By Sean Harder
Most rooms at the DeSoto Beach Hotel offer an ocean view.
The DeSoto
beach Hotel sits barely 50 yards from the warm summertime waters of the Atlantic Ocean on Tybee Island, the beach getaway community of Savannah, Ga. Offering comfortable rooms and private balconies, the hotel is just a short walk or drive away from most of the island's restaurants and attractions. Most rooms offer a partial or full ocean view and are decorated in charming pastels with a tropical feel. The staff is friendly and eager to help. Amenities include free Wi-Fi and Cable access; in-room microwaves, refrigerators and coffee-makers; a game room with a sweeping view of the beach; bicycle, beach chair and umbrella rentals; and a beach-side pool.
Insider Tips
The DeSoto Beach Hotel offers some of the best rates among the hotels on Tybee Island, both in-season and off-season. The best prices, however, are to be had Sundays through Thursdays. While all of its rooms appear adequate, the hotel recently renovated 37 rooms and those should be requested upon booking. Avoid rooms located immediately above the driveway as traffic noise can sometimes be a disturbance. The hotel is shaped like the letter "U" facing the Atlantic, meaning most rooms offer some sort of ocean view. But for an unimpeded view, opt for a Premiere Ocean View Room. The Grand Deluxe Room gets you closer to the ocean but the view is comparable and probably not worth the additional cost.
Pros and Cons
The beach near the DeSoto is quieter than other areas of Tybee Island.
The DeSoto Beach Hotel has one of the best beach locations of all the hotels on Tybee Island -- positioned midway along the coast where the beach is quieter and less crowded than the area near the city's pier. It also offers ample parking on an island where parking tickets are almost as easy to get as sunburn. While the hotel's recent renovations have improved its room quality tremendously, it doesn't offer the sort of four- or five-star accommodations some may seek. But neither do any of Tybee Island's hotels, which is part of the community's down-home charm. resort-style elegance can be found instead on nearby Hilton Head Island.
Bottom Line
If you're looking for a relatively quiet beach stay, the DeSoto Beach Hotel's beach position and private balconies will provide just that. More importantly, the rates for its rooms, most of which offer some sort of ocean view, are a tremendous value compared to other nearby options. Finally, vacationers can't go wrong with a stay on Tybee Island. The community is surprisingly void of the mega resorts found elsewhere on the East Coast and the island offers a mix of gourmet and casual dining, great nightlife and a largely undiscovered slice of Georgia's coast. And the historic city of Savannah is just a 20-minute drive away.
Resources
About the Author:
Sean Harder spent seven years as a newspaper reporter, most recently as the military reporter at the Savannah Morning News. He's reported on local government, environmental issues, homelessness, and crime.
