The Best Cheap Hotels in Ocean City, Maryland

The long stretch of boardwalk at Ocean City, Maryland, is home to shops, arcades, amusement parks and museums
The long stretch of boardwalk at Ocean City, Maryland, is home to shops, arcades, amusement parks and museums | © Ian Dagnall / Alamy Stock Photo
Nick Dauk

The East Coast resort town of Ocean City, Maryland, has a long stretch of boardwalk that is home to shops, arcades, amusement parks and museums, so you will want to save your pennies. These cheap hotels in Ocean City have you covered.

Pail? Check. Shovel? Check. Pocket full of quarters to spend on the boardwalk? Double-check. You don’t need much to have a good time in Ocean City, and a good time certainly doesn’t cost a bucketful of sand dollars. This stretch of shoreline in Maryland has catered to families of all budgets for generations. So don’t spend your holiday pinching pennies – let these cheap hotels in Ocean City show you a good time without emptying your pockets.

1. Best Western Plus Ocean City

Hotel, Chain Hotel, Budget Hotel

A beach-inspired guest room at Best Western Plus Ocean City, with sand-colored and blue accents and beachy art
Courtesy of Best Western Plus Ocean City / Expedia

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.

2. Country Inn and Suites by Radisson, Ocean City

Hotel, Chain Hotel, Budget Hotel

The indoor pool with seating at Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Ocean City, with large windows
Courtesy of Country Inn and Suites by Radisson, Ocean City / Expedia

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.

4. Crystal Sands Motel

Hotel, Motel, Budget Hotel

A two-bed guest room at Crystal Sands Motel, with a navy blue wall and images of palm trees above each bed
Courtesy of Crystal Sands Motel / Expedia

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?

5. Castle in the Sand Hotel

Hotel, Resort, Independent Hotel

A packed outdoor dining terrace at Castle in the Sand Hotel, with green tables and chairs, and red-and-white-striped parasols
Courtesy of Castle in the Sand Hotel / Expedia

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.

6. The Shangri La Motel

Hotel, Motel, Budget Hotel

The roadside outdoor pool at the Shangri La Motel with sunny-yellow loungers and parasols
Courtesy of The Shangri La Motel / Expedia

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.

7. The Spinnaker

Hotel, Budget Hotel

A long deck with loungers, chairs and tables with blue parasols leading to the outdoor pool at the Spinnaker
Courtesy of The Spinnaker / Expedia

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.

8. The Barefoot Mailman

Hotel

People relaxing on loungers and splashing in the outdoor pool at the Barefoot Mailman
Courtesy of The Barefoot Mailman / Expedia

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.

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