I had the opportunity to stay at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa hotel property for a few days on a college trip in late 2018. Since I stayed here a while before I joined The Gate, I do not have very many photographs from my experience, so I apologize in advance.
Review: Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa
I arrived at the hotel on a mild December night and entered the lobby. In order to check in, one must climb one flight of stairs from the main entrance. It was no struggle for me, however, and I was able to check in without a problem. I proceeded to the elevator to get to my room.
The Room
The room was equipped with two full size beds, which were reasonably comfortable. A nightstand sat between the beds, and a chair and lamp sat in the back corner of the room. Climate control is integrated into the room.
A desk and chair sat in front of the beds, along with everything needed to make coffee. The flat screen television and its remote control sat adjacent to the desk, and there were plenty of drawers for storage. The refrigerator is in the larger compartment on the right.
The Bathroom and Closet
The vanity in the bathroom was equipped with basic amenities, and the towels lay neatly stacked beneath it. The shower area, complete with a sliding glass door, is located on the other side of the toilet. No bathtub was present in my room. The closet is located across from the bathroom near the entrance to the room, and it is equipped with a door.
The View
The room includes a small balcony with a table and chairs. My balcony overlooked the hotel’s main parking lot and swimming pool, with downtown Clearwater across the harbor on the left and the Gulf of Mexico and Pier 60 on the right. I have had better views from other hotel rooms, but this was not a bad view by any means.
Other Facilities
I had the opportunity to experience both the beach and the pool at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa. The hotel is adjacent to the wide beach shared by other hotels and restaurants in the area, and the pool is located between the beach and the main parking lot of the hotel property. Both were clean and enjoyable, though I did not see anything unique or special about either. Shower facilities are also available next to the beach and the pool, and the hotel utilizes a towel card system where one can present their card at the towel stand to receive a towel to use at the beach or the pool. There is a small game room just outside of the lobby where guests can play various tabletop games such as foosball and Ping Pong. Guests must pass through the game room to get to the beach, pool, or towel stand. I did not use the spa.
Summary
I stayed at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa for three nights from Friday, December 28, 2018 to Monday, December 31, 2018. Looking at the prices from these dates in 2020, my stay would have cost $1,467.00, or $489.00 per night, not including a mandatory $25.00 resort fee per night plus tax, making the grand total $1,742.46, or $580.82 per night. I was assigned to a Gulf View room, which was the most expensive room type. The other types, Harbor View and City Side, are slightly less expensive.
I had a decent stay at this hotel property, but I would not recommend staying here for $580.82 per night as I found nothing to be extraordinary. I would recommend this hotel property at a lower cost, however, as it has adequate facilities and is conveniently located near a variety of dining options and souvenir shops. Please also note that my school organization covered the cost of my stay.
Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa is a five minute drive from downtown Clearwater and approximately 30 minutes from downtown Tampa.
Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa
400 Mandalay Avenue
Clearwater, Florida 33767
727-461-3222
All photographs ©2018 by Matthew Cohen.
