A December sunrise from the Dunes
While it sounds a little counter-intuitive, winter really is a great time to visit Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Why?
Here’s 3 reasons…
1. Great rooms at great prices
Myrtle Beach is big…big hotels, big restaurant chains, big amusements, and big crowds. Normally, we like things a little more small-scale, but those big crowds need plenty of places to stay, and Myrtle Beach has a mind-boggling array of hotel rooms, condos, and house for rent.
When winter comes around, those big crowds thin out considerably, and the law of supply and demand kicks in. Rates drop through the floor, and the high volume of places to stay makes for some great deals, especially for families of five plus.
With our three kids, one of our favorite winter getaways in Myrtle Beach is the Dunes Village Resort. The hotel itself is nice, but the Dunes is famous for its extensive indoor water park.
The Dunes’ 30,000 square foot water park is divided between its two adjacent buildings. While the park is very much geared for children, there are several large waterslides that the grownups will enjoy as well as five separate hot tubs. Understandably (and thankfully), the water is highly chlorinated, so don’t wear your best bathing suits and make sure to shower off with fresh water after getting out, especially the hot tubs. Following are a few shots from inside the water park prior to opening:
The room type we like best at the Dunes is a one-bedroom condo setup.
Looking out from the dining area
The bedroom has two double beds. The dining area has a Murphy bed in the wall and the living room has a pull out couch. The unit has a full kitchen, with a microwave and dishwasher, and faces the ocean directly. It also comes complete with a full-size washer and dryer, perfect for drying bathing suits and towels in between trips to the park! In the winter, the prices for this room fall below $100 per night. The room is perfect for a family of five or six and more than spacious for a family of three or four. They also have multiple bedroom layouts that sleep up to 16 people. If you know the weather will be nice, they also have a few two-bedroom units with extended balconies.
A few of the 7th floor extended balconies
2. Beautiful winter weather
Can’t the weather turn out awful this time of year?
Some of that awful winter weather – a late December shot from a Dunes balcony
Well, yes it can, but it can also be wonderful, and 60 degree plus days are not at all unheard of. In fact, we’re writing this from an east-facing balcony along the beach. It’s about 11:30am, the sun is out, and it feels like summertime. And, you can almost count on weather good enough for a long walk or two on the beach.
The shot below is from a walk on the beach last January…note the shorts.
3. Thin crowds = short waits
As we mentioned above, the crowds thin out considerably during winter, and although more than a few Myrtle Beach restaurants close for the winter, many are open for business and the long waits of summer are almost non-existent. On a recent visit, we tried Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville for the first time, and were very pleased. The kids had a ball and the food was great.
Future Parrotheads
The Dunes has two restaurants where we have experienced excellent service. One restaurant also has a bar, and while alcohol is allowed in the park areas (thankfully for many parents), it is not actively encouraged and on our visits to the Dunes, we have not seen a single person anywhere close to rowdy for consuming too much – perfect for families.
The Dunes breakfast buffet
The Dunes is located in the 5200 block of North Ocean Blvd, just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the string of high rise hotels that begin around 29th Ave on Ocean Blvd. That said, the Dunes is also a very short drive for the restaurants and shops of the Kings Highway and Broadway at the Beach. Don’t feel like you have to leave the Dunes though as the water park and the food and drink on site are great.
Don ‘t hesitate to drop us a line or give us a call if you have questions about the Dunes, or would like to book a winter getaway to Myrtle Beach!
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Hi! I'm Jennifer Newsome and I own and operate Southern Girl Travel with some help from my husband, Mark, and our three kids. This shot was taken in beautiful 