Ocean Beach Hotels Archives - Travel & Experiences at Boutique Hotels and Restaurants Around the World

Cinque Terre, Italy Gem Stay

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cinque terre italy gem hillside town — Vernazza, Cinque Terre Italy gem stay in the heart of Cinque Terre (views are postcard-esque and something to write home about 💌)

This is a hidden Cinque Terre, Italy gem. La Polena Hotel is apartment-like and has a rooftop that we had for private sunbathing and enjoying at sunset. It’s private to the building that only has 2 other rooms that may or may not be occupied.

In the Emerald Suite, there’s a beautiful view above the water (Ligurian Sea), that you can indeed swim in. It’s lovely in the summer.

Great way to travel is to take the boat ferry and village hop in Cinque Terre. You can also take the train from town to town. If you love hiking and walking, it’s a great place for hikers and walking enthusiasts.

And if you’re Italy hopping, you can take the train to La Spezia. From Florence, you’ll see the Carrara marble and quarry that Michaelangelo used to dream up and carve the statue of David in the town of Carrara.

And then in Cinque Terre, you can enjoy the dreamy Italian tourist seascape. 🌊

The Emerald Suite comes with a Nespresso maker and coffee, and a kettle (hot water pot). The bedroom is in a separate room separated by a hallway that leads to the bathroom. The bathroom is very modern and nice.

There’s a shower enclosed by glass (no bath tub). There’s a bidet beside the toilet. It’s not really a family with kids’ place, it’s actually perfect for a romantic getaway.

There’s a big wardrobe in the room hallway. The safe inside did not work when we stayed but perhaps is fixed now.

Not a big deal as there’s a lock outside the door of the building. For the hotel room price, this is a Cinque Terre, Italy gem. You’re getting a suite in the heart of Vernazza, one of the 5 famous villages in Cinque Terre, Italy!

When you leave the building, halfway down the steps (which mind you, are real Cinque Terre steps –stone and uneven), there’s a great restaurant.

They have delicious fresh seafood and an anchovies plate (Cinque Terre is known for anchovies and pesto). I don’t usually leave recipes but this is so simple:

Cinque Terre pesto: Crush up basil, pine nuts, and garlic with some salt in a mortar. Then mix with grated parmesan cheese and olive oil.

In the Vernazza village where this hotel is, there’s one restaurant that stands on a cliff and has amazing food. It’s the Belforte Restaurant.

We made a reservation at 7 pm and were standing in a line outside in the heat. But it’s worth the wait! The food is amazing. If you love seafood, THIS is the place. I loved their black squid ink pasta. I could eat that every day.

cinque terre italy gem restaurant on the vernazza cliff cinque terre italy gem finds like this patio dining

Then for breakfast, it is free and included with your hotel stay at La Polena, a Cinque Terre, Italy gem. It is a nice buffet with fruit, yogurt, bread, and pastries. A server will come by and ask if you would like a beverage, like a coffee or cappuccino. You can sit inside or outside. This free-for-guests-breakfast restaurant has an outside picturesque view of the main plaza in Vernazza. For lunch, this restaurant is busy with tourists. We had lunch there one day and I ordered the seafood pizza that was 10 euros.

Night Roof view of Vernazza from hotel

And if you like charming Cinque Terre water views, you’ll probably love the canals in Venice!

Florida West Coast Beach and Culture

(Florida West Coast Beach includes Tampa, Clearwater, Saint Petersburg)

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tampa florida west coast beach map — West Coast Florida Tampa map

Who says you can’t find culture in the Tampa area?

The Florida west coast beach side has that.. Besides beautiful beaches with sugar fine sand and aqua color ocean that goes on for miles, the Tampa area is filled with museums.

If you appreciate art, you’ll be intrigued with the Dali Museum located in Saint Petersburg (Salvador Dali was one interesting surreal painter).

And the Chihuhly Museum known for the inspiring colorful glass art pieces you’ve probably seen all over the world (like the famous glass flowered ceilings in the Las Vegas Bellagio Hotel).

Treasure Island – Saint Petersburg, FL or St. Pete Beach

treasure island florida west coast beach culture

In that area, I recommend a boutique hotel, Treasure Island, just footsteps from the Florida west coast beach. It’s perfect for a romantic or solo getaway. The room is modern and has a convenient kitchenette and turndown service (with chocolates 🙂

Tampa area is known for fresh grouper and this hotel serves a delicious grouper meal.

florida west coast beach food — Fresh grouper salad at Treasure Island

The Sandpearl Resort – Clearwater Beach

If you want to be closer to Clearwater, known for its clear waters and awarded beaches (where you can almost go as far out as far as the eye can see), there are 2 hotels I love.

If you are looking for opulence or a hotel with a nice spa, the Sandpearl is recommended.

Opal Sands – Clearwater

florida west coast beach mocktail pina colada pool drink — Poolside drinks like a virgin pina colada

Opal Sands Hotel is a modern hotel with matching kitchen in the suites. It has a nice pool with pool drinks. And has free bikes you can check out to ride to the market or along the pedestrian/bike path to the pier with beautiful sunsets.

Retro Barbie Dream House Hotels (You’ve Not Seen Before)

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Back in the day, we called Barbie Dream House pink a dainty pink, that’s a different shade than carnation 🌸, flamingo 🦩, ballet shoes 🩰, and Peeps pink 👯‍♀️

These days any shade of pink is retro back to a Barbie comeback. She didn’t go out of style ’cause she always got a makeover.

And if you’re in love with pink, you’ll love these hotels 💕

The Ryder Hotel (Charleston) is vintage for sure with a 50’s vibe in the southern charm historic oceanside city. You see the pink stools like in a 50s diner and the motel exterior but NOTHING like a motel inside. I stayed in my first and last motel (lol!) in my teens in Ocean City, MD. And those old days, staying at a flamingo pink hotel like the Dunes Manor would’ve been a treat. 💭 Back to today’s reality, this dream hotel is a scale-up and upscale with pink finds like hotel hair dryers, lotions, and potions.

Kasa El Paseo (Miami South Beach) will make you think you’ve gone on a tropical excursion with a Barbie pink exterior on Espanola Way… the hipster area like Lincoln Road where we used to retro rollerblade. 🛼

ICYMI, Miami Beach is a perfect rollerblading town as the surfaces are smooth and pedestrian-friendly. And as a rollerblader, you’re a souped-up walking pedestrian. When you’re tired you can sit yourself down in an outdoor cafe like a 4-paw 🐾 creature and catch your second wind before you go back to the pink scenes…

…and see Foutainbleau’s spinning gelato ice cream in the day 🍨

Compass Point Beach Resort in Bahamas whisks you away to what feels like your own private island oasis away from the busier Nassau. These pastel and crayola crayon huts could be your perfect romantic getaway. You won’t need a compass or a map to find your way back.

Pink Hotel in Paris 💕draped with pink curtains, headboards, chairs in the hotel… and toilet seats… whaaat? That reminds me of those fuzzy carpet toilet seat covers from the 80s that matched the carpeted bathrooms… whoever thought that was a good idea, LOL. That’s a bit gauche and fittingly this hotel is next to the rive gauche along the Seine ready for your rosy stay. 💐

And maybe you’ll rent a pink mobile to match your Barbie Dream House hotel stay.💅

Ocean City MD Gem Stays

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Ready for your summer Ocean City, MD adventure? Cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and you’re there! It’s still under $5 for cars after all these inflation years.

Ocean City MD gem is the beach I grew up giddy over. 🤸‍♀️

It was a summer teen getaway from suburban life malls (…rough life, I know).

The landmarks are an amusement park, beach, and Fun Island hangout spots where caramel popcorn, funnel cake, and malt-vinegar french fries mixed scents linger in the boardwalk air. 🍿It’s an easy drive past the Bay Bridge on 50 East… and then you’re there! From Northern Virginia, it’s a 4-hour drive.

And as I grew older, I discovered there are much nicer beaches with seashells (aka blue-green water and sugar-fine sand 😊)…

But Ocean City MD is still one of the most happening beaches on the East Coast… and still always in my heart. ⛱️

It’s a great affordable vacation place to create memories… like I did where the older ones are in fuzzy memory photos (not like these). 😊

Ocean City, MD is a great choice ⛱️ if you’re on a limited budget because you can drive to the beach without hassle AND there’s so much innocent putt-putt arcade entertainment for everyone… that’s retro-cheesy suitable for the beach setting, but maybe not back home. 😁 …and it’s still a great place to fly a kite. 🪁We got the same rainbow octopus tentacle kite each year or tossed a frisbee for no-frills fun.

People flock there from all-over the northeast even though there’s a closer Ocean City, NJ beach to them… so there must be something special about the fun Maryland beach and nearby Delaware beaches.

There’s something enjoyable for everyone. You can simply marvel over the outdoor sand art scene or on the iconic white wooden benches you can flip the back around to timelessly enjoy the ocean or people watch.

But as I entered my 30s, my tastes had refined… so I found this hidden gem hotel, Coconut Malorie’s, that’s on the quieter bay side (away from the busy lights and sounds, and riff-raff boardwalk areas of the beach town).

With age, you get wisdom and can easily switch standards back and forth from good ‘ol American beach fun, and adventurous Agadir or Cinque Terre azure blue ocean and mountainous beach terrains. It’s like neon-lit Vegas versus demure Paris. It’s all good in the contentment of life! 🥂

At any beach, everyone is more carefree and has sand in their toes that helps to make life lighter. 🩴 You forgive the wet bathing suits and flip flops eating outside enjoying crabs and lobster bites that bond our experience with other vacation-goers.

When you had enough beach entertainment, you get to drive back to your relaxing hotel. And at the Malorie, you drive back to the cute outlined cut-out windows that BTW have made a comeback in HGTV home trends. You reflect on how far you’ve come staying in a cute modern doll house.

And at the Malorie, you can enjoy a lovely Juliette balcony with French Doors and a cool view of the bay to appreciate even more how far you’ve come.

If you want to feel grown up or in your own tropical oasis with bay views, a nice pool, and your own refrigerator (critical for beach living!)… plus, warm beachy sand pastel vibes, then this could be your place at least for a temporary stay.

One of the best times to visit Ocean City MD is over Labor Day weekend when you catch the last few days (but not the last rays ☀️)of summer and enjoy the tail-end of famous Maryland crabs doused with Old Bay. 🦀

And if you’re with the kiddos (or someone else’s kiddos), take them to the Carousel Hotel that’s kid-friendly. The hotel is a local tradition (where weddings still take place) and overnight offers include breakfast, free cancellation and built-in entertainment options.

I remember the days when we would go by in the winter and this hotel was one of the still-open spots with a year-round public ice skating rink! ⛸️… plus outdoor/indoor pools, table tennis, and game room.

And having worked in restaurants in the summer Ocean City MD gem during college summer breaks as a getaway from the city (Washington DC), I got a new appreciation for fresh see-food year-round.

And on bayside up Coastal Highway (the main drag) is a hidden food-ier experience. 🍽️ : The Hobbit Restaurant… yes, named after The Hobbit (pre-Lord of the Rings) fantastical trilogy by Peter Jackson. This could be your new destination.

South Carolina Back-to-School Tax-Free Shopping Weekend

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south carolina back-to-school tax-free weekend includes shoes — Shoe fetish anyone? 👠 Get ’em tax free while you can. Everyone needs a good occasion shoe that won’t break your neck, and so you can appreciate your everyday tennis shoes.

It’s almost back-to-school time and IT’S South Carolina back-to-school tax-free shopping this weekend in South Carolina. I grew up in Virginia that paused the annual tax-free weekend… and North Carolina ended.

So now’s a good time to head further south to South Carolina that’s the east coast hospitality 🍍 state. There, it’s a good time to buy your computer, school supplies, and clothing (including shoes in case you have a fetish!). And bed and bath items in case you’re going to back a school door room. Who came up with this creative list??

And remember South Carolina has a couple hot spots and close to the ocean water! ⛱️

Both Myrtle Beach and Charleston (the capital) are in the Palmetto State. Either would be great to fill the rest of your August Dog Day calendar and provide a last-summer effort travel escape.📆

…Myrtle Beach has hotels with lazy river pools that’s heat relief entertainment. You can go to The Breakers for one.

…And Charleston is known for the quaint city that goes back to horse drawn carriages. The Charleston Place hotel is the Ritz. And Charleston Grill in the hotel is fine dining at its best with scrumptious fare.

Now I know you’re tempted and if you can’t make it via travel, the South Carolina back-to-school tax-free can be done online! You can shop where you are… tax-free items include flip-flops 🩴, inline and ice skates ⛸️, boots 👢, and this tax-free holiday long list. I’m sure you’ll find something from these common everyday shopping lists.

And if August isn’t your time to visit, Charleston Restaurant Week is in September. You can check out the Summer New York Restaurant Week and DC Restaurants I love.

They’re an up and comin’ food destination town to come back and checkout 😉

10 Maryland Restaurant Week Picks

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Maryland Restaurant Week includes crab cakes options and you want to try Tidewater Grille on the Chesapeake Bay

Maryland Restaurant Week is coming. And today is National Maryland Day. While these and other daily calendar celebrations are fun to observe like yesterday’s daily horoscopes use to be, having a foodie food reminder is even better! 🎉

For Maryland Restaurant Week, Tidewater Grille in Havre de Grace is on the menu with Maryland famous crab cakes and bites 🍽️ They are located on the Chesapeake Bay where you can enjoy porch seating. And if that’s not something to be happy about… they play live music on weekend nights 🎶 You don’t have to drive all the way to a piano bar or the beach for free entertainment.

And along the drum of good eats, Chesapeake Bay Beach Club on Kent Island is across the Bay Bridge (towards Ocean City or OC for short) on the Eastern Shore.

This is the inn with a spa you gotta checkout (and you won’t wanna checkout! 🛏️). It’s a special place with tasteful modern accents throughout, and one restaurant private dining space has unique exposed white ducts in the high ceiling peak. I can appreciate having planned thousands of private events.

The inn’s spaces are an architectural design dream. There’s a spa and they offer yoga. It’s a culinary hotel that has fresh herbs growing in the gardens. It’s not just for Oprah and the nouveau riche anymore!

And the Annapolis state capitol in Anne Arundel County is no run down county. And these are a sample of the restaurant run down picks I have for Maryland Restaurant Week (that’s extensive like DC Restaurant Week)…

In Annapolis, Blackwall Hitch is participating (also in Alexandria).

And for Maryland Restaurant Week, you’ll be surprised that there are special with coffee houses, bakeries, and even sports and entertainment places like Sports and Social that’s a chain that on the list for Bethesda, MD.

Montgomery County is an affluent county with Bethesda’s Seasons 52 and its Columbia location. If you’re into modern diners, Columbia’s Silver Diner is also participating.

And if you’re Italian seeking, Baltimore’s Amicci’s of Little Italy eatery and La Tavola off the famous Albermarle Street n Baltimore’s Little Italy 🇮🇹 serving authentic dishes with oozing burrata, generous parmagiano-reggiano, and gluten-free pasta options.

Further north in Frederick (if you’re heading to western PA), you can stop in at Outback (the steakhouse that is) for their Bloomin’ Onion, sirloin or chicken with sides, and cheesecake for dessert.

And 32Palm in Hilton Ocean Suites where you can get the best of both restaurant and hotel hospitality worlds. It’s down by the iconic Ocean City Jolly Roger Amusement Park where all the hoopla is at night! 🚥

So now you have the low-down and have plenty of Maryland Restaurant Week places to consider.

maryland restaurant week has Maryland crab soup on menus

Exotic Morocco Cities

If you’re looking for an adventure travel experience, exotic Morocco cities has the mystique and city vibes. Growing up, I went to Disney World’s Epcot Center on a family vacation, and I remember visiting the Morocco expo country.

The lively colors and bright fabrics were so different, and especially from a kid’s perspective. Those forming memories helped shape me to want to see more of the world.

And when you grow up, you can go where you are able and to the real deal places, like Marrakech, Morocco, that’s famous for the markets. If you’re looking for a modern lantern or design decor or an extra spice to make everything nice in your home… you’ll find it’s there in the shopping mecca.

exotic Morocco markets like Marrakesh about 2 hours from Casablanca

And when you visit Casablanca about two hours drive to the north (closer to Spain), you’ll be on a city on a beach (kinda like how Miami is) but is very different than beaches around the Western world. And Rabat, the capital has a formal feel. Fez is another one of the exotic Morocco cities that many Moroccans are from.

You’re not likely to see beachgoers laying out freely on towels and bathing suits. You won’t see the beach umbrella scene or lifeguards on these beaches as there are unspoken cultural rules.

You will see the beautiful beach outline of sand on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean that’s all azure water as far as the eye can see. The beachside of exotic Morocco is, about 3,000 miles from the U.S. and Outer Banks (or the distance from Virginia to California).

…Never thought of it that way, huh?

And while North African exotic Morocco cities is an ocean apart from North America, it’s part of the same world we live in. And if you want to try authentic Moroccan foods, try different spices from souks, and see a wider array of grains that never make your local stores in the indoor grocery stores and outdoor markets.

Everything will likely be in Arabic, so do a little homework before your travel visit. If you want to spa like Moroccans do, they visit hammams or the local spas weekly. They prioritize valuing cleanliness and that includes the body and eating practices. And you can do this much cheaper than in the Western world.

And if you know French, you have an advantage as many Moroccans speak the language. And if you travel south toward Agadir, you’ll find a world of surfers and cultural nomads that speak many languages including some English. You’ll find the beach hotels in Taghazhout (that just adds to Morocco exotic vibes🇲🇦).

Agadir is the southern exotic Morocco side

Agadir in southern Morocco along the Atlantic Ocean

Duck, NC – The Best of Outer Banks

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Duck, NC is one of the quieter beach towns in the Outer Banks barrier islands. Northerners know the barrier islands or OBX, which has been made more popular with the Nicholas Sparks romantic books and movies like Nights in Rodanthe (starring Diane Lane and Richard Gere).

And while Duck, NC is more busy than Rodanthe, it’s a quieter Outer Banks town just a ‘lil north. You can still enjoy the same beach coast in a more relaxing setting away from stress or the city. And then watch the peaceful sunset waterfront views. Maybe that’s what the doctor ordered?

Outer Banks starts at the top when you drive into Corolla (pronouned Kha-rawl-ah). And down at the southern tip is the popular Nags Head Beach. From there, you can go down to Frisco past the furthest eastern point Rodanthe, and enjoy the ocean ride or unforgettable car ferry on a day trip out to Cape Hatteras. You may have seen the Cape’s iconic lookout lighthouse that’s with painted black and white diagonal stripes.

And in Hatteras, you’re getting closer to a jumper plane ride to Bermuda that’s probably what the Wright brothers could’ve done with their first motorized plane. A model illustration was featured at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.

Kitty Hawk where the Wright Brothers landed their first motorized plane, is next to Duck, NC

…And in the Outer Banks, Kitty Hawk is where the Wright Brothers landed. And if you’re on vacation with kiddos, be sure to check out the Kill Devil Hills natural sand dunes where climbing and riding sand plus kite flying are fun sports for the family.

Sandwiched in the middle is Duck, NC if you want a more zen and spa-like stay, with coastal design ambiance while sipping and enjoying Harney & Sons fine teas. This special resort has its own spa and there are other local spas you can check out.

Like this one waterfront restaurant and spa nearby with live music. You can make this an escape romantic weekend where you can breathe a sigh of relief from the reality of everyday life.

When I compare Duck, NC and Outer Banks to Ocean City, MD or Myrtle Beach, SC, I look at them as different vacations with different hotel vibes. Duck, NC being the relaxing beach where maybe you take a zen sabbatical, and the other touristy ones are a fun getaway on another agenda.

Cool Pool Hotels With Cooling Vibes

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One of the coolest things about cool pool hotels is that the pools run cool year-round (getting the theme…cool?). I found hotel stays in Miami and Myrtle Beach that have cool beachfront pools… so don’t even think about going elsewhere! 😉

…A pristine pool that you can jump into (not limited to and sandwiched in between Memorial and Labor Day) brings a serene cool vibe to your wellness. Maybe it’s an infinity pool or a design pool with curvy shapes, outlines, and colors.

Below are some fave cool pool hotels you can check out with these features.

The Raleigh Hotel in Miami, Florida

I discovered this hotel in the early 2000s when black and white stripes were popular… and they’re back again! You may have seen them in the resurgence of Barbie hoopla. It conveys j’aim tout!

The Savoy Hotel and Beach Club in South Beach is oceanfront and has cool shape pools that blend into the blue ocean waters behind… The location of this SoBe hotel is ideal on the 400 block of Ocean Drive. This made my visit stress-free, fun, and relaxed. 🏝️

Anderson Ocean Club and Spa in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is the quintessential hotel pool with indoor and several outdoor pools against the beach backdrop. There’s putt-putt too. ⛳️ You may never to leave the hotel club and spa!

…And if you’re with the kiddos 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦, they’ll love the lazy river pool at The Breakers… and you will too! One of my fond memories is The Hard Rock Park that’s gone, but Myrtle Beach is one big amusement park. You can find all kinds of fun for all ages… and Margaritaville-ish places especially around Barefoot Landing where there’s no shortage of restaurants to choose from.

And all kinds of knick-knacks and retro vibe stores. I think I met the tallest man on stilts in one of the restaurants. Happy times ✌️in South Carolina, and they have perks as they just had their tax-free weekend if you plan ahead! Charleston, Kiawah Island, and Hilton Head are other great SC travel destinations.

Lobster Season Maine Roll, Please!

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lobster season means lobster roll and Maine lobster is year-round

If you’re a lobster lover like I am, I need to add nothing to get you to drool 😋over these lob-stahs in prime lobster season! 🦞🦞🦞 I haven’t met a bad one YET.

And Maine lobsters are available year-round. And you can find all kinds of rolls: Maine, Connecticut, and sushi rolls… and continuing on a roll… dishes like paella and lobster macaroni.

It’s a good thing I’m not fasting today because lobster talk is making me hungry for lean protein packed with Omega-3s. And sardines, well… just doesn’t compare.

You can get these locally live in your coastal city and fresh from Maine. Once upon a time I worked in a beach town that gave one lobster per buffet ticket… And if you’re close, you could take a drive to where the lobster action is and…

Maine Lobster Fest is happening (…different than the local restaurant!) in Rockland, Maine. If you keep going north, you can stay at an amazing Bar Harbor spa resort that has an oceanfront and go boating or whale watching as one adventure. 🐳

And then come back to enjoy the lobster boat and have others watch your eyes pop out and your smile grow bigger in lobster season 😃

lobster season means lobster at every enjoyable meal