Guides · New Port Richey, Florida
Where to Stay in New Port Richey, FL: Area Guide
A river town that once auditioned for Hollywood now rents rooms to people who just want the water.
How New Port Richey Is Laid Out
New Port Richey incorporated on 24 October 1924 — the younger, upriver twin of Port Richey, named for the settler Aaron M. Richey. Its first council act, on 2 December that year, was to accept a park donated by George Sims. A town barely a month old, already accepting gifts of land and planning what to do with it.
What it planned, for a while, was to be Hollywood. The silent-film star Thomas Meighan built a house on the river in 1928 and wintered here. A theatre named for him had opened in 1926. Charlie Chaplin, Lupe Velez and Ann Harding came through. The town was promoted as Hollywood East. Then the boom's collapse ended the ambition. What remains is a small city of 17,057 people where the median age is 53.5 and the water is still the main attraction.
That history matters when you are choosing where to sleep, because it explains the geography. The riverfront is where the money and the movie people went. US-19 is where the highway went. They are not the same trip.
Where to Stay Near the Riverfront and Downtown
If you want to walk to the water, look at the blocks around Main Street and the Pithlachascotee. The Hacienda, a Historic 1927 Boutique Hotel sits at 5621 Main St; the Hacienda Hotel opened on 5 February 1927 with the comedian Ed Wynn as master of ceremonies, which tells you what the town thought of itself that winter. It carries a 4.6 rating from 630 reviews, the strongest of any lodging on this list.
Slightly north on US-19, Comfort Inn & Suites New Port Richey Downtown District at 6206 US-19 holds a 4.4 from 402 reviews and puts you on the commercial strip with the downtown blocks within reach.
Hotels Along the US-19 Corridor
US-19 is the spine, and most of the town's rooms are on it. Not a scenic address. A convenient one — and the ratings spread tells you the range honestly.
Quality Inn & Suites Conference Center, 5316 US-19 Building A, rates 3.8 from 1,942 reviews. By far the largest review base here, which is what a conference property looks like. River Side Inn, 7631 US-19, sits at 3.2 from 349 reviews. Green Key Beach Motel, 6434 US-19, at 3.1 from 149. Rodeway Inn New Port Richey, 6826 US-19, comes in at 2.9 from 879 reviews.
None of these are riverfront. All of them put you in a car, five to ten minutes from the water, usually for less than the downtown options.
East of US-19: Vacation Rentals and Longer Stays
If you are here for a season rather than a weekend, the calculus changes. Census figures put total housing units at 9,423, with 718 held for seasonal or recreational use and 1,367 vacant — a town with a real furnished-rental economy, and median gross rent of $1,154.
The vacation-rental cluster sits east of US-19, away from the river. Carlton Arms of Magnolia Valley, 7212 Carlton Arms Dr, rates 4.5 from 479 reviews. Promenade at Summer Trace Apartments, 7425 Trouble Creek Rd, 4.3 from 289. Sawgrass Creek Apartments, 8930 Lazy River Loop, 4.1 from 179. Summer Lake Villas, 4331 Fiji Dr, 4.0 from 247. Sentry Management, Inc., 7615 Little Rd, rates 4.6 from 220 reviews.
These are not the Hollywood East address. They are the practical one — more space, longer terms, and a drive to everything.
How to Choose Where to Stay in New Port Richey
| If you want | Stay near | Options |
|---|---|---|
| The river on foot | Main St / downtown | The Hacienda, a Historic 1927 Boutique Hotel; Comfort Inn & Suites New Port Richey Downtown District |
| Highway convenience | US-19 | Quality Inn & Suites Conference Center; River Side Inn; Green Key Beach Motel; Rodeway Inn New Port Richey |
| A month or a season | East of US-19 | Carlton Arms of Magnolia Valley; Promenade at Summer Trace Apartments; Sawgrass Creek Apartments; Summer Lake Villas; Sentry Management, Inc. |
Two numbers worth holding onto. Median household income here is $46,160 and median home value is $164,600. This is not a resort town with resort pricing, and the lodging list reflects that. Unemployment runs 2.8 percent, and 15.7 percent of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Day Trips
The reason to base here rather than on the coast is reach. Dade City is 37 miles and holds the Kumquat Festival. Cedar Key is 66 miles, with its Seafood Festival. Clermont is 71 miles and puts on Pig on the Pond. Mount Dora, 84 miles, hosts both the Mount Dora Arts Festival and the Mount Dora Craft Fair. Arcadia, 92 miles, runs the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo.
Pick your lodging by which of those you intend to drive to, and by whether you want the river at the end of the day. The town bet on both once, and lost one of them. The water is still here.
Common questions
- Which part of New Port Richey should I stay in?
- Downtown puts you near Sims Park and the river, where the 1920s Hollywood East story lives. The Hacienda, a 1927 boutique hotel on Main Street, is the historic anchor. US-19 offers more standard chain options, but downtown is the walkable heart.
- Is The Hacienda hotel worth staying at?
- It is the town's landmark, opened 5 February 1927 with Ed Wynn as master of ceremonies. Rated 4.6 from 630 reviews, it sits at 5621 Main St. If you want the boom-era atmosphere, this is where the ambition feels closest.
- What's the best hotel in New Port Richey for a quiet stay?
- The Hacienda, a Historic 1927 Boutique Hotel, is the highest rated at 4.6 from 630 reviews. Comfort Inn & Suites New Port Richey Downtown District follows at 4.4 from 402 reviews. Both are on the downtown side, away from US-19 traffic.
- Are there vacation rentals in New Port Richey?
- Yes. Carlton Arms of Magnolia Valley (4.5 from 479 reviews) and Promenade at Summer Trace Apartments (4.3 from 289 reviews) are among the options, along with Summer Lake Villas, Sawgrass Creek Apartments and Sentry Management. They suit longer stays better than a night or two.
- What is there to do near the downtown hotels?
- Sims Park, accepted by the council on 2 December 1924, hosts Chasco Fiesta each spring: ten days of live music, a Native American festival, a car and bike show, and a parade. The Meighan Theatre, opened 1 July 1926, carries the silent-film name.
- Why do people call this area Hollywood East?
- In the 1920s the town courted film people. Thomas Meighan built a river house in 1928, the Meighan Theatre opened in 1926, and Charlie Chaplin, Lupe Velez and Ann Harding visited. The land boom's collapse ended that ambition.
Every business named above is one we hold a listing for, and every date traces to a source on our sources page. We do not describe menus, interiors or service we have not verified. Details change — confirm before you travel.