Family Vacation Idea: North Myrtle Beach

By Rachel Hoeing

When planning a beach vacation for my family this year, we had many things to consider. We have children who are 14 and 16, but we were also vacationing with my sister who has a 2-year-old and a baby. We needed a house or condo large enough to muffle the sounds of crying kids in the middle of the night, but we were obviously trying to be budget conscious as well. We were just going for an extended weekend, so we needed a rental that did not require a minimum stay of a week. We also really wanted a separate bathroom for each bedroom, an outdoor deck or balcony, and a full kitchen to cook since the little ones aren’t always the easiest to take out to restaurants. Lastly, we wanted a rental unit on the beach so that we weren’t lugging baby gear, umbrellas, and chairs across streets each day.

Phew! We definitely were asking for a LOT, but luckily we found a rental unit that satisfied ALL of our needs at North Beach Plantation, not to mention it had so many more perks that worked well for our two families.

I’ll backtrack a little and tell you that we started out by searching rentals on condo-world.com. They have beautiful rentals in Florida, TN and SC. We were initially set on Hilton Head, SC. This is one of my favorite family beaches and the rentals available through Condo World were amazing,  but then decided that a three-night trip might not be worth the longer drive. (So, we’re shelving Hilton Head for the next time we are able to get away for a full week!) But I wanted to mention these other areas because they are definitely worth you checking out!

We then searched the properties in North Myrtle and fell in love with North Beach Plantation. We had stayed here once before in the off-season and thoroughly enjoyed the indoor pools, but who could pass up this outdoor area, especially knowing we were going to be taking along a toddler who loves the water?

 

Condo World was so easy to work with. Their customer service was fabulous. They were very accommodating as we pondered all of our options and continuously changed our minds! The ease of booking was great, and I loved how simple the website was to navigate. I am all about pictures so that I can see exactly what we are getting, and the website has plenty! In this specific complex, you will see the condiminiums pictured below, but there are also adorable cottages available to rent.

Best of all, Condo World often has “specials” and “deals” that they run, so we were able to save quite a bit of money. (Sadly we then proceeded to spend our savings at the outlets!)

It really made a huge difference for our two families to have so much space in the condo. It was very clean and we loved enjoying the balcony area in the mornings and evenings.

 

Here are a few tips for enjoying your stay at North Beach Plantation:

• The complex is located off of 48th Street in North Myrtle Beach. Once you turn onto 48th Street, the guest services/check-in will be on your right. Turn there and follow signs. The actual condominium complex that you see pictured above is further on down the street, but you won’t go there until after you have checked in. (You will see the cottages for rent in this section, too!)
• You will not run out of outdoor fun. You are on the beach, so you can spend plenty of time there, but in addition there are numerous pools, swim-up pool bars, a lap pool, an indoor pool, lazy river & hot tubs, three kiddie pools, and cabanas for rent.
• The swim-up bar has delicious cocktails to top off your relaxing getaway!
• Umbrellas and chairs are available to rent on the beach, but we usually bring our own. You are free to set them up behind the lifeguard stands, but no large tents.
• Towels are provided in the pool area and you can turn them back in when you are finished. No heavy, wet, towels to lug back up to your room!
• Bring puzzles, games, crafts, etc! If it happens to rain, there is plenty of room to spread out and enjoy yourselves in the condo without having to leave and spend money entertaining yourselves!
• There is a fitness center and spa on the grounds for you to enjoy some “me” time.
• If you are planning to eat any meals in the condo/cottage, most basic cooking supplies are provided for you. Plenty of cookware, pans, dishes, etc. Bring along Tupperware and Ziplocs so you can keep leftovers and/or bring items down to the beach with you in a cooler.
• Units include a washer/dryer and dishwasher, along with an initial supply of detergent.
• Checkout is at 11am. You will want to load up your car a couple hours prior if staying in the condominium unit. When everyone is trying to exit at the same time, rolling carts and elevators are in high demand! I suggest loading up early and then enjoying time at the pools before you leave.
• Tanger Outlets are just a short drive down the street and have plenty of sales throughout the year.
• Our favorite place for dinner is Crab Catchers in Little River and our favorite place for breakfast is Krave Bagel just a few miles away. North Beach Plantation also has lunch and breakfast available on-site as well as a 5-star steakhouse! You literally never have to leave the resort if you don’t want to!

If you have any questions, call Condo World at 800-753-4537 and they will take great care of you! In the meantime, enjoy a few more photos from our family vacay and get started planning your own dream vacation!

• Sponsored by Condo World