Yesterday was officially the first day of summer, but LBI residents already have a base tan by now! Are you ready to hit the Island and soak up the magic on the beach? It’s easy and affordable to stretch out your vacation because the longer you stay, the better the deals! If you’re shopping around for Long Beach Island best hotels, here are four top-rated LBI hotels.
Download the LBI Hotel Guide for a helpful chart showing pricing and amenities!
Discover Four Long Beach Island Best Hotels to Stay at!
When it comes to booking a hotel, we all have different priorities and preferences. There are no cookie cutter hotels on LBI. Each of the Long Beach Island best hotels has unique culture and a set of pros and cons. If you’re particular about things beyond just cleanliness, convenience, and price, you should pay extra attention to the amenities of each hotel. But if you’re just looking for a budget-friendly great hotel at the beach, then you’ll be happy at any of the places listed below.
These four Long Beach Island best hotels have earned stellar online reviews from happy guests. Each one of these hotels has a pool and complimentary beach badges for guests to use during their stay.
Some of these hotels are especially family friendly (Spray Beach Hotel and Sea Shell Resort) and others are great for a romantic get-away without kids (Daddy O Hotel). You can even take your pets during the off-season (Engleside Inn and Sea Shell Resort). Skim through the details to find which one of these Long Beach Island best hotels is the right one for you! If you’re looking for something perhaps for a honeymoon, keep scrolling to see the following two hotels.
1.Spray Beach Hotel (Beach Haven, LBI)
This is a casual family hotel where you and the kids can spend carefree summer days. Located directly on the beach is convenient. If you have ever walked blocks to the beach lugging chairs, umbrellas, blankets coolers and kids, you will appreciate being able to open your hotel room door and step directly onto the sand. Spray Beach is a favorite family vacation destination.
Spend long lazy days on the beach, refresh in the pool and enjoy dinner on the beachfront pavilion or in the Sand Dollar Restaurant dining room. Make new friends at the Beach Hut Bar and listen to live music while you enjoy the sunset. These spacious hotel rooms are equipped with a microwaves and a fridge, and some even have cooktops. You can book a room with a Jacuzzi tub, or just take advantage of the pool and hot tub downstairs.
The location can’t be beat! Popular family attractions like Thundering Surf Waterpark and Fantasy Island Amusement Park are down the road from Spray Beach Hotel, not to mention shopping districts at 9th & Bay Ave. Sixty-eight Google reviews for Spray Beach Inn give it an average rating of 3.9 stars. There are 27 more Yelp reviews to read, which average out to a three-star rating. All in all, this hotel is an amazing place- especially for the price! There are discounts for every additional night that you stay, special pricing during events like Chowderfest, and discounts for seniors.
- Sea Shell Resort (Beach Haven, LBI)
http://www.seashellresortandbeachclub.com
This high-end resort is the cream of the crop. Sea Shell Resort has a four-star rating on both Google and Yelp, with a combined count of 200+ reviews. If you have a little extra to spend and you want an upper echelon hotel with a private beach and pool, Sea Shell Resort is the best choice. This is a family-friendly hotel overall despite the fancy décor. There are plenty of onsite dining options from The Palm Grill and the Palm Tree, a wine lounge, sushi and saki bar, and a tiki bar. Sea Shell Resort and Beach Club offers live entertainment and onsite wedding planning services to help a bride-to-be.
Between The Sea Shell Resort and the Spray Beach Hotel, these are the top two choices for an oceanfront, family-friendly hotel on Long Beach Island. Pack-and-plays and cots are available for a fee. If you can afford a higher end hotel, Sea Shell is gorgeous and very accommodating. There is a three night minimum stay for weekend bookings during peak season and holidays. Currently, there aren’t any special offers or discounts advertised on the website. If your family is on a budget and you’re looking for a great deal, the Spray Beach Hotel may be a better fit.
- Engleside Inn (Beach Haven, LBI)
The Engleside Inn is another one of the Long Beach Island best hotels located in Beach Haven. If you’re searching for an oceanfront hotel that is moderately priced, Engleside Inn is a great choice. This hotel is on the more upscale end compared to most oceanfront beach town hotels, but it’s still a good fit for most families. There are no babysitting services onsite but there are certified lifeguards always monitoring the pool. Pack-and-play rentals are available for a fee.
A fine dining room and sushi bar are excellent on site dining options. There is also a poolside bar that serves drinks and food if you want a more casual dining environment. The hotel rooms and suites are spacious and equipped with great amenities such as a whirlpool tub and cooktop kitchenette. The Engleside accommodates groups and is especially a good choice for conferences and business trips.
Google reviews average out to a 4.2 star rating for the Engleside Inn, and Yelp gives it a 3.5 star rating. It seems that the most enthusiastic reviews come from pet owners who were glad to bring their dog for a stay during the off-season.
- Daddy O Hotel (Harvey Cedars, LBI)
http://www.daddyohotellbi.com/
Sleep on the beach by day and party all night at the Daddy O Hotel. This is a Long Beach Island hot spot with spacious rooms and suites decorated in a fun, retro beach theme. If you want to enjoy the view you will have to go up to the rooftop bar. The bar was rated in the top 10 rooftop bars in the country by thedailymeal.com
Daddy O Hotel is a 2016 Certificate of Excellence Award Winner from Trip Advisor. Guests enjoy uniquely prepared food in the restaurant for dinner and the bagel and coffee bar for breakfast. There is also an outdoor Tiki bar and if it’s cold warm up at the big circular bar inside.
Bring your sweetheart here for a weekend get-a-way of fun and relaxation or plan to spend a honeymoon week. The Daddy O hotel is one of the Long Beach Island best hotels that is for adults to enjoy, especially on spring break or during a wedding celebration.
For Special Occasions: The Best Long Beach Island Hotel
If you’re willing to spare no expense on booking the Long Beach Island best hotel for an extra special occasion, you must check out The Sand Castle and The Gables Inn. These two bed-and-breakfasts are the most charming and highest rated hotels on the Island.
Sand Castle Bed & Breakfast (Barnegat Light, LBI)
For true luxury on the shore, consider Sand Castle Bed & Breakfast. This elegant bay front lodge has a 4.9 star rating. Guests rave about the over-the-top breakfast served on the porch. The location, which is within walking distance of Barnegat Lighthouse and Park is ideal for viewing Long Beach Island from the top of the lighthouse, nature walks and fishing. It’s a romantic getaway spot for a couple. As you may have guessed, this bed and breakfast does not allow guests under age 16. If your dream beach vacation is calm and relaxing, this is your hotel.
Sand Castle Bed & Breakfast offers free beach passes, beach chairs and towels for their guests. Bicycles and tennis racquets are available. In the parlor you will have access to a library and game tables as well as a grand piano. Watch the sunsets from the open rooftop deck. The six guest rooms and two suites are each uniquely appointed with an eye toward luxurious comfort. Most have their own entrance and all have a view of the bay or the secluded pool area.
The Gables Inn (Beach Haven, LBI)
The Gables Inn and Restaurant is an exquisite place for a couples getaway, especially for a honeymoon or an anniversary. It gets almost a five-star rating on Yelp and it’s rated 4.8 on Google reviews. This is a romantic bed and breakfast right in the heart of Beach Haven.
The location of The Gables is downtown where all of the action is, so keep this in mind. If you want to be close to the hub of LBI, The Gables is a great place to book your stay. An easy walk to the beach or the bay front will make your stay even more enjoyable. This is the best place to book your stay if you plan to do a lot of activities while you’re on the island. Surfing, fishing, taking evening cruises, going shopping, or seeing a play at the Surflight Theatre are great date ideas! If you’d rather be in a quiet part of the island where fewer tourists hang out, the Sand Castle will be a better fit.
Other Recommendations for Long Beach Island Best Hotels
- Mariner Inn – This budget friendly three-star hotel is the best of both worlds. The rooms are inexpensive, the location is just far enough away to be quiet and calm, and there are many added perks. Since the Mariner Inn is under the same ownership as Spray Beach Hotel, guests have access to all of the good stuff at Spray Beach Hotel just down the road. Mariner Inn also has a pool of its own, and the rooms will make you feel at home. There are kitchenettes and eating areas, and pullout couches so that families have plenty of space to prepare meals and sit down together. There are also many great restaurants nearby if you’d rather treat yourselves to dinner.
- Sea Horse Motel – The Sea Horse Motel does not have a ton of online reviews, but they are rated 4 stars on Google. This hotel appears in two separate Yelp listings, one showing a 2-star rating and the other showing a 4-star rating. Mixed reviews mean that booking this motel may be a gamble but the price is definitely right! If you’re not too picky about the details and you’re just looking for a clean and convenient place to stay on a budget, this one is worth a shot. Just take notice of the location, which is right in the center of town. It’s going to be a noisier environment than the other Long Beach Island best hotels located on the northern end of Beach Haven.
- The Islander Motel – If you’re visiting LBI to go fishing or surfing and eat a lot of seafood before catching up on sleep, this place is a great spot to lay your head. Guests rate The Islander Motel on Yelp with a 4.8 star rating. The Islander is economical and modest. According to reviews, it’s a clean motel in a perfect location because you can walk to either the ocean or the bay. You will enjoy the usual amenities plus free coffee, breakfast, and a sun deck. Efficiencies are also available which is helpful if you are bringing the kids.
- Jolly Roger – Tucked near the South end of LBI just 44 steps from the beach, 400 steps from the wildlife refuge and very near the bird sanctuary is a quiet little gem of a hotel. There is no pool or restaurant yet tripadvisor.com gives this hotel a 4.8 star rating. Guests rate this hotel highly for the cleanliness, friendly staff, and a quiet atmosphere. The many enjoyable activities of LBI are a shuttle ride away.
Long Beach Island Best Hotels, according to ratings and reviews
There is something for everyone on LBI. Whether you’re visiting with your life partner or taking the family, or attending a business trip, you will be able to find a hotel that gives you what you want at the right price. Consider the location first, whether you want to be in Beach Haven’s activity hub or in a more serene and natural setting like Barnegat Light. Then, find out which hotels have the atmosphere you’re looking for: family friendly and casual or grown up and romantic. Whatever you’re looking for in the Long Beach Island best hotels, you’ll be sure to find one worth booking right on this list!
