Affordable Hotels in Myrtle Beach

As an increasingly popular tourist destination on the U.S. East Coast, Myrtle Beach has a lot to offer the traveler. With golden sand beaches, a recently constructed boardwalk, and full-fledged shopping, vacationers flock to the numerous Myrtle Beach hotels year round. But what are the quality affordable hotels in Myrtle Beach?

Before you run off to plan your next Myrtle Beach vacation, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, know that like many cities on the coast, tourism tends to boom during the summer. Hotel operators know this and raise the rates of Myrtle Beach hotels during the summer. Second, be as flexible as you can and try to plan your summer stay during the weekdays. There is a noticeable difference in price on hotels' weekday rates. This leads to my third point, which is that summer weekends at many Myrtle Beach hotels on the beach are booked well in advance, occasionally forcing you to consider weekday bookings. As of this November writing, I tried to book a weekend stay at the popular Bay View Resort for early August 2011, but no rooms were available.

Speaking of the Bay View, it's definitely an affordable Myrtle Beach hotel, especially outside the peak summer months. This 190-room hotel and resort is right on the beach and is rated highly on Hotels.com. Many of the rooms may be a little on the small side, but if you can live with that, you may find real bargains here. My attempt to book a weekend room for one in early May yielded an oceanview room at $79. There are two other hotels right on the beach, close to downtown, that may be considered affordable during a busy summer weekend. Both the Paradise Resort and The Breakers Resort range around $150 a night per summer weekend day, per person, and are rated 4.0 or above by Hotels.com and Expedia.com users. Prices range around $80 or less in the offseason.

Additional Tips for Finding Affordable Hotels in Myrtle Beach

Here are a few other things to consider when looking for cheap hotels in Myrtle Beach:

• If you're willing to stay farther away from the beach, you'll definitely save money on accommodations.
• Don't be afraid to look at weekly rates on Myrtle Beach condos.
• If you're really hard up for cash and are willing to hostel, you might consider the AAE Fontainbleau Inn and Hostel.

Photo by James from Flickr