20 Best Hotels in Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand, South Carolina

Four different properties make up the polished Caribbean, each offering access to the other's amenities. The Jamaican Inn is a quaint old-style motel with lower rates; the Chelsea Villas offer more traditional condos just off the beach; and the newer Cayman and Dominican towers feature more luxurious accommodations. Water-play areas include one of the Strip's largest waterslides, and there are lazy rivers alongside the indoor and outdoor pools.

A Pawleys Island local renovated this 19th-century home to transform it into a luxury five-bedroom retreat with ample porches for relaxing. Furnishings and decor are contemporary, with muted neutral tones highlighting the restored wood floors in the main house.

Nestled along the residential north end of the Strand, this resort has room to breathe, instead of being smack up against the clutter of hotels clogging the coastline farther south. There's plenty of room at every turn here, from the hotel-length oceanfront lanai, tiki bar, and cavernous indoor pools (complete with waterfalls) to the roomy guest suites and high-end Cypress Room restaurant.

Entering this chic high-rise resort, with its airy wicker furniture, giant palms, and mahogany details, will take you away from the hubbub of Myrtle Beach and straight to a tropical locale. Elegantly appointed rooms have comfortable furniture and patios, perfect for watching the waves break on the beach (or the sunset, if you book on the back side). The top-notch spa offers a full range of treatments and the health club has well-maintained, state-of-the-art machines.

Small touches of heavenly luxury greet you upon arrival, from the fountain in the front plaza to the stately double-door entrance flanked by large lanterns. The one- to three-bedroom condos are well-kept, with porches that maximize every inch of their oceanfront vista. The on-site Awakening Spa is a pampering pleasure, there are two outdoor pools and a lazy river, and guests can play for free at the mini-golf course next door. Across the street, Magnolia's at 26th Restaurant serves a Lowcountry lunch buffet.

One of the few family-owned resort properties left in North Myrtle Beach, the Ocean Sands has a beachfront tiki bar and updated one- and two-bedroom suites with full kitchens. It's clean and breezy, it features two outdoor pools and a lazy river, and all rooms in the main building have oceanfront balconies.

This sprawling five-tower oceanfront hotel, in the middle of the Myrtle Beach Strip, has airy and spacious rooms complete with contemporary furnishings. The complex added a new Marriott Springhill Suites/Courtyard in 2022. Many rooms have kitchenettes; the Paradise Tower has one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom suites. There's also a lazy river and an elaborate splash zone with waterslides for children, plus an on-site Starbucks and Ben & Jerry's.

Built in 1960, this stalwart family resort shows its age on the exterior, but inside, you'll find chic condos with spartan but attractive furnishings. The complex has more then 10 pools spread across its towers and inns, including the Wild Water pool area that runs the length of one side of the hotel. Many rooms have sliding glass doors onto an ocean-facing balcony.

This remodel of an older resort features suites with shiplap walls, light-colored wood floors, coastal decor, and Murphy beds for extra room. Generously sized balconies afford sweeping views across the ocean and of the indoor-outdoor pool complex, which includes a lazy river, waterslides, and hot tubs. On the fifth floor rooftop, you can play the free minigolf course while enjoying views across the ocean. There's a full-service Starbucks in the lobby, plus a poolside café and a casual Southern-cuisine joint, Due South at 72nd.

This classic spot, north of the Strip's crowds, is a combination of rentable condos with full kitchens and standard hotel rooms outfitted with refrigerators, coffeemakers, and, in a few cases, kitchenettes. Most of the airy rooms have balconies with a view of the ocean or the expansive pool complex (including the lazy river). There's also a rooftop garden with a pool and four hot tubs.

This property combines the reliability of an established hotel chain with the joys of a beach resort. Rooms have thoughtful extras like a suite equipped with bunk beds or an extra queen bed for the kids. All rooms have private balconies and access to ocean views. In addition to a lazy river that carries swimmers along its course, the hotel has seven pools and water-play areas. Self-parking is $15/day.

Watch boats cruise up and down the river at this riverside hotel with spectacular views of the Intracoastal Waterway. The on-site marina and stunning sunsets are an easy trade for being a little farther from the beach (about 12 miles to Pawleys). An upgrade from your average Hampton Inn, the property offers a hot breakfast and a choice of pillows. Ideal for families, suites have a dining table for four, lounge and wet bar, and pull-out sofas; all rooms have a microwave, refrigerator, and coffeemaker.

Combining the appeal of a family-friendly resort with immediate proximity to the boardwalk, this complex features modern rooms and suites, most of which have an ocean view. There's an impressive indoor water park that includes slides and a lazy river, and an oceanfront café and tiki bar.

This 145-acre ocean-side complex includes two hotels and two rental condo towers, as well as restaurants, shops, and a spa. The Embassy Suites has guest rooms with bleached-wood furnishings and kitchenettes, while the Hilton features more sleek, modern decor but no kitchen facilities. Although the privately owned villas are decorated to the tastes of their owners, they all have the same standard amenities such as sheets, towels, and kitchen equipment. The beachside sand-bottom pool and the Currents Waterpark are among the Grand Strand's finest pool complexes.

This beautifully landscaped 4,500-acre resort features a nearly 2-mile stretch of oceanfront, marshfront, and golf course accommodations that range from high-rise condos to sprawling mansions. Accommodations are grouped into miniresorts, each with its own pool and tennis courts. A bike trail connects them all to a large lake, which has a small fishing dock and a couple of resident alligators. There's a one-week minimum for oceanfront rentals during summer months. Resort guests have access to Litchfield's oceanfront cabana, where there's parking and bathrooms.

From the rich wood and sumptuous carpet in the lobby to the manicured lawns and amenities, this inn along the Intracoastal Waterway is a little slice of paradise. The inn's rooms and suites are large and feature water views. The hotel, particularly popular with golf, tennis, and water-sports enthusiasts, has a large outdoor pool with a pool bar and hot tub, an indoor pool, and ping-pong tables, firepits, and badminton on the lawn, plus 10 tennis courts. The complex also houses the casual, dockside Anchor Café and the elegant WaterScapes Restaurant, and a Ruth's Chris Steak House. The on-site marina offers charters and personal watercraft, boat, and kayak rentals.

This luxury golf resort includes more than 160 one- to four-bedroom condominium units and Barefoot Yacht Club Villas. Accommodations are set along fairways or in the 62-unit, 14-story North Tower, which overlooks the intracoastal waterway. Furnishings in units vary, but all have been tastefully decorated and have all the amenities of a hotel, including daily maid service. The waterfront pool covers an acre of land and is said to be one of the largest on the East Coast.

Two massive towers connect at the top of this massive resort, creating an arching, striking building design that's unlike anything else along the coast—think the Bellagio, or Atlantis in Nassau. The modern, lavish condos are spacious (including five-bedroom condos and two-story town houses), with 9-foot ceilings, double-door entrances, porcelain tile flooring, and walk-in closets. Plush beach cottages along quaint tree-lined streets are also available for rent. Outside, there's a vast 2½-acre water park and pool area with swim-up bars.

A self-described "barefoot paradise," Sea View is a no-frills beachside boardinghouse (there are no TVs or in-room phones) with long porches. Rooms in the main inn, with views of the ocean or marsh, have half baths; showers are down the hall (private beach showers are also available outside). Cottage rooms are marsh-side and now have air-conditioning. Three meals, served family style—with grits, gumbo, crab salad, pecan pie, and oyster pie—make this an unbeatable deal. There's a two-night minimum stay during May and September and a one-week minimum from June through August.