The Caravelle Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Newly Remodeled for the 2007 Summer season, the Caravelle Resort is the best 3 star family and golf resort for the money in Myrtle Beach.

Don't let the 3 stars get you down. I found out about this hotel two years ago after trolling around on Travelocity. I was looking for a cheap winter getaway for me and my girls to get our minds off the fact that my husband had recently left for Iraq.

On Travelocity, The Caravelle Resort was the the best value; it was the cheapest 3-star resort listed in Myrtle Beach. Having been to Myrtle Beach dozens of times about ten years ago, I knew that its location, 6900 N. Ocean Blvd, was perfectly in between the hustle and bustle of downtown Myrtle Beach, and the shopping Mecca of North Myrtle Beach, plus it was less crowded than the southern area of town by the strip.

The Caravelle resort is a cluster of nearby resorts and hotels, including St. John's, St. Clement's, Caravelle Tower, Carolina Dunes, and the main Caravelle Resort, which is the one I stayed in.

From the outside, the Caravelle doesn't look too impressive, but the newly renovated rooms are stylish and spacious compared to many other higher-priced resorts in the area. The Caravelle has heated indoor and outdoor pools, a lazy river, and two hot tubs. There is on-site dining at the Santa Maria Restaurant and some reservation packages offer free breakfasts at the Santa Maria.

I've only ever stayed in their oceanfront rooms, including the oceanfront efficiency room and the oceanfront Jacuzzi suite and they were both wonderful, clean, and included all the amenities you could ever want. The oceanfront Jacuzzi suite is the only room I stay in now. It's the most expensive one, but it is huge, and has a separate bedroom and living room area, two bathrooms and a full kitchen. They provide a wall Humphrey bed for extra visitors. The Jacuzzi tub is just off to the side of the bed and you can look out at the ocean while relaxing in the tub.

Other improvements include stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, flat-screen televisions and a wireless Internet connection.

The Caravelle Resort was Myrtle Beach's first golf resort, and today they are still the leader in golf packages. The Caravelle was named the, "Official host resort of the Golf Channel Amateur tour in 2008". Their golfing packages are tied into several different nearby courses. For the entire list, go to: http://www.thecaravelle.com/golf

To book a room or check out the seasonal rates and golf packages, go to http://www.thecaravelle.com/resort-information. Don't forget to check out their specials at the top of the homepage.

If you are planning a trip to Myrtle Beach, the Caravelle Resort is the perfect choice for any season. It's my favorite resort in Myrtle Beach and I fully plan to frequent the resort as much as possible.