Hotel at a Glance: Hotel Blue Resort

Located on the southern end of Myrtle Beach, Hotel Blue Resort is close to all of the area's top specialty shops, restaurants, and nightclubs. Oceanfront efficiencies have private balconies overlooking the Atlantic, while ocean-view one-bedroom suite feature a private balcony with a partial view of the ocean. Both room types include a full kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave, stove/oven, coffee maker and utensils.

• Take a dip at the expansive pool complex, which features a hot tub, ocean-view sun deck, and seasonal swim-up bar serving tropical drinks. There's also a seasonal lobby bar.
• Go tubing in the indoor lazy river.
• Coffee: The onsite Cafe Blue (open seasonally) serves fresh-brewed Starbucks coffee as well as muffins.
• Reciprocal privileges: Guests of the hotel have access to all of the amenities at Captain’s Quarters Resort, located just a block away.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: Sandy Beaches, Golf Courses, and Classic Amusement-Park Rides

Myrtle Beach is the crown jewel of South Carolina's Grand Strand, a 60-mile stretch of white-sand beaches along the Atlantic seaboard that draws surfers, fishers, and kayakers. The city was named one of the best vacation spots in the United States for a family by USA Today, in part because of its wooden boardwalk, which stretches for more than a mile. Hop into the SkyWheel Ferris wheel’s gondolas, surrounded by more than a million LED lights, for a panoramic view of the city below.

Less than 20 miles south of Myrtle Beach, the tiny fishing village of Murrells Inlet provides a tranquil contrast to the boardwalk's hustle and bustle. At Brookgreen Gardens, more than 2,000 sculptures stand amid sprawling floral gardens and massive, moss-covered oak trees that have been around for centuries. Murrells Inlet is also home to the Tom Fazio–designed TPC Myrtle Beach golf course, 1 of nearly 80 courses in the area that helped Myrtle Beach earn its title as the seaside golf capital of the world.