The Best Cheap Hotels in Ocean City, Maryland

With a pool on-site and a diner across the street, Best Western is a budget-friendly base, and with the Ocean City Tennis Center right next door, you can spend all afternoon hitting balls and soaking in the sun. You might glimpse the bay or the beach from your private balcony, and you can easily reach both if you shuffle just a few paces away from this cheap hotel in Ocean City.

The kids will love a stay at Country Inn and Suites by Radisson. They’ll be beaming when they’re greeted with a free cookie upon checkin, and Northside Park is just around the corner, where they’ll have a blast on the playground, hitting balls in the baseball field or walking the trails around the lake. On the walk back, surprise them with a stop for old-fashioned ice-cream scoops at Dumser’s Dairyland Restaurant.

If a low-key, low-budget vacation is on your agenda, Holiday Inn Express on the north side of Ocean City could be the place for you. The boardwalk is a short drive away, but far enough to keep a lot of the noise down south. You’ll still have opportunities to enjoy the sunrise on the sand and stroll along the bay at sunset but without the fast-paced feel of the Midway. Should you need to spice up your stay a little, the legendary Fractured Prune donut shop next door lets you go as crazy as you like with its selection of toppings.

A low-cost motel half a block away from the boardwalk and beach? Crystal Sands Motel delivers more bang for your buck, with a convenient locale without the inconvenient upcharges. Spacious rooms with full kitchens and shared balconies are handy for those lazy days, but when you’re not at the beach, you may well be heading straight out to Starbucks, then down to evaluate the finest beachside bars in Ocean City. Might we suggest starting at the Cowboy Coast Saloon for a little line dancing and dollar drafts?

Don’t worry – the low rates at Castle in the Sand Hotel bag you much more than a sandcastle. A location near the boardwalk puts the fun close at hand, and there’s plenty of on-site live entertainment and activities for the kids, too. The pool is the largest in Ocean City, and if you want to cool down without getting wet, stretch your legs out on the oceanfront patio and order drinks or ice cream to your lounge chair.

Staying at this Ocean City cheap hotel is like stumbling upon a treasure in the sand. It’s right around the corner from the beach, while the Nice Ash Cigar Co and the Wine Rack convenience store across the street let you indulge a little with the money you saved on accommodation. Bring the bottle back to your room and cook up a steak in your fully equipped kitchen, then bring the stogie with you for an evening stroll along the shore.

Drop anchor in an oceanfront room at the Spinnaker and spend every morning cooking breakfast in your fully equipped kitchenette as you watch the sunrise. Alternatively, sleep in and enjoy omelets at Malia’s Cafe downstairs. The pool and beach are right outside your guest room, so the only difficult decision to make is which swimsuit you’ll wear.

The Barefoot Mailman is a pet-friendly hotel that has rolled out the red carpet for dogs, providing them with treats, disposable bags and shaded outdoor areas to relax in. All staff members are animal lovers and will be pleased to pet your pooch. And for the record, all mail delivery workers in the area wear shoes.