cheap Mid-Atlantic beach retreat

June 7, 2018 10:57 AM

a quiet AND cheap AND beach-walkable motel in NY / NJ / MD (ish) ?

I know it’s generally "quiet, cheap, beach-walkable: pick any two” – But do you know an intersection of all three that you recommend?

Looking for:

- a room with a bed (can be twin) and a small desk & chair

- in a motel or hotel or other established business (NOT airbnb) in the NY-through-MD (ish) area

- easily walkable (like, less than a mile) from a sandy ocean beach – doesn’t need lifeguards or any facilities, but open to the public for solo-adult swimming around 4pm to 8pm

- cost after tax, for a block of at least a week during July 2018, is under $75/nt ish

- quiet town AND quiet motel (big parties in rooms and loud music are unlikely and would be addressed by motel staff if a guest requested) – ideal would be no TVs in rooms, but I know that kind of 'retreat' atmosphere rarely intersects with cheap rates :)

posted by kalapierson to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

That's a tall order. There are some sleepy areas along the Chesapeake that might qualify if you'd be happy lounging on the beach itself, but July is a peak time for jellyfish and it might be difficult to swim.
posted by veery at 12:05 PM on June 7, 2018

$75 a night for a motel/hotel during high beach season on the East Coast is a VERY tall order. I peeked around some of the places in my favorite beach town (Ocean City, NJ; it's a "dry town" so no partying, but there is a busy boardwalk), and the cheapest I'm seeing per night in July is around $150. Jump on any deal you find IMMEDIATELY!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:42 PM on June 7, 2018

There are towns on the NJ shore that are more summer cottage and year round towns than tourist towns. Point Pleasant is one. In one search, the Cove Point Motel in Point Pleasant came up at $69, but I wouldn't count on that actually being available.

If money is really tight, keep in mind that advertised prices usually exclude taxes that can really add up. Just this week I spend nearly $200 for a room advertised as $145, the difference being taxes and other fees.

When I was a wee land, 60 years ago, my family found reasonably affordable accommodations in Brigantine, NJ, just north of Atlantic City. Have not been there since.

Quite a lot of the NJ shore has a bay/barrier island conformation. So, you have Barnegat bay on the mainland, Barnegat Bay on the island, and the ocean on the island. So not everything on the water is on the ocean.
posted by SemiSalt at 2:46 PM on June 7, 2018

Yes, that is a tall order. We have gone to the Wildwoods, NJ for years. There are cute '50s hotels not far from a great beach. It can be full of activity, but if it's just the beach and your place you want, you can get it. Also, the neon in Wildwood is great.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 12:55 PM on June 8, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks, good at least to know I wasn't missing anything obvious!
posted by kalapierson at 10:40 PM on June 12, 2018