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Ocean City · Hotel shortlist

The best 3 star hotels in Ocean City

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Updated 1 September 2026 · 65 Ocean City hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Ocean City, out of the 65 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.6 down to 4.5.

Fenwick Shores, Tapestry Collection by Hilton is the one I would book myself.

Fenwick Shores, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

Highest rated of the five

Fenwick Shores, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

★★★★★4.6 from 437 reviews

Fenwick Shores, Tapestry Collection by Hilton comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.6 from 437 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 3 star property, found under the station and around $108 a night on the dates we checked.

65 hotels in Ocean City qualified for this list and five made it. Holiday Inn & Suites Ocean City by IHG is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze

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All five, ranked

  1. Fenwick Shores, Tapestry Collection by Hilton1

    Fenwick Shores, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

    ★★★★★4.6 from 437 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kitchen

    Check rates Read more

  2. Holiday Inn & Suites Ocean City by IHG2

    Holiday Inn & Suites Ocean City by IHG

    ★★★★★4.5 from 2,159 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  3. Best Western Plus Ocean City3

    Best Western Plus Ocean City

    ★★★★★4.6 from 387 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

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  4. Howard Johnson Plaza by Wyndham Ocean City Oceanfront4

    Howard Johnson Plaza by Wyndham Ocean City Oceanfront

    ★★★★★4.5 from 1,305 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

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  5. Atlantic Hotel, Inc5

    Atlantic Hotel, Inc

    ★★★★★4.5 from 397 reviews

    • Pool
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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How this list was put together

65 Ocean City hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Works weekends at an animal shelter and saves the pay for off-season flights. Hostels, night buses, and volunteering at animal sanctuaries for a bunk. Six countries in three years.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.