Calera was incorporated in 1887. It was named after the Spanish word for "quarry" because of the area's limestone deposits. It's in central Alabama in both Shelby and Clinton Counties.
The city had a population of 11,620 in the 2010 census, nearly triple the 2000 population of 3,158, which made it the fastest-growing city in Alabama. The estimated population in 2017 was 13,979, and it continues to grow and thrive today.
What time of year is best to visit Calera, Alabama?
Calera has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters. The best times to visit would be from April through October. In the hot season of June through August, expect highs in the upper 80s and lows in the mid-60s. Hotel rates will likely be at their highest in the summer months, so book early if you plan to travel to Calera during this time. Temperatures in the spring and fall are cooler with average highs in the 70s. If you don't like hot days, consider coming at these times.
From to December to March, you'll see highs right around 60 degrees and lows in the mid-30s. This is also the rainy season. If you're traveling at this time, you'll see the lowest hotel rates.
Below is a chart of the current pricing seasonality of hotels and motels in Calera, AL:
Calera by Star Rating
Below we've posted 3 graphs demonstrating mean price patterns by star rating class in Calera, AL. You can use these line graphs to evaluate the cheapest time to book in Calera for your upcoming travels.
What are the Calera, Alabama luxury hotels?
4 Star Average Prices: $137.67
For a lovely upscale experience, choose Homewood Suites by Hilton Birmingham-SW-Riverchase-Galleria in Hoover, where you'll be in the business district and a short drive from Riverchase Galleria, a huge shopping center. You'll go off to dreamland in luxurious comfort with Egyptian cotton sheets and down comforters. You can cook your own meals in a kitchen featuring a full-sized refrigerator, stovetop, and microwave. A queen sofa bed gives you lounging space and extra sleeping room. The room will also have a 32-inch LCD television, free Wi-Fi, and free weekday newspapers.
You can find numerous restaurants in the area, or you can grab a bite at the grocery/convenience store. The hotel holds a complimentary reception for guests on select days and serves free breakfast daily. An outdoor pool and a 24-hour fitness center provide opportunities for exercise. The hotel also features a fireplace in the lobby and barbecue grills on the grounds. Business travelers will want to take advantage of the 24-hour business center.
Luxury also awaits you in Alabaster at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Alabaster, where you'll be 5 miles from Penhale Park. Your modernly-decorated room will have a refrigerator, microwave, flat-screen TV, desk, free Wi-Fi, and a separate bathtub and shower in the bathroom. Work out your travel kinks with a swim in the indoor pool and some targeted exercise in the 24-hour fitness center. The hotel also has a business center, computer station, dry cleaning/laundry services, and a television in a common area. They serve complimentary breakfast every morning.
What options are in Calera, Alabama for the most affordable hotels?
3 Star Average Prices: $127.79
A step above most budget-friendly accommodations, Americas Best Value Inn & Suites-Birmingham/Calera has spacious rooms that come with sofa beds in separate living areas. Your room will also have a refrigerator, microwave, 42-inch flat-screen TV, desk, and free Wi-Fi. Suites offer more space and kitchenettes. The hotel provides a seasonal outdoor pool, complimentary breakfast, a business center, coffee and tea in common areas, and free newspapers in the lobby. You'll be within a five-minute drive of both Ozan Winery & Vineyard and Timberline Golf Course.
Quality Inn Calera is within a 10-minute drive of Central Alabama Paintball Park. Your room will have a flat-screen TV, a desk, and free weekday newspapers. You can enjoy a dip in the seasonal outdoor pool and get a workout at the fitness center. A picnic area provides the opportunity to enjoy a meal outdoors in the sunshine. Complimentary breakfast is included each morning. The hotel offers a business center, meeting rooms, dry cleaning/laundry services, and guest laundry facilities. Coffee and tea are available in common areas.
2 Star Average Prices: $75.45
What are the hotels in Calera, Alabama that offer discounts?
Members of the military, government employees, and AAA members can get discounted rates at Hampton Inn Calera, a quiet hotel that's a seven-minute drive from the historic Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum. You can get a good start to your day with a complimentary hot breakfast, but if you're on the go, opt for a free Hampton On the Run Breakfast Bag, available Monday through Friday. The comfortable rooms are equipped with a microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, 42-inch TV, free Wi-Fi, and a lap desk you can use while relaxing in bed.
The Hampton has a gated outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center, business center with accompanying services, and a coin laundry. Digital keys are available. You'll be near a number of restaurants, including Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits just steps away.
Candlewood Suites Alabaster offers government/military and senior discounts in a secluded area tucked behind Alabaster's large shopping and dining district. You'll be within walking distance of Target, Don Walker's Western Wear, and Walmart, and your dining options will include Jim 'N Nicks community Bar-B-Q and Mizu Japanese Steak House. You can also be in Birmingham in just 15 minutes.
The spacious suites feature full kitchens with full-size appliances, pots, pans, dishes, silverware, and dining tables. Guests can also enjoy premium bedding, executive work desks, LED televisions, DVD players, and free Wi-Fi. Video rentals are available for your entertainment. Suites have separate living and sleeping areas and some have bedrooms. Candlewood Suites provides a fitness center, free passes to the YMCA and its pool, a 24-hour business center, grocery/convenience store, free laundry facilities, and a patio with a grill.
What are the best hotels near Calera, Alabama?
You'll get a comfortable stay in tastefully decorated surroundings when you stay at the Best Western Plus Oak Mountain Inn in Pelham. You'll be right in the business district, so shopping and dining options will be plentiful. The hotel is near the Oak Mountain Amphitheatre and the Pelham Civic Complex, and it's only a short drive from Oak Mountain Golf Course.
Rooms feature refrigerators, microwaves, flat-screen TVs with digital programming, desks, and free Wi-Fi. Some rooms have jetted tubs, and suites are available with separate living and sleeping areas. The hotel has a large gated outdoor pool, a fitness center, a business center, free newspapers in the lobby, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Free breakfast is served daily.
Also in the Pelham business district, Hampton Inn & Suites Birmingham-Pelham is within walking distance of the Pelham Civic Complex and Margarita Grill. The brightly decorated hotel offers a gated outdoor pool area with ample seating that includes patio umbrellas. The spacious rooms offer large windows, refrigerators, microwaves, minibars, LCD televisions, and free Wi-Fi. Some rooms also have sofa beds. Suites are available, some with whirlpool baths. The hotel serves a complimentary buffet breakfast each morning and offers a fitness center, a 24-hour business center, dry cleaning/laundry facilities, conference space, and a meeting room.
What are the things to do in Calera, Alabama?
The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera is Alabama's official state railroad museum. It features a wide variety of locomotives, train cars, and other railroad equipment, with both indoor and outdoor exhibits covering the 19th century through the 1950s. Two depots that are about a century old are also featured. The museum holds numerous special events and has a heritage railroad that provides Saturday excursions from March to December to a variety of areas.
Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama's largest state park, covering 9,940 acres. It began as a 940-acre park on Double Oak Mountain, created by the Alabama State Lands Act of 1927. Hiking and mountain biking on more than 50 miles of trails are among the scenic park's most popular activities. Other activities include boating, fishing, picnicking, horseback riding, golf, and nature programs. Don't miss Peavine Falls, the Demonstration Farm, and the Oak Mountain Interpretive Center. Oak Mountain State Park houses the Alabama Wildlife Center, which rehabilitates injured native birds. You can view the birds from the Tree Top Nature Trail.
Ozan Winery & Vineyard in Calera offers scenic beauty from a country estate and tours that include a public tasting room and a winemaking cellar. Ozan Winery also offers a wine train where you can spend the afternoon sampling wines and touring their sprawling land and vineyard.
Also in Calera is Corbin Farms Winery, which has tours and tastings Thursday through Sunday. One of the oldest wineries in the Southeast, Corbin Farms bottles a vast number of wines. A patio offers vineyard views and musical performances.
A peaceful stay awaits you in Calera, Alabama, where you can explore the city and the surrounding area and then relax in your comfortable hotel room. Book your trip now to get started on your next adventure.
FAQs about hotels in Calera