12004 Coastal Hwy, Ocean City, Maryland, United States | (618) 248-8274
A block from the beach with budget-friendly rates
All rooms have balconies, some with full or partial ocean views
Outdoor pool -- not huge but long enough for laps
On-site family-friendly seafood restaurant
Free beach chair rental
Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel
Free but limited parking
Pets allowed in designated rooms for a fee
Not within walking distance of the boardwalk
Breakfast not included in room rate
Basic room decor, and some rooms and bathrooms need updating
No closets in rooms
Part of the four-hotel Carousel Group, the two-and-a-half pearl Coastal Palms Inn & Suites sits on the Coastal Highway a block from the beach, surrounded by other hotels, convenience stores, and restaurants. Its 95 rooms have balconies, and some have full or partial ocean views, but not all have been equally updated. Family-friendly, the hotel has two-room suites and a two-bedroom, two-bath Beach House with full kitchen, plus an outdoor pool and an on-site branch of the CrabCake Factory restaurant, but breakfast is not included in the room rate. Some packages include passes to the indoor skating rink at the nearby Carousel Hotel. Travelers might want to check rates at La Quinta Inn & Suites, which is closer to the Ocean Beach boardwalk.
Scene
Budget motel-style property with lively seafood restaurant
This five-story building, sitting off a busy highway and set around a parking lot, has a time-warp motel vibe. The small lobby has a seating area around a fireplace and a flat-screen TV, with coffee from a carafe and juice from a machine available most of the day. The pool, shielded from the highway by a white iron fence, is surrounded by Adirondack chairs and loungers. The attached straw-roof CrabCake Factory restaurant serves bacon- and crab-topped Bloody Marys and crab cakes (of course) -- among other items -- and is a lively spot for hanging out.
Location
On the Coastal Highway, a block from the beach
Coastal Palms sits on the busy Coastal Highway, and is a block from the beach, with other hotels, convenience stores, drugstores, a supermarket, and restaurants all around. The Carousel Hotel and its ice skating rink (admission included with some packages) is a four-minute walk away. The Ocean City boardwalk is a 15-minute drive from the hotel. The Ocean City Convention Center is a 10-minute drive away, and the Jolly Roger Amusement Park is just two minutes farther by car.
Rooms
Basic rooms with some updated bathroom vanities; two-bedroom, two bath Beach House with a full kitchen
The hotel’s 95 rooms include Deluxe Standard Rooms and Two-Room Suites with two queen beds in the main room and a pull-out sofa in a separate room. All rooms have balconies overlooking the ocean or parking lot. They’re no-frills but clean, with sky-blue walls and blue-and-gold patterned bedspreads and carpeting, and cream-colored furniture -- there are dressers but no closets. Some of the bathrooms have older fixtures, while others have dark-wood vanities and small, curtained shower/tub combos. All rooms include flat-screen TVs, microwaves, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, irons, and hairdryers in the bathrooms. The hotel also rents a two-bedroom, two-bath Beach House with a full kitchen, and washing machine and dryer -- the house can accommodate up to eight people.
Features
Small outdoor pool, free beach chair rental, on-site seafood restaurant
The hotel has an outdoor pool -- while it's not huge, it's long enough for laps. Beach chair rental is free. The on-site Crabcake Factory is casual and family-friendly, and will ship crab cakes anywhere in the world. Guests can purchase packages that include passes to the indoor ice-skating rink at the Carousel Hotel, discounts at the Carousel's restaurant, a family photo, and gift certificates. Pets are allowed at the Coastal Palms in designated rooms, for an additional fee. On-site parking is free but limited. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.