Explore Savannah, Georgia, with its historic district of cobblestone alleys and tree-lined streets. Enjoy festivals, concerts and outdoor cafes before driving to an oceanfront hotel outside the city. Tybee Island is 20 minutes from Savannah and offers five miles of public beach and oceanfront accommodations. Hilton Head Island, about one hour's drive from Savannah, also offers many beachfront hotel rooms.
Located on Tybee Island, less than a half hour's drive from Savannah, the DeSoto Beach Hotel drips with history. The hotel, built in 1939, used to cater to the island's wealthy visitors. Today, rooms in the renovated hotel offer free wireless Internet, in-room safes and televisions. Enjoy beach views while playing billiards in the hotel's game room. Guests can rent beach chairs and umbrellas from the hotel for a relaxing day on the sand, or they can lounge at the hotel's beachfront pool. Tybee Island offers miles of sandy beach and attractions like the Tybee Island Lighthouse and the Marine Science Center. Grab at bite to eat at Tybee Island's AJ's Dockside, which serves seafood. Cafe Loco, located 50 feet from the boat docks, serves shrimp and other seafood fresh from the sea. The cafe also features music.
DeSoto Beach Hotel
212 Butler Ave.
Tybee Island, GA 31328
912-786-4542
desotobeachhotel.com
The beachfront Ocean Plaza Beach Resort has 215 rooms and condominiums. Hotel chefs cook a buffet breakfast free for guests each morning in the oceanfront restaurant. The Ocean Plaza Beach Resort opened in 1885, although today's building was constructed in 1911 after a fire. Historically, visitors enjoyed the hotel's gambling and its private club, but the old legends have faded into today's family-friendly beachfront hotel. The hotel also offers guests the use of two swimming pools. Choose between a standard hotel room with a balcony, or a one-bedroom suite with a separate living room, microwave and refrigerator. The three-bedroom condos feature bamboo flooring, two balconies and full kitchens with dishwashers. The hotel restaurant, the Dolphin Reef, serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and a seafood buffet each Friday and Saturday evening. The menu draws influences from Southern and Caribbean cuisines.
Ocean Plaza Beach Resort
1401 Strand Ave.
Tybee Island, GA 31328
912-786-7777
oceanplaza.com
The Holiday Inn Oceanfront, on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, is about an hour's drive from Savannah. Besides oceanfront accommodations, the hotel offers amenities like a swimming pool to make your stay enjoyable. Each of the 202 rooms include refrigerators and microwaves. Guests may request an ocean view. The hotel's Tiki Hut serves adult beverages and island-style cocktails on the beach with music. Also oceanside, the hotel's Island Eatery serves American classics like hamburgers, sandwiches and ice cream. Maintain your exercise regimen in the hotel's 24-hour exercise room and stay in touch with friends using the free wireless Internet. Guests can also rent bicycles to explore nearby bike paths. Other activities to enjoy during your stay include jet skiing, miniature golf, crabbing, deep-sea fishing and kayaking. When booking, you can choose package deals such as ones including breakfast or golf. Guests can walk from the hotel to an area with more than 80 shops and restaurants.
Holiday Inn Oceanfront
One S. Forest Beach Drive
Hilton Head, SC 29928
843-785-5126
hihiltonhead.com
