My girlfriends and I (all late 40's) are looking for a nice hotel on Myrtle Beach. We normally stay at 4 and 4.5 star hotels that have a spa, but I'm seeing mostly 3 star hotels, but they look like 4 and 4.5 star hotels from the pictures. Can you suggest some nice places, preferably one with a day spa. The Anderson Ocean Club and the Avista Resort look nice, so let me know if you know anything about those places as well. Thanks so much.

Marriott Grande Dunes Resort.....really beautiful! You will love it!

Another one is Kingston Plantation, have never stayed there, but my friends love it and have wonderful things to say about it.

Can't help you with recommendations about the spa part, but I agree with Missy3 that Marriott Grande Dunes is probably the best hotel on the beach. Kingston Plantation is a great resort area, but the condos/Embassy Suite/Hilton there are probably not quite as nice as the Marriott--but still better overall than practically anything other than the Marriott.

Anderson is new and in a pretty good section of MB (toward the north end). Avista is actually in North Myrtle Beach, which is about 15 miles north of the Anderson.

Marriott Grande Dunes has an excellent pool with nice chairs to the left (facing the ocean) that are nearly all adults-only. The pool is beautiful, the music great and it's on a pretty stretch of sand. Kingston Plantation is nice as well, but it's more for families IMO (we love it, but we have two small-ish kids). Both are convenient to the outlet mall.

Sorry - I'm not familiar with the ones you noted.

Ditto the good reports on the Marriott and Embassy Suites/Kingston Plantation. Marriott is very tranquil. You truely feel pampered there. I had a friend who has used their spa twice and was pleased.

Kingston Plantation is not quite as upscale but the Embassy Suites has free breakfast and happy hour. You can also rent condos through them that are in the resort. Kingston is closer to the newest outlet mall.