The city of Galveston in Texas may be easily dwarfed by nearby Houston, but for anyone who prefers a beachside setting to a massive city, it is definitely a place to look at for a vacation spot. Galveston is also a major port for cruise ships, so anyone who is into cruise vacations has probably boarded a ship in Galveston at some point. Even if you were just planning to spend a night in one of the cheap hotels in Galveston on either side of your next cruise, you might want to book another night and see what this city has to offer as well.
This is a popular beach getaway destination for the people who live in the Houston area, but many of them actually have second homes here as opposed to staying in hotels. There are still plenty of cheap hotels in Galveston, however, as it has become more and more popular for people outside Houston to come for holidays as well. You will find accommodation options in all price ranges, from luxury resort hotels to a few places which have dorm-style hostel accommodation. The good news is that even if your hotel is not right on the beach, the whole island is small enough that you will be able to walk anywhere you need to go from wherever you are staying.
In addition to the obvious draw of the beaches around Galveston Island, there are a few other non-beach attractions which you may want to check out. There is one winery on the island, for those of you who are into wine, as well as several quirky museums. The museums are of a particularly local interest, including one about offshore oil drilling which is actually housed in an old oil platform. Galveston also boasts a water park (as if the whole island thing did not provide enough water recreation already), and the city center also has some interesting historic landmarks and buildings.
Some of the cheap hotels in Galveston worth looking into for your stay include Gaido’s Seaside Inn (across the street from the beach, 104 rooms, some rooms with Gulf views, on-site restaurant & cafe, free continental breakfast, outdoor swimming pool, free cruise parking), Flagship Hotel (on Galveston Islands Pier, all rooms with ocean views, internet access available, outdoor pool, fishing pier, free parking, game room, free continental breakfast), Sandpiper Motel (right on Stewart Beach, free morning coffee, some rooms with ocean views and private balconies, group discounts available), Best Western Beachfront Inn (adjacent to beach, 2 miles from Moody Gardens, free continental breakfast, free cruise parking, some rooms face the beach, heated outdoor pool, internet access available), and The Commodore on the Beach (92 rooms, all with beachfront views overlooking Seawall, outdoor pool, free continental breakfast, free cookies in afternoon & evening, laundry service available, free WiFi, free parking).