Ocean Beach

Ocean Beach


what is the difference between a beach front, ocean front and gulf view room?

My Husband and I are planning a trip to Florida and we can't decide which hotel to stay and where in Florida, but the things I came across when looking at hotels are some of the rooms say Ocean Front or Beach front or gulf view.

What is the difference between them? We want a room facing the beach but on a higher floor of the hotel. We don't want to be on the first or second floor.

Also can you tell me the best beaches to go to in Florida that isn't too expensive to stay in a hotel on the ocean?

I actually think the hotels in North Palm Beach were pretty cheap and they are right on the beach. Like you step outside the back door right into sand. It really never gets that packed (relative to Miami and other packed areas) and its usually filled with older people/families, but its a cheap hotel located right on the beach.

Since you posted this in "Miami", it is important to note that Beach Front Hotels in Miami tend not to be physically right on the beach. Instead most hotels have a little back entrance (with a gate that uses your room card to open and close) that you use to access the beach. you need to walk through 10-20 yards of brush and the broadwalk/pedestrian walkway before you get right to the beach. (everything is cleared and its a easy walk). So it goes Hotel/backyard gate/pedestrian walkway/10-20 yards of vegetation/and then sand. Its not a big deal, but some people never know what to expect. Not all hotels are like this, but many are.

Concerning room views. You will often see "Ocean Front" vs "Ocean View" rooms. Ocean Front rooms actually face the beach (full-on) while Ocean View rooms usually involve having to go on the balcony to be able to see the beach. Many hotels dont have rooms that face to the inland part of Florida, unless their is some sort of intercostal waterway and the hotel thinks the views are still nice. Its a little bit more tricky to get a room on a higher floor. Most of the time, rooms are given out when you arrive, so your best bet is to ask for a higher floor when you get there.

Again, in Miami, many hotels are only 1-3 stories and family owned (and not right on the beach...always check where the hotel is on a map...many of the cheaper hotel rooms in Miami beach are located 1-2 blocks away from the beach). The taller hotels tend to be the more up-scale resorts/chain hotels and these tend to be right on the beach.