RESORT REVIEW

Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center: Beyond ordinary on the Grand Strand

By Chris Baldwin,
Senior Writer

With a four-diamond rating from AAA, the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center is a surprising high-end hotel option for golfers visiting Myrtle Beach, Chris Baldwin writes.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (April 16, 2007) — The hotels here tend to be sprawling individual resorts full of kiddie pools, wave pools and stains from previous partying guests. No one's ever mistaken Myrtle Beach for Monte Carlo.

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In some ways that's even part of its charm.

Yet, golfers drawn to the beach to play the plethora of high-end, high-quality golf courses — Barefoot Resort Fazio, TPC Myrtle Beach, King's North and the like — sometimes want their familiar comforts. This means a hotel with a name they recognize and comfort standards that let them know what to expect.

Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center delivers on both counts and it's a surprisingly enjoyable stay overall.

It's hard to imagine recommending a hotel that's not on the water in Myrtle Beach. After all, that's probably part of the reason you're on vacation. Who doesn't want a whiff of ocean air? Sheraton Myrtle Beach is a few streets in from the ocean. There's no walking outside your door and taking a wood walkway to the sand.

The benefit is that the place you're staying is a step above the usual sandy tourist trap. Sheraton Myrtle Beach is an AAA four-diamond hotel and this isn't one of Grand Strand spots where you'll be wondering if there's a special South Carolina ratings dispensation.

The rooms are large, the bedding's pretty plush and the carpet's clean. It's as stress-free a stay as you'll find in the approximate area. The lobby has overhead sky windows, gleaming steal, faux wood, colorful paintings and in the case of this holiday season stay, fake palm trees with Christmas lights wrapped around them.

If you don't want to take an eight-minute walk to the beach or a quick car trip, there is a small indoor pool with an outdoor patio area for sunbathing. But you want to take that walk to the beach.

The hotel itself is connected to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, which means you might run into plenty of conventioneers at the M-Bar, a second story open place that does its best to exude hipness. Don't worry. Conventioneers like to party almost as much as golfers.

One over-excited insurance agent or real estate agent (is there a difference?) nearly fell out of her dress in the elevator on this visit. Graceful? No. Appreciated by the golfers in the elevator? Certainly.

As much fun as dodging drunk thirty-somethings who appear to be on their first business trip ever can be, you're more likely to be pleased by Sheraton Myrtle Beach's proximity to Broadway at the Beach, especially if you have kids in tow. Broadway at the Beach is the sprawling outdoor shopping and entertainment center (movie theater, mini golf, bars and the like) that some argue is the center of civilization here.

Regardless, it's not a bad spot to grab dinner and watch the fire-breathing special effects dragon as you cross the wood bridge. And it's literally right down the street from Sheraton Myrtle Beach. The hotel will shuttle you there if you don't want to drive. (The only major quibble with Sheraton Myrtle Beach is that it charges $5 a night for parking. That's no big fee, until you consider you're in Myrtle Beach where public parking is as plentiful as plastic breasts in L.A.)

Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center 2101 North Oak St. Myrtle Beach, SC More info: 866-409-2177 Web: myrtlebeachgolfhotels.com

Life isn't so bad at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach though. It doesn't have the sprawling dramatic pool deck and the ocean setting of the newer high-end Marriott Grand Dunes. But it also often costs much less than Marriott Grand Dunes while being its equal in service.

And there are ocean views. Sheraton Myrtle Beach is high enough that some of its rooms look out to the sea in the near distance. You'll never think you are lost in some tropical paradise.

You'll also never think you're just stuck in another Myrtle Beach room either. That's a win.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.