Holiday Inn Resort Oceanfront at Surfside Beach

The Holiday Inn Resort Oceanfront at Surfside Beach is the pick for families who want to be on the sand in a small, low-key beach town rather than in the middle of Myrtle Beach. Surfside Beach, which bills itself as the Family Beach, sits just south of the city limits, and its oceanfront is lined with smaller hotels and beach houses rather than towers and attractions, so the beach is calmer and the evenings quieter. The hotel stands at 1601 North Ocean Boulevard in Surfside, directly on the beach, with an outdoor pool overlooking the ocean. Its rooms are built with families in mind: alongside standard king and two-queen rooms there is a Family Favorite room with a king bed and a bunk bed, suites, and rooms with a semi-private oceanfront deck. The family perks are practical ones. Kids eat free at the on-site restaurant, Saltaire Coastal Kitchen and Bar, which serves coastal food with an ocean view, and parking is complimentary for registered guests, a real saving compared with central hotels that charge daily. A new 24-hour fitness center and meeting space round out the facilities, and the hotel hosts beach weddings. Note the house rules: the minimum check-in age is 21, pets are not allowed, and there is no shuttle. The airport is about six miles away, Murrells Inlet's MarshWalk and the South Strand are a short drive south, and central Myrtle Beach is about 20 minutes north.

Who it suits: families with younger children who want an easy, uncrowded beach and a straightforward hotel, and couples who prefer a small-town base between the attractions of Myrtle Beach and the nature of the South Strand. Teenagers looking for nightlife will find Surfside quiet; that is the point.

Room strategy: the Family Favorite room with its bunk bed is the best value for a family of four, and oceanfront rooms with semi-private decks are worth the upgrade for couples. Because there is one outdoor pool rather than a water park, the beach is the main event; in cooler months, plan on beach walks and day trips rather than pool time.

Location and pairing: Surfside Beach sits between Myrtle Beach and Garden City, about 15 minutes from the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk and a little farther from Brookgreen Gardens and Huntington Beach State Park, which makes it a smart base for travelers who want both halves of the coast. Free parking and kids-eat-free dining keep the total cost down.