We know FeBREWary is a great month for beercations in Ocean City, MD and that’s why we are putting together a list of Ocean City, MD hotels that make a great base for your exploration of the Shore’s local craft breweries. Don’t neglect to plan for more beer cations throughout the year as some of the breweries and restaurants won’t be open in FeBREWary, but are worth another trip later into the Spring when hotel rates are reasonable and the craft beer is flowing.
The Grand Hotel Oceanfront is located at 21st Street and the ocean. Located right on the Boardwalk, this hotel is large, has great views, and lots of areas to play. The best part for your next Beercation is that the new “Other One Brewing Co” is located just up the street, but on the bayside, between 23rd and 24th. It’s part of the Embers Center where you can also find great food with views. That’s a quick taxi, Uber, or bus ride and a nice stroll so you can leave your car in the hotel’s lot. Check that brewery off your list!
Located at 101st Street and the ocean, the Fontainebleau is your answer to easy access to Delaware and the many breweries there. Their pub, pictured above, has had lots of craft beer on tap and it has a great ocean view too! In warmer weather, there is an outside bar and the Fontainebleau owns their beach so drinks can be served there as well. (This is one of only two hotels that own their beaches which is why getting a drink on the beach isn’t easy.). Start with the closest brewery headed north, the Dewey Beer Co and work your way up Coastal Highway. You will find Thompson Island and Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats, both in Rehoboth, and then you can try Crooked Hammock and Big Oyster both in Lewes. Grab a beer in each one and take several days to do it. Those breweries are off your list now too and you will love a several night stay in a newly renovated hotel! (Make sure you check the hotel’s website because they are closed for renovations and we aren’t sure when they will reopen.)
The Park Place Hotel Ocean City is a lovely oceanfront hotel on the Boardwalk and the beach in downtown Ocean City. Their outdoor pool area is beautiful and they are only one block south of Shenanigan’s Irish Pub. Shenanigan’s doesn’t open until St. Patrick’s Day, but there are also lots of other restaurants nearby. Located just a couple blocks north of the Ocean City Route 50 bridge, you can easily get in and out of Ocean City to try Burley Oak Brewing in Berlin. There is another brewery coming soon in Berlin and a Distillery that also looks likes it’s getting closer to opening. There is great craft beer on tap at the Sterling Tavern and at Boxcar on Main. If you haven’t been to Berlin, it’s worth the drive and you can check Burley Oak off your list.
4The Hilton
The Hilton is run by the Harrison family who takes great pride in their properties – both restaurants and hotels. The outdoor pool at the Hilton is gorgeous, but so is their indoor pool. They have a game room – for the kids and the young at heart. They have a Prohibition Happy Hour where you can get Prohibition era pricing on period appetizers while you sample fabulous old-fashioned drinks like – the Old Fashioned, a Bees Knees, and others. We know this doesn’t sound like beer, but they always have craft beer on tap and the property is fun for the whole family.
5The Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites
The Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites is another property owned and run by the Harrison family businesses so it’s a great bet for cleanliness, location, and FUN for the whole family. Some people travel and must find a Starbuck’s nearby. There is a Starbuck’s Cafe at 17th on Coastal Highway, just steps from this hotel. Again, the Harrison hotels and restaurants serve craft beer and are working on their offerings as this article is being written!
6The Aloft
The Aloft has local craft beer on tap, but they are also located to the 45th Street Taphouse Bar & Grill which has over 40 craft beers on tap. Whether you stay at the hotel or head over to the Tap House, you can’t miss out on the fun and ambience in this beautiful resort hotel. After a day on the Shore exploring the local breweries, a good burger with a craft beer and a view of the bay is always good way to settle down for a great night’s sleep.
You will automatically relax as you approach the Residence Inn by Marriott. You see the hotel in its waterfront location and with its beautiful pool as you head east on the Route 90 bridge. If you passed through Salisbury, you probably stopped at EVO, the largest brewery on the Shore, Burnish, the second largest and at Tall Tales in Parsonsburg. Tall Tales is a great place to sit outside and enjoy a local craft beer. They stopped brewing when their head brewer went to Big Oyster, but we hear that they may be under new ownership with plans to start brewing again. We certainly hope so – which will let you check off 3 more breweries. Then, you get to the Residence Inn where you can unwind at their bar with a Sam Adams before resting to begin the next morning refreshed and ready to check more breweries off your list!
The Hyatt Place is one of the newest hotels in Ocean City. It has both an indoor and an outdoor pool just off the lobby. The hotel is beautiful with great views of the ocean. The Hyatt is near the center of activity for the Air Show in June and they have a great side bar outside with comfortable furniture where you can enjoy a beer or curated limited menu from the Placery, the inside bar. When you ask for local craft beer they tell us you will get a Dogfish Head choice.
The Cambria is even newer than the Hyatt and is open and fun inside. There is a bar and restaurant downstairs where you can watch the fishermen slip by the window – which is distracting if you have work to do. If you are there just for a Beercation, start your day with breakfast by the bay – there are outside tables and October and FeBREWary have great days where eating outside doesn’t sound crazy. Then, head out for a day exploring the local breweries and towns nearby. If you brought your bike, you can ride on the Boardwalk off-season and stop at one of the many bars and restaurants with local craft beer. You can then park your bike, grab your car and head into Berlin or Salisbury for some brewery fun. You will pass Sinexpuxent Brewing (Sin Brewing) and find Worcester County’s only farm brewery with an outdoor area and lots of picnic tables. You can also take 113 south and try Cypress Roots Brewing once it opens in Pocomoke. Another unique brewery off your list.
