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Many hotel search engines allow you to search on oceanfront or beachfront but are going to show you the hotels that have some oceanfront rooms, not a listing of just the oceanfront rooms. But the listing of available rooms at each hotel will generally indicate in the title whether the room is oceanfront or beachfront (which will be more expensive than the other rooms) before you actually reserve that room.
Like some of the other responders, I also look at the map to see how close the hotel is to the water as I am not interested in a distant view of the water. This takes even more time but I often search on oceanfront on the Trip Advisor reviews to see if the hotel guests were impressed with the view and if they have any hints or recommendations on room numbers, how high up is best, pictures of the view from their room, etc. Sometimes you can find a schematic of the hotel with room numbers, placement of the pool and restaurant, etc. Then call the hotel and try to reserve one of the better rooms.
I have never had trouble finding an oceanfront view in Myrtle Beach. The suggestion above to look at Google maps is a good one that I followed to find a few possibilities. Because the price for oceanfront view is higher, they will be listed separately.
I usually just go directly to the hotels website and when I go to choose room, oceanfront rooms if available, are normally displayed.
See, here is my problem.
I don't go to a particular hotels website. If I am looking to stay on Virginia Beach or Myrtle Beach or Miami Beach, I don't know what hotels are on the strip. So I am not searching for Marriott Myrtle Beach or something.
I am using hotel search engines. They bring up a long list of different hotels, but the list includes ALL rooms. I am trying to get a listing of just oceanfront room. Or at least if I see a list of all hotels, I want to be able to them by which have oceanfront rooms available.
You can't do that. I am trying to find a way without having to go into each individual hotel website and then step down though the process until I finally see the rooms themselves. Only then do they tell you if they are oceanfront or not.
I am looking for a more efficient search. That is why I am asking for help -- to see if anybody else has found a more efficient search.
I think the OP is "Shopping" for an opportunistic 'find' which they currently are not aware of WHICH hotel they may find preferred.
This is a problem with a conventional online search, as the search usually leads to to CHEAP, then you find out the nice rooms are already taken or considerably more expensive.
You have to dig through the 'recommendations' on specific places you find.
Search such sites as Travel Advisor for what others considered nice. (objectively ?)
Get referrals...
If oceanfront is your desire, then you can drill down for specific regions, then properties you may prefer (rocky, noisy, stormy - vs sand, peaceful, quiet) tropical vs mtns / cliffs, regional sights and activites...
Ironically, most of our great places on the coast were NOT hotels. And we just 'happened' upon them. Most are free (Guest homes). Often we are on our own in a hosts seaside 'spare' home. (as in last week)
You are on the right track with my problems and what I am trying to achieve.
When you say drill down for specific properties, I can check any number of oceanfront hotels, then when I actually check their rooms I find that none of them have oceanfront rooms available. I am trying to find if there is a hotel search engine or a hack when trying to reserve rooms, that accounts for "oceanfront rooms" as an amenity. I am looking for that efficent search shortcut to cut to the chase.
Amenity lists for hotel searches are huge. You can click the box for breakfast, or pets, or WiFi, or any number of other specific features, but there is never a box for "oceanfront".
Since most oceanfront rooms are full most of the time, somebody is figuring out how to book them. Is everybody just doing it the hard way, and having to call each hotel? I am looking for an easier, more effiicent way to screen hotels on a beach to see who has oceanfront rooms available. I'm not even worried about price. I can always step down in the booking process to find out the price. I just want to find availability without having to call each and every seprate hotel individually to ask.
Last edited by Igor Blevin; 06-03-2021 at 09:52 PM..
^^^This, a bit expanded.
Use Google map. Find hotels that are located close to beach, if they are high rise, they don't need to be directly on the beach. Click on them to get to their website. Look at the pictures of the room. If everything looks promising - call the front desk and inquiry further.
E.g. on the Goggle map type on search: Corpus Christi hotels - as you can see, all hotels are listed, incl. ratings and prices.
Click on the map layers - switch to satellite, then add street view layer. That way you can see if they are high rise and actually facing the water, or low rise, where the view is obstructed by other buildings or hwy.
So, this is the best way to book an oceanfront room. It is 2021. Every hotel knows exactly which rooms are available at any time and the exact features in every room. But nobody has actually thought to make the expensive and popular oceanfront rooms searcheable?
What you provide as an example, I find to be inneffective. Lets say I find a 1000 room hotel right on the beach with 200 oceanfront rooms. OK, it is an oceanfront hotel. Lets say every one of the 200 oceanfront rooms is booked. Sold out. Just knowing a hotel has oceanfront rooms doesn't tell me anything about the status of those rooms.
Yes, I can call that hotel and ask. If that is what I must do, then that is what I must do.
It is 2021. You would think one or more of the hotel search engines would include ocean views, specifically oceanfront views (which means straight on, unimpeded views of an expanse of beach right directly in front of your balcony), would be a searchable feature today.
I guess not. I guess we are still in our Dark Ages, where you have to pick up a phone and call each and every hotel and ask. Or you have to go to each and every individual hotel website and try to book a room to get the list of rooms so you can see which oceanfront rooms are available.
Man, that is so 1950.
So the answer I am hearing is "No, you cannot get online and search for an oceanfront hotel room today in 2021. You have to do it the old fashioned way and check each individual hotel, one by one, by phone or on line".
I always book directly with the hotel. I'm very particular about hotel rooms and most good hotels will have their rooms listed according to the views: Oceanfront, Oceanview, Garden View.
You can also call the hotel directly and speak with their manager to specify what you want. Your confirmation should list the room you've reserved. I never use sites like Expedia or Orbitz because I want to be sure of what I'm getting.
This seems to be my answer. "No you cannot search on line for an oceanfront hotel room". So my answer is I have to search each hotel one by one.
OK, it is what it is. I was hoping for modern efficiency but we are still in our Dark Ages. It is what it is.
Maybe I should start my own hotel seach engine that includes oceanfront status.
Most of the time when I use a travel site like Expedia or Orbitz, the room categories show what is oceanfront vs oceanview because they are different prices. Provide a specific example of one where you pick the room then find out if it is oceanfront or not.
Sure.
I am on Hotels.com looking for an oceanfront room on Myrtle Beach, SC.
A list of hotels comes up.
1. Seacrest Ocean Front Resort
I click on "book now" for a hotel -- Seacrest Ocean Front Resort. I figure they must have oceanfront rooms, just wondering if they have any available or are sold out. Pictures of this hotel show rooms clearly on the sides which would be oceanview, not oceanfront. So I can't assume any particular room is oceanfront.
Now finally at this point, they list 4 room types as "ocean view" none as "ocean front".
That is not bad. It only took 3 clicks to find out it wan't ocean front.
So if that is what I have to do, then that would work for me. It is not efficient, but it is not labor intensive either. Just click "book it" on every single hotel and then chec the view status.
I can do that. I was just checking to see if there was actually an efficient search here in 2021. Guess not.
Many hotel search engines allow you to search on oceanfront or beachfront but are going to show you the hotels that have some oceanfront rooms, not a listing of just the oceanfront rooms. But the listing of available rooms at each hotel will generally indicate in the title whether the room is oceanfront or beachfront (which will be more expensive than the other rooms) before you actually reserve that room.
Like some of the other responders, I also look at the map to see how close the hotel is to the water as I am not interested in a distant view of the water. This takes even more time but I often search on oceanfront on the Trip Advisor reviews to see if the hotel guests were impressed with the view and if they have any hints or recommendations on room numbers, how high up is best, pictures of the view from their room, etc. Sometimes you can find a schematic of the hotel with room numbers, placement of the pool and restaurant, etc. Then call the hotel and try to reserve one of the better rooms.
Thanks. That is what I am finding. You can't list or cull just ocean front rooms with that unimpeded view. You have to click each hotel individually and then start the booking process before you can see the status.
I can live with that. It is tedious but it is not difficult. I am retired. It is not like I don't have the time to step through every hotel on all 2 miles of the Myrtle Beach boardwalk and check for an ocean front room I like.
Thanks.
I like your advice about reading guest reviews.
So the bottom line is, it takes effort to find a good ocean front room, buyer beware, and the more you are willing to invest in the search the better.
OK. I was looking for an efficent shortcut but it is not to be had. Looks like doing it the long way is required. That is fine. I have nothing but time as a retiree, so it is not like I have to tell the kids I can't drive them to soccer practice because I am searching hotels.
Thanks everybody. It is what it is. A little slow and tedious. That's life.
OK, I have my answer.
Thank you everybody for contributing. I appreciate it. I would rather know the correct answer than think I am missing something.
This seems to be my answer. "No you cannot search on line for an oceanfront hotel room". So my answer is I have to search each hotel one by one.
OK, it is what it is. I was hoping for modern efficiency but we are still in our Dark Ages. It is what it is.
Maybe I should start my own hotel seach engine that includes oceanfront status.
It seems you don't realize it's intentional.
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