The Hampton Inn Crystal River's building keeps with the brand's hallmark, a two-toned beige and brown building with the red italic Hampton Inn sign. The boxy, earthly color scheme can feel a little retro, but, inside, the Hampton Inn is modern and surprisingly stylish. The colors turn darker inside, with a dark wood reception desk and black-framed photographs on the walls of generic scenes meant to evoke the hotel's location on Florida's coast.

The large breakfast seating area brightens things up a bit, blending green, gold, and peach hues with a variety of fabrics and patterns to create a vibrant, multidimensional space. The atmosphere is bright and modern, and the varied use of round, square, and high-top tables give the impression that the room can fit anyone's needs. Separate from the breakfast buffet area, this sitting area functions as a lounge/work/gathering space during the day. 

This Hampton Inn is conveniently located off of North Suncoast Boulevard, one of Crystal River's main drags. While the area immediately surrounding the hotel is a little quiet and glum (it is located between a closed-down trailer park and a church), it's less than a 10-minute drive from downtown and the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, where tourists can go in search of manatees. The Florida manatees, the main tourist draw to Crystal River, can be found in Crystal River and Kings Bay. The best time to spot them is in the winter months, between November and March. 

The rooms at the Hampton Inn Crystal River are large and clean, with dark wood furniture and gray-toned accent walls that give a more contemporary feel. Standard rooms have two queen beds or a king, and include a reading chair, a work space, and bureau that holds a mini-fridge and microwave. Business Suites are larger studio-like spaces with full sitting areas and a long work desk that divides the room. Bathrooms are also quite large, bright, and immaculately clean, with Neutrogena bath products and massage shower heads in the shower/tub combinations. Housekeeping leaves shampoo, conditioner, soap, and lotion. If you need a comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, shower cap, razor, or shaving cream, the hotel will provide it free of charge. Rooms also have 32-inch flatscreen TVs and coffeemakers. 

A mid-range chain hotel, the Hampton Inn Crystal River offers free hot breakfast, and coffee and tea throughout the day. On weekdays, the hotel also has its signature Hampton On The Run breakfast bag. There is one basic meeting room, in addition to a 24-hour business center with two computers and a printer. The hotel's fitness center is a quite large and includes a range of well-maintained equipment, as well as mats for stretching and floor exercises. The hotel also offers free Wi-Fi, and has a large outdoor pool encircled with brown lounge chairs and tables, also in excellent condition.