Step back in time with a trip to Ocean City, New Jersey, an old-fashioned beach city where the lively 2.5-mile Ocean City Boardwalk caters to families with its array of amusement parks, ice cream shops, pizzerias, burger joints and candy shops pedaling fudge and saltwater taffy. Throughout the day, the wooden boardwalk is filled with cyclists, joggers and walkers taking in the ocean breezes. Set on a barrier island 25 minutes south of Atlantic City, Ocean City is home to a handful of motels within walking distance of the boardwalk.
Osborne's Inn is on 15th Street, just two blocks from the boardwalk. Housed inside a wooden Cape Cod-style cottage, the inn has guest rooms with ocean view decks. The motel also has apartments with full kitchens and private patios. Closer to the boardwalk by one block is the Ocean Front Motel, sandwiched between 14th and 15th Streets. Casual accommodations include in-room microwave ovens and refrigerators. You’ll also receive complimentary hot drinks and baked goods in the morning. Kids 12 and under stay free of charge. Both motels are just a short walk from a host of sit-down restaurants and sidewalk cafes.
Harris House Motel and Tahiti Inn are just one block from the boardwalk and less than five minutes on foot from Congo Falls Adventure Golf, an entertainment center with three unique miniature golf courses, including one with a “King Solomon’s Mine” theme and an indoor course. Harris House Motel has its own heated outdoor pool and changing rooms. Coffee is served free daily, and each room includes a microwave oven and refrigerator. Children ages 12 and younger stay for free. Unwind at Tahiti Inn with a dip in the heated outdoor pool, or lounge about on the attached sundeck. The motel also has bikes available for rent and cribs available for use free of charge.
Wild Dunes Inn, a half-block from the boardwalk, is directly across the street from Playland’s Castaway Cove, an oceanfront theme park with more than 32 rides, including a tilt-a-whirl, roller coasters and Ferris wheel. As a guest of the motel you have complimentary access to the nearby Impala Island Inn. The motel has one-bedroom units outfitted with DVD players and fully-equipped kitchenettes. Just one block from the boardwalk and less than five minutes on foot from Playland’s Castaway Cove, Impala Island Inn has two pools, including one reserved exclusively for children. As a registered guest, you’ll also receive beach tags, which take care of the fees beachgoers must pay before hitting the sand.
Just five minutes on foot from the boardwalk, Coral Sands has a variety of accommodations on hand, including two-story duplexes and one-bedroom efficiencies. Some rooms also include well-equipped kitchenettes and six-person dining room tables. Complimentary beach tags are issued to those staying two or more nights. At Ocean 7, an outside raised walkway transports visitors to the boardwalk in mere seconds. All of the motel’s guest rooms have DVD players, and the lobby has a movie library with over 500 titles along with books and board games. Both motels are just a five-minute walk from Boardwalk Adventures Water Park, which includes plunging waterslides, a lazy river and a pirate-themed sprayground.
