Accommodations

Considering that the Grand Strand offers literally thousands of accommodations for visitors, we have tried to narrow the scope to those establishments that consistently get positive reviews from the public. That’s not to say that all others are dank tenements, but the numbers are far too vast to bring all the players into this arena. Lodging is in such demand along the Grand Strand that new facilities are being built as fast as you can turn these pages, and smaller mom-and-pop hotels are abundant here.

It’s safe to say that 95 percent of the hotels, motels, and condominiums on the Grand Strand line both sides of Ocean Boulevard, the road that parallels the Atlantic Ocean from North Myrtle Beach to Surfside Beach and becomes Waccamaw Drive in Garden City. Don’t be confused if you’re riding along, in awe of the hundreds of lodging marquees, and the road suddenly jogs west to US 17 Business. A couple of miles of private property separate North Myrtle Beach from Myrtle Beach, and you’ll find several campgrounds between Myrtle Beach and the end of the South Strand.

Accommodations - Vacation Rentals

Want to take the whole gang, be it family or friends, on a little extended vacation? You may want to consider renting a large condominium or beach house. The kids, young and old, can be entertained by the sand and surf. The grown-ups looking for true rest and relaxation can pull a chair and a glass of lemonade on to the deck for a little wave watching and snoozing. These accommodations combine the comfort, convenience, and semi-privacy of home with the carefree existence of vacation. These short-term rentals have their own kitchens, but some have restaurants on-site for the evening when you just don’t feel like cooking. Others are equipped with laundry facilities.

The vacation-rental option is great for large parties and events (such as family reunions), and it’s often more affordable than resort hotels once the cost is divided. The option of bringing and preparing your own food helps the cost factor, as well as catering to the all-day snackers of all sizes!

With so many of the hotels in the Grand Strand going condominium, it’s a tough decision on whether to go high-rise, resort, villa, or beach house. And it can be even tougher finding the right vacation rental to suit your needs. Group accommodations tend to be rather elusive, since most are under the thumb of rental management companies or real-estate firms. Still, you can expect a wide variety of design, decor, and amenities. It’s wise to try to book a group accommodation well in advance of your stay, again depending greatly on which season you plan to visit. Have a good idea of the amenities you’d like to have, whether you’re looking for a cabin without phones or the full suite with recreation center and Jacuzzi, or maybe your needs are more along the lines of a playpen and crib. We’ve uncovered a few that might be worth looking into.

Accommodations - Bed-And-Breakfasts

Besides the burgeoning number of hotel and motel suites springing up all over the Grand Strand, bed-and-breakfast establishments have also been making their mark. Most likely due to the incredible amount of competition from other accommodations from Little River through Garden City Beach, you’ll find the majority of bed-and-breakfast inns have put down roots south of Murrells Inlet and especially in Georgetown.

It’s not surprising that Georgetown should become the region’s hub of bed-and-breakfast lodging, since the area is home to its fair share of sprawling, historic homes that lend themselves perfectly to the concept. Georgetown, founded in 1729, is a woman with a past—fascinating and mysterious—and is known as the “Ghost Capital of the South.” By 1840 Georgetown was not only an ideal port for shipping vessels but also produced more than half of all the rice grown in the United States.

As the rice plantations flourished, so did the townspeople and antebellum life. Culling incredible wealth in a relatively short period of time—from 1840 through the 1850s—some residents built well-appointed homes along the oak-shaded tunnels of streets in town. Gracious plantations served as hubs for entertaining and farming along the shores of Winyah Bay, and the Waccamaw, Black, and Pee Dee Rivers.

Georgetonians have worked hard to preserve their heritage, and their town remains a lovely step back in time with an intact historic district, preserved homes, and original churches and storefronts. Today historic tour companies run a brisk business by boat, by tram, or by horse-drawn carriage.

Each of the bed-and-breakfast inns we have listed in this chapter has a distinct personality that seems to have evolved from the property itself and its proprietors. The owners also operate their bed-and-breakfasts, taking great pride in what they consider to be their labor of love.