Hampton Inn Ocean City MD Hotel Review: Enjoy your Free Breakfast by the Bay

Hampton Inn Ocean City MD Bayside Hotel Review

If you search for Hampton Inn Ocean City MD, there is a Hampton Inn Ocean City MD Bayfront-Convention Center, which is what this review is about, and one in Ocean City West. The Hampton Inn Bayfront-Convention Center is located on the bay side and next to the Aloft hotel. It is 10-minute walk to the Roland E. Powell Convention Center. Hampton Inn is a Hilton brand hotel while the Aloft is a Starwood/Marriott brand hotel.

Both the Hampton Inn & Suites and the Aloft are waterfront hotels located on the bay which offer spectacular sunsets over the bay from your balcony.

The Hampton Inn has an outdoor pool and indoor pool with a hot tub. The outdoor hot tub which spills over into the pool is not hot. There are a number of comfortable lounge chairs but no umbrellas. The only umbrellas are over the eating tables and chairs.

The Hampton Inn Ocean City bayside offers a complementary breakfast with hot egg cheese omelets, sausage or bacon, fresh berries, yogurts, a large variety of cereals, pastries, and juices. Coffee (dark and light and decaf), tea, and hot chocolate are available 24-hours a day near the front desk.

We stayed twice at the Hampton Inn, once in a suite and once in a regular room.

Hampton Inn vs Aloft Comparison

Given the Hampton Inn and Aloft hotels are right next to each other, I am including my thoughts on the differences. Depending on the price, I would choose an Hampton Inn Suite over the Aloft. Here are a few differences:

• Free breakfast at the Hampton; pay for breakfast sandwich at Aloft
• Balcony chairs more comfortable at the Hampton but Aloft has a small table
• Aloft view is better with a tiny bay beach which if you have a room close by, you can hear the lapping waves. The Hampton is further back from the water, so no wave music.
• Good music playing at the Aloft pool but I didn’t hear any at the Hampton
• Both have pool bars but Aloft has Happy Hour prices. You could walk over to the Aloft to enjoy that.
• The Hampton Inn Suite was very comfortable and included a microwave and wet bar which the Aloft rooms do not.
• The Aloft standard room would be better than Hampton but would not have a microwave. If you don’t upgrade your Aloft room to the water view, you will get a parking lot/street view.
• No lounge chair umbrellas at the Hampton but some at the Aloft
• Laundry room at Hampton

For an in-depth review of the Aloft, see my Aloft hotel review.

Location, Phone, Website

Address: 4301 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD
Phone: (410) 524-6263
Hampton Inn & Suites Ocean City/Bayfront Convention Center Website
Check-in: 3:00 pm and Check-out: 11:00 am

Hampton Inn Rooms

The Studio Suite is spacious and would be fine for staying a week especially if you will be working or have a family. The suites look like they were located at the ends of the buildings. As you enter the room, there is a long wet bar with a sink, microwave, refrigerator, and Hamilton Beach (non-Keurig) coffee maker.

The studio suite has a living room area with a couch, easy chair, and coffee table. A long desk divides the living room area from the bedroom area. The seating area for the desk is open on the opposite side, so another person could sit using a balcony chair to eat at the desk. The desk also has drawers for your clothes. The bathroom had a large vanity.

The balcony was spacious with two comfortable chairs that do not recline or have a headrest.

The standard room was smaller and looked similar to what I have seen at Best Western hotels but with nicer furniture. There was no wet bar, but there was a microwave and refrigerator. The desk was smaller and faced the wall. The balcony had the same two chairs but the other balconies were very close together. You could see into the next room.

Hampton Inn Amenities

• Complementary hot breakfast (6:00 am – 10:00 am) – very good. You can eat inside at the tables, take it to the Tiki bar tables outside, or take it back to your room.
• 24-hour coffee (light and dark roast, decaf), tea, hot chocolate
• Free Wi-Fi
• Free parking for one vehicle. If the hotel is full, you may have to park off-site.
• Lobby store and sundry shop where you could purchase frozen dinners and sun tan lotion but it was not well stocked
• Fitness center – treadmill, bike, step machine, elliptical and free weights. Open 24 hours,
• Laundry facility
• Indoor pool and large hot tub. Handicap accessible.
• Outdoor pool and warm tub. Handicap accessible.
• Firepit near pool.
• Tiki bar outside with seating – open seasonally. No drink specials and no food.

What We Loved

• The suite was large and comfortable, and my husband said he would be glad to come back to work during the week. From the desk in the suite, he could see the bed and out the balcony door. For the standard room, he was facing the wall and did not enjoy that.
• The desk could be used as an eating table.
• The pull-out sofa would be good for additional guests or family.
• The beach is located across Coast Highway. There was a traffic light and beach access way, so it is a very easy walk to the beach.
• Room was quiet.
• The indoor hot tub was large and a good temperature.

What We Did Not Like

• No umbrellas for the lounge chairs at the pool.
• With the beach across the street, there is no public bathroom or shower to wash the sand off your feet unless you “borrow” some water at the condo to the right of the access way.
• The sofa was a pull-out couch made a “thunk” noise every time I sat on the couch. It was not the most comfortable, but it was better than sitting on the bed.
• The Hamilton Beach coffee pods did not fit standard size Keurig cups, so you can’t bring your own Keurig cups.
• Balconies were very close. I could see into the next room’s bed. If I were staying by myself, I would not feel comfortable leaving the balcony door open all night. Lock your balcony door if you leave your room.

Tips for a Good Stay at the Hampton Inn Ocean City

• Get a Suite if it is in your budget. We were able to get a suite for $8 more off-season.
• Bring your own beach towels and sunscreen. There were smaller towels in the inside pool but not next to the outside pool. Bring your own chair if you go to the beach. There were no chairs to rent.

Nearby Attractions

• Real Raw Organics (Breakfast, Lunch) – 0.5 miles
• Longboard Cafe – 1.4 miles
• General’s Kitchen (Breakfast, Lunch) – 1.4 miles
• The Hobbit – 2.3 miles
• Cafe Mirage – 4.6 miles
• Sunset Grille Restaurant – 4.7 miles

COVID-19 Notes

• Masks were optional. Some staffs wore them, some not. Most guests did not wear them.
• No maid service due to COVID-19 restrictions unless requested.
• I asked a maid a question who was cleaning a room, and she was not wearing a mask.
• Sanitizer at the elevator.