Florence sits at the top-left corner of Alabama on the north bank of the Tennessee River, and it is the largest of the four Shoals cities. Where you stay comes down to one decision: the walkable downtown grid around Court Street, or the river and the highway strip out towards Cox Creek.
One thing has changed since most guides to Florence were written. The Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa now trades as the Renaissance Shoals Resort & Spa. Same 190-room property at 10 Hightower Place with the same river views, new brand. Search the current name or you will get stale results.
Quick comparison of Florence hotels
Checked against each property’s own site and the Florence–Lauderdale Tourism directory in August 2026.
| Hotel | Address | Area | Best for | Published detail worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Stricklin Hotel | 317 N Court St, Florence AL 35630 | Downtown | Walking to everything | Boutique hotel in a restored downtown building, on the Court Street strip |
| Renaissance Shoals Resort & Spa | 10 Hightower Pl, Florence AL 35630 | Riverfront | Full-service stays, spa, groups | 190 rooms — 86 king, 104 queen/queen, all with private balconies over the Tennessee River and Wilson Dam; European spa; zero-entry and indoor pools; 360 Grille and Swampers Bar & Grille on site; (256) 246-3600 |
| Comfort Suites Florence Shoals Area | 140 Matthew Paul Ct, Florence AL 35630 | Highway side | Families on a budget | Free hot breakfast; indoor heated pool; truck parking; (256) 246-2300 |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites Florence Northeast | 180 Etta Gray St, Florence AL 35630 | Northeast, near Regency Square | Reliable chain stay | Newest of the northeast cluster; breakfast included with the brand |
Compare places to stay in Florence Alabama
Live prices and availability on Expedia, for the dates you choose.
Check hotel prices →Booking is handled by Expedia. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Downtown, if you want to walk
Downtown Florence is a genuinely walkable few blocks, which is unusual for a city this size in the region. North Court Street is the spine, and it is where the restaurants, the bars, the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts and Florence’s live music are.
The Stricklin at 317 N Court Street is the only hotel actually in it. That is the entire case for staying there: you park once and do not move the car again. If your trip involves evenings out, a show, or the Handy Festival in July, that is worth more than a bigger room somewhere you would have to drive back from.
The University of North Alabama campus sits immediately north of downtown, so the Stricklin is also the practical pick for campus visits, move-in weekends and graduations — book those dates a long way out, because the whole city fills.
The riverfront option
The Renaissance Shoals is the full-service hotel in the area and the one with the resort infrastructure: 190 rooms, a European spa, a zero-entry pool and an indoor pool, hot tubs, a 24-hour fitness centre and two restaurants — 360 Grille and Swampers Bar & Grille.
Every room has a private balcony looking out over the Tennessee River and Wilson Dam, which is the actual selling point. It is attached to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, so it also functions as the golf hotel for the Shoals.
Trade-off: it is not downtown. You are driving into Florence for dinner, or eating on site. For a spa weekend or a golf trip that is fine. For a music-and-bars weekend it is the wrong side of the decision.
Budget and family stays
Comfort Suites Florence Shoals Area at 140 Matthew Paul Court is the straightforward value pick. It publishes a free hot breakfast and an indoor heated pool, which is the combination that actually matters when you are travelling with children, and it has truck parking if you are arriving in something large.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Florence Northeast at 180 Etta Gray Street covers the same ground near Regency Square, with breakfast included as standard across the brand.
The Florence–Lauderdale tourism office also lists a Residence Inn, Baymont by Wyndham, Quality Inn, Waterloo Lodge and The GunRunner, plus Joe Wheeler State Park lodging out on Wheeler Lake if you would rather be on the water than in town.
What is actually here
Florence’s draw is music history. This is Muscle Shoals country — FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound are a short drive across the river in Muscle Shoals and Sheffield, and the W.C. Handy Birthplace, Museum and Library is in Florence itself, honouring the man usually called the Father of the Blues. The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Rosenbaum House is here too, the only Wright building in Alabama.
The four Shoals cities — Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia — are all within about ten minutes of each other, so basing yourself in Florence and driving to the studios works perfectly well. The reverse is less true: Florence has the restaurants and the walkable core, and the others do not.
How to choose
Downtown and evenings out, take the Stricklin. Spa, golf, groups or a river view, take the Renaissance Shoals. Travelling with kids or watching the budget, take the Comfort Suites for the free breakfast and the indoor pool. Coming for UNA, book anything you can get and book it early.
Sammie O publishes Germ Trips, a travel guide covering hotels, restaurants, airport transfers and chauffeur services. The guides aim for practical detail and a clear recommendation rather than an undifferentiated list. Where a town has no good option, the guides say so and point to the nearest one that does. Guides are AI drafted. A small number have been checked against official listings, and those say so on the page.
View All Articles
