Gulf Shores/Orange Beach (Alabama) - where to stay??
 

We will be visiting the Gulf Shores, Alabama area in mid-October. We'd like to stay somewhere directly on the beach, with reasonable rates. There seems to be a lot of nice chains (Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Days Inn) with properties on the beach here. Does anyone have recommendations or suggestions as to where to stay in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL? Thanks

Perdido Beach Resort is VERY nice. Best in the area...it's a former Hilton!

Skip it - the water is brownish green, short beaches, diry sand. Go to Navare Beach, FL to the Pearl Condos. Major upgrade within 40 minutes east.

Eden Condominiums at Perdido Key, FL, is a very, very nice place to stay. Beautiful gardens, outdoor pool, and indoor pool. The balcony is the largest I've seen on the Gulf (and we've stayed at many places from Gulf Shores to Panama City Beach). Normally the rates are high, but in October you should be able to get a very good rate. <BR> <BR>Don't miss the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola.

My husband and I stayed at the Perdido Beach Resort last year and like it a lot. Ask for a higher level corner room...they're huge and have small kitchens.

Probably too late but we stayed at a place in Phoenix V that was real nice with spectacular views. They have a bunch of pictures and other local info @ http://groups.msn.com/orangebeachgulfshoresalabamacondo

I agree with Melissa. Go east to Navarre/Destin/Seaside, and you will find much nicer beaches. The sand is whiter and the water is clearer. The Alabama beaches are right at the mouth of the Mobile Bay. Several rivers empty into this bay then the Gulf, so the water is often brown. Further east it is much nicer.

Go fly a kite! The beaches here are beautiful! Otherwise there wouldn't be 3500 condo units built here in the past 10 years. I live in Orange Beach and other than during a storm I have never seen brown water. If it's sunny, which it is over 90% of the time here, then the water is a beautiful blue green color. The beaches here are famous as the Sugar Sand Beaches of the Alabama Gulf Coast. The water in Mobile Bay and immediately to the east tends to be more of a brown color due to the fact it is so shallow and near a trench that is used to allow ships to enter the bay. That is approximately 15 miles west of Gulf Shores and 20 miles west of Orange Beach.