Emerald Sands Inn

Emerald Sands Inn is at 6436 US 90, on the main highway through the west side of Milton in Santa Rosa County, between Pace and downtown Milton. Restaurants and stores are within walking distance along the highway. Hotel listings put the University of West Florida about 11 miles away, Pensacola International Airport about 12 miles away and the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier about 20 miles away.

The two-story motel has 38 rooms. Rooms have a microwave, a refrigerator and air conditioning, and housekeeping is daily. Coffee is set out each morning, and local calls and WiFi are free. The outdoor pool is open seasonally, from April through October. In addition to nightly rooms, the property offers weekly rates and has apartments on site for monthly and yearly stays, which makes it popular with workers on longer assignments.

Pets are allowed for a fee per stay. Parking is free.

Milton’s historic downtown, with the Blackwater River riverwalk and the Imogene Theatre, is a short drive east, and the outfitters for canoeing and tubing on the Blackwater River and Coldwater Creek are north of town. Naval Air Station Whiting Field is also nearby, and Interstate 10 is a few minutes south.

Emerald Sands Inn is a small, locally run option for budget travelers, contractors and families visiting relatives in Milton and Pace. It offers fewer amenities than the chain hotels at Interstate 10 exit 31, but it sits closer to Milton’s neighborhoods and shops. As with most independent motels, it is worth confirming current rates and pool hours with the front desk, and reading recent reviews, before booking. For paddlers, the combination of a pool, a pet-friendly policy and a short drive to the rivers makes it a practical, low-cost base for a weekend on the water. Pace’s shopping centers are a few minutes west.