Beach Getaway
| Labels: America, useful things, written by Rio Denali | Posted On
After all that hard work, a getaway is exactly what you need. But, where to go?
Myrtle Beach is one of the nicest beaches on the East Coast. And, the prices are surprisingly affordable.
Staybridge Suites Hotel
For $110 per night, we lived in luxury. With 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, a living room with a dining table and a kitchen to call our own -- our suite felt more like an apartment than a hotel room. And, the hotel amenities were great: a sparkling outdoor pool, beautiful grounds, free laundry, a workout room....and saving best for last -- free food.
The Staybridge also hosts something called the "Sundowner". We did not go, but were told that it is an evening "happy hour" of sorts, with great hot food and free beer on tap. From what we heard, it is nice enough to skip dinner out on the town.
Staybridge Suites at Myrtle Beach is a pet-friendly hotel. For a $20 per-night fee, the Staybridge allows dogs up to 80 pounds. Have 2 dogs? Not a problem -- that $20 per-night fee covers up to 2 dogs per room. The hotel has thought of everything -- you don't even need to bring your own bags. They even have 2 dedicated dog walks / dog potty areas, where they provide doggie bags and a receptacle right there for your convenience.
Staybridge offers several suite options to chose from, with options that sleep 2 to 8 people.
In the "sleeps 6" category, there were 2 options:
1) One king and one queen-sized bed
2) One queen and 2 double-sized beds
We chose the queen with 2 doubles.
The television viewing / seating area is amply furnished with a 3 person sofa, an upholstered side chair, coffee table, and an armoire complete with storage and a large television. Need extra seating? The television can be seen from the dining table, and the dining chairs were surprisingly comfortable.
In that same room was a wooden dining table with 4 chairs. I had concerns that a 4 person table would be an issue as we have 5 people in our family, but the room is very well designed and furnished. Because the dining table and sofa are right by each other, we had the kids eat at the dining table, while we at at the sofa / coffee table only feet away. Very easy and convenient solution.
The third element of the great room was a kitchen. We had a full sized fridge with icemaker, dishwasher, sink, microwave and 4 burner cook top. The kitchen came well-stocked with things such as dish & dishwasher soap, dish towels, and everything else we needed like pots, plates & bowls, and silverware. I was impressed by the nice glasses (plus wine glasses too). And, my husband was relieved to find a full-sized coffee maker and mugs. The coffee maker alone sold him on the hotel!
Each bedroom was it's own suite with a television set and en suite bath. Our master suite had a queen-sized bed, a generously-sized desk, large dresser and two nightstands. We were surprised by the extras such as a built-in closet, a full-length mirror and an oversized sink vanity with even more storage underneath. The hair-dryer hanging on the wall was a nice touch too. It was wonderful to have our own full-sized bathroom in our suite. That was luxury to be sure... But, the best part was the shower. A bowed-rod made it feel larger than the standard size shower, and the shower head was to die for! The hotel linens were very nice; upgraded quality on the towels and super-nice bed linens. The Staybridge definitely did not cut any corners!
The children's room was just as nice. The double beds were great. We have never had so much room in a hotel! I was amazed by the amount of storage; a large dresser, a built-in closet, and even more storage below the sink vanity. And, another full-sized bathroom.
Although this may sound strange, this is common practice in condo rentals in many tourist destinations.
Other than the hotel being hard to find, the location really was great. There are several public beaches at Myrtle Beach. We visited 2 while we were there, and the hotel was only 10 minutes away from the furthest one. Plus, the hotel was right in middle of all of the other things we wanted to do. Myrtle Beach really has something for everyone, far too much to list here. I will be writing more articles outlining the highlights. But, no matter what you are looking for, the Staybridge is a great central location for it all.
For the best prices no matter when you travel, go directly to the Staybridge Suites Myrtle Beach website. I looked in 5 different places, but the hotel's website beat them all. Plus they offer a lowest price guarantee. If you find a better price on their hotel on another website, they will match it.
Be sure to look under Special Offers for deals. And, remember to check the government discount if it applies to you, (available to all military members and their spouses, as well as government employees), that is generally going to be your best price.
You can also call the hotel's reservations phone line, but when I called I found they had more rooms available on-line than over the phone, and at better prices.
Myrtle Beach photo gallery
Free 2009 Myrtle Beach Visitors Guide
Myrtle Beach Tourism Bureau website
Receive email information and discount information from Myrtle Beach Tourist Bureau
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is one of the nicest beaches on the East Coast. And, the prices are surprisingly affordable.
Staybridge Suites Hotel
For $110 per night, we lived in luxury. With 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, a living room with a dining table and a kitchen to call our own -- our suite felt more like an apartment than a hotel room. And, the hotel amenities were great: a sparkling outdoor pool, beautiful grounds, free laundry, a workout room....and saving best for last -- free food.
Free Food
I have never seen a breakfast spread of this quality and quantity in a hotel. Usually a hotel's continental breakfast is a couple of rock-hard bagels and stale coffee. Not at the Staybridge! Imagine a wonderful breakfast buffet with plenty of warm offerings: Fresh belgian waffles with all the toppings, eggs or omletes, sausage, grits, and hot cooked oatmeal (with toppings if you wish). Plus, breakfast breads: toast, bagels, english muffins, pasteries and several varieties of muffins such as banana nut, cream cheese and blueberry. As if this wasn't enough, there is also a cereal bar with 4 or 5 classic offerings, and a chilled bar that has several varieties of yogurts and fruits, and a full offering of drinks such as coffee, tea, chocolate and white milk, orange and apple juice. The eating area is clean and spacious, featuring large windows, lodge-like decor, and a cathedral ceiling -- with the overall feel of a nice restaurant. And, if you would prefer, they trays to take the food back to your room, or to-go bags if you need to eat on the run.The Staybridge also hosts something called the "Sundowner". We did not go, but were told that it is an evening "happy hour" of sorts, with great hot food and free beer on tap. From what we heard, it is nice enough to skip dinner out on the town.
Property Information
Well maintained, with staff a friendly and helpful staff, the Staybridge was terrific. They offer a number of discounts, including military / government discounts as well as AAA. Plenty of parking in a well-lit parking lot. Nice landscaping, and well-manicured grounds lead to a sparkling clean outdoor pool, basketball court, and outdoor eating areas. The lobby is gorgeous and they have a little store, The Bridgemart, open 24 / 7 just in case you forgot something or have the munchies. The hotel was immaculately clean and very nicely decorated. Plus, there is free laundry and a nicely appointed workout room. The Staybridge offers several room types, with options to sleep 2 people, or groups up to 8. And have the best pet-friendly policy in Myrtle Beach.Staybridge Suites at Myrtle Beach is a pet-friendly hotel. For a $20 per-night fee, the Staybridge allows dogs up to 80 pounds. Have 2 dogs? Not a problem -- that $20 per-night fee covers up to 2 dogs per room. The hotel has thought of everything -- you don't even need to bring your own bags. They even have 2 dedicated dog walks / dog potty areas, where they provide doggie bags and a receptacle right there for your convenience.
Suites
We travel with 3 kids. This makes a normal hotel room just a little too small for our family, but renting 2 rooms is out of the question because of the cost involved, plus the fact that our children are too young to stay in a room alone. Solution? A suite!Staybridge offers several suite options to chose from, with options that sleep 2 to 8 people.
In the "sleeps 6" category, there were 2 options:
1) One king and one queen-sized bed
2) One queen and 2 double-sized beds
We chose the queen with 2 doubles.
Room
Coming in the door, you immediately enter a "great room", with 3 areas: a TV viewing / seating area, a dining area, and a kitchen.The television viewing / seating area is amply furnished with a 3 person sofa, an upholstered side chair, coffee table, and an armoire complete with storage and a large television. Need extra seating? The television can be seen from the dining table, and the dining chairs were surprisingly comfortable.
In that same room was a wooden dining table with 4 chairs. I had concerns that a 4 person table would be an issue as we have 5 people in our family, but the room is very well designed and furnished. Because the dining table and sofa are right by each other, we had the kids eat at the dining table, while we at at the sofa / coffee table only feet away. Very easy and convenient solution.
The third element of the great room was a kitchen. We had a full sized fridge with icemaker, dishwasher, sink, microwave and 4 burner cook top. The kitchen came well-stocked with things such as dish & dishwasher soap, dish towels, and everything else we needed like pots, plates & bowls, and silverware. I was impressed by the nice glasses (plus wine glasses too). And, my husband was relieved to find a full-sized coffee maker and mugs. The coffee maker alone sold him on the hotel!
Each bedroom was it's own suite with a television set and en suite bath. Our master suite had a queen-sized bed, a generously-sized desk, large dresser and two nightstands. We were surprised by the extras such as a built-in closet, a full-length mirror and an oversized sink vanity with even more storage underneath. The hair-dryer hanging on the wall was a nice touch too. It was wonderful to have our own full-sized bathroom in our suite. That was luxury to be sure... But, the best part was the shower. A bowed-rod made it feel larger than the standard size shower, and the shower head was to die for! The hotel linens were very nice; upgraded quality on the towels and super-nice bed linens. The Staybridge definitely did not cut any corners!
The children's room was just as nice. The double beds were great. We have never had so much room in a hotel! I was amazed by the amount of storage; a large dresser, a built-in closet, and even more storage below the sink vanity. And, another full-sized bathroom.
Housekeeping
One thing I should warn you about it housekeeping. The hotel differs from others in that true housekeeping (vacuuming and a through room cleaning in addition to trash removal and bed linen changing) is only offered once per week. Monday thru Friday you will receive fresh bed linens and trash removal ("light house-keeping). On the weekends, there is no house-keeping at all. Of course you can pay for a higher level of house keeping, but it is not included in the rental price.Although this may sound strange, this is common practice in condo rentals in many tourist destinations.
Location
This is the only potential down-side to the hotel. It is hard to find. It is located next to the Freestyle Music Park (formerly known as the Hard Rock Park when it was owned by the Hard Rock Cafe Corp., it is a music and amusement park with roller coasters to frighten the most fearsome warrior.) We printed out 2 sets of directions on-line before making our trip -- both were wrong. It took some looking and a couple wrong turns to find our way, but we finally made it there. The biggest problem is that each set of directions called the streets around the hotel a different name....and once we got there, we found that the street signs didn't agree with any of them. In researching for this article, I just saw a notice of address change on the hotel website -- this explains a lot. My advice...go to Mapquest or your map for the route to Myrtle Beach....and call the hotel for exact directions to their door.Other than the hotel being hard to find, the location really was great. There are several public beaches at Myrtle Beach. We visited 2 while we were there, and the hotel was only 10 minutes away from the furthest one. Plus, the hotel was right in middle of all of the other things we wanted to do. Myrtle Beach really has something for everyone, far too much to list here. I will be writing more articles outlining the highlights. But, no matter what you are looking for, the Staybridge is a great central location for it all.
Prices
All of this for only $110 per night. Amazing.For the best prices no matter when you travel, go directly to the Staybridge Suites Myrtle Beach website. I looked in 5 different places, but the hotel's website beat them all. Plus they offer a lowest price guarantee. If you find a better price on their hotel on another website, they will match it.
Be sure to look under Special Offers for deals. And, remember to check the government discount if it applies to you, (available to all military members and their spouses, as well as government employees), that is generally going to be your best price.
You can also call the hotel's reservations phone line, but when I called I found they had more rooms available on-line than over the phone, and at better prices.
Related Websites
Fun for Kids at Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach photo gallery
Free 2009 Myrtle Beach Visitors Guide
Myrtle Beach Tourism Bureau website
Receive email information and discount information from Myrtle Beach Tourist Bureau
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- This article was originally featured on RioDancesOnTheSand.com, a blog for the thinking person... Written by Rio, a 30-something with peculiar curiosities, who makes the observations that many of us avoid. Full of useful links and entertaining articles, it is a fun favorite for the intelligent reader. For more great articles like this, please visit RioDancesOnTheSand.com.
