rose Suite if it’s available; it’s the largest and there’s a private balcony with a view across Bayfront Park to the Gulf of Mexico. There’s no pool, but there is a spacious and shady garden and the Cypress is a short walk from the downtown attractions. From May 1-Dec. 14, you can get rates as low as $150; Dec. 15-Apr. 30 the rate jumps to $289.

These two-bedroom villas are bigger than the suites at most hotel—1,400 square feet—and come with all the comforts of home: fully equipped kitchens, washer and dryer, WiFi, private garages and free phone calls. The Villas are well south of downtown, so you’re 20 minutes from the downtown attractions or Siesta Beach but prices start at just $973 per week and there is a surprising number of amenities for the price: heated pool, Jacuzzi, tennis courts, mini golf, basketball and shuffleboard courts. Inside the Villas are neat and clean; a good choice for a longer stay.