Hotel Review: Paradise Plaza Inn in Ocean City, Maryland - If This is Paradise, I'm Disappointed

Paradise Plaza Inn, located on the boardwalk at 9th Street in Ocean City, Maryland, claims to be a boutique hotel. I really wonder if the owners of Paradise Plaza Inn know what a boutique hotel is supposed to be. When I heard Paradise Plaza Inn described as a boutique motel in their brochure, I was expecting Paradise Plaza Inn to be a quaint little hotel on the boardwalk with elaborate decorations. What I found instead was that Paradise Plaza Inn in Ocean City, Maryland is nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing. In reality this hotel is closer to being a dive than it is to being a boutique hotel.

The only amenity that Paradise Plaza Inn in Ocean City, Maryland has that makes it appear modern and up to date is the free wireless internet connection throughout the hotel. Other than that, it is a major disappointment. The first thing a guest will realize when walking to their room is that it appears the cooling system must not work in the hallways. It honestly felt like the air conditioning wasn't on in the hallways. Don't worry though, when entering your room at the Paradise Plaza Inn in Ocean City, Maryland you will know the air conditioner is on. The volume of the air conditioner makes it impossible to mistake it for being off. The room does stay cool, which is a relief after the walk down the hall. The rooms thought are nothing what you would expect in a boutique hotel. They are small "no frills rooms". There is no kitchenette or microwave in the room. There are no nice decorations or artistic touches to the room either. I was glad I had a full weekend planned, because the room would have been depressing to spend a lot of time in.

The Paradise Plaza Inn in Ocean City, Maryland does have an outdoor pool. Unfortunately it is on the parking lot side which is the opposite side of the ocean. Therefore you have no view when you are the pool, it is also relatively small. This is not what I expect from a hotel that advertises itself as a boutique hotel and charges $210-$290 per night for two adults in a room during the summer months.

Then again, maybe anyone staying at the Paradise Plaza Inn in Ocean City should check their policies for a clear red flag. They allow teens under the age of 18 to reserve rooms as long as they make an up front deposit of $400. Almost no other hotel in Ocean City, Maryland on the boardwalk rents to teenagers. Many won't rent to anyone under 21 and some restrict it to having someone in the room under 25. Clearly with targeting the younger age group the hotel owners are not marketing this as a traditional boutique hotel. I highly recommend finding another hotel along the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland on the boardwalk and leaving Paradise Plaza Inn in Ocean City, Maryland to the teenagers. It sure is not what I expected paradise to be.