For her family’s South Florida getaway between Christmas and New Year’s, North Carolina resident Jan Huggins went in search of a bargain.

She found it far from the shores of South Beach or the glitz of downtown Miami high-rises, in a new Comfort Suites across the street from Miami International Airport.

“I like the fact that it’s brand new. I think it’s beautiful; they did a great job,” she said while eating a free breakfast in the cozy lobby. “We did think about staying closer, but it was more expensive.”

For budget travelers — and who isn’t on a budget these days? — the area around MIA is becoming a more attractive option, with a handful of new hotels opening and more undergoing significant upgrades.

The 102-room Comfort Suites opened at the beginning of December, a little more than a year after the launch of the Best Western Premier Miami International Airport Hotel & Suites with 144 rooms. Later this month, the Element — a hip Starwood brand new to Miami — opens just east of the airport. A Best Western Plus is under construction north of the airport with a planned summer opening.

Last month, Red Roof Inn kicked off a nationwide redesign at its MIA location. And the Sheraton Miami Airport Hotel and Executive Meeting Center just upgraded its lobby and fitness center, with a new club lounge set to open soon. Those upgrades will equal about half a million dollars.

With the airport’s new North Terminal earning raves and the Metrorail extension to MIA nearly finished, the timing is right, industry leaders say.

“The airport and its surrounding hotels are in better shape than ever,” said Rolando Aedo, chief marketing officer for the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. “I think the timing is very fortuitous. In essence, you have a new airport, you have new hotel product.”

Though hotel development slowed as money dried up during the recession, some segments have seen growth — especially as financing again becomes available.

“There is very little development going on nationwide,” said Miami hotel consultant Scott Brush. “But what’s there tends to concentrate at major demand generators: growing airports, military bases, hospitals, colleges, things that are somewhat recession resistant.”

Steven Marin, vice president of Pfeffer & Marin Holdings, said his company had planned to develop the new Comfort Suites for years but held off during the downturn.

“Even though we started when things weren’t too good — things weren’t good at all — we knew the market needed it,” he said. The company owns other hotels near the airport and said it made the most sense for development.

“It’s that old saying: location, location, location,” Marin said. “We’re five minutes away from the airport, 10 minutes from downtown, 12 minutes from the beach.”

Airport hotels in Miami performed well last year, with occupancy around 80 percent through November, according to Smith Travel Research. That beats overall county numbers, which came in around 76 percent, though airport hotels charged an average of $95 a night compared to nearly $151 countywide.

Most of the hotels around MIA are priced to compete, with rates topping out around $200 a night in season. Parking is often free or reasonably priced, while Miami Beach visitors can pay $35 a night or more.And because they know they need to stand out, many new and upgraded properties are piling on amenities while remaining relative bargains.

The Comfort Suites, at 657 Minola Dr. in Miami Springs, boasts pillow-top mattresses, free shuttles to the airport and Port of Miami, 42-inch TVs, free WiFi, free breakfast and a pool. The Best Western Premier, 4100 W. Flagler St., also has free airport transportation, free WiFi, 42-inch TVs, a pool and radios that hook up to iPods and iPhones.

And the Element, with a green-from-the-ground-up focus, will have its own quirky offerings such as Wii Fit games in the lobby, yoga on the green space outside, an electric car charging station, loaner bikes and floors made of recycled tires in addition to the requisite free WiFi and pool.

The 209-room hotel at 3525 NW 25th St. is set to open Jan. 26.

Only the 10th Element so far, the Miami location was ideal because it will introduce the brand to such a wide cross-section of travelers from around the world, said Brian McGuinness, Starwood’s senior vice president for specialty select brands.

“When we can go into a gateway location with a key location with high volume and high traffic for a new brand, that makes the most sense for us in a new launch,” he said.

The strong demand and busy airport make the new hotels a safe bet in the market, said Scott Berman, a Miami analyst and head of PwC’s hospitality arm.