Manado isn't a big city but does have a decent selection of hotels. Your first decision is whether to stay in the city, or one of the resorts on the coast outside of town. The resorts tend to be oriented to scuba divers, but most of them welcome non-divers as well. You'll be somewhat isolated at the coastal resorts, so if you like to have lots of dining or shopping options, it's best to stay in town. See our companion guide SEA Undersea for a list of Manado area dive resorts.
For city accommodations, the Sintesa Peninsula is the current top-end offering, yet available for quite a reasonable price. It's well located a short walk from the city's main shopping area as well as several restaurants. Below is a short list of additional suggested hotels in Manado available from one or more of our hotel partners. For more options, see our complete list of Manado hotels.