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Where to stay along the Jersey Shore

August 5, 2007

LONG BRANCH: The Ocean Place Resort and Spa (1 Ocean Blvd., 800-411-6493, oceanplaceresort.com; rates from $299) is an all-in-one destination with two pools (one indoor) and a private beach. The 12-room Cedars & Beeches (247 Cedar Ave., 732-571-6777, cedarsand beeches.com; from $150) is a B&B surrounded by a garden.

ASBURY PARK: The gay-friendly 101-room Empress Hotel (101 Asbury Ave., 732-774-0100, asburyempress.com; from $129) offers sleek boutique-y digs near the ocean. The on-site Paradise club includes a disco ball whirling outdoors over the hotel pool.

OCEAN GROVE: The luxurious nine-room Majestic Hotel (19 Main Ave., 732-775-6100, majesticoceangrove.com; from $190) has ocean views and kitchenettes. The 22 rooms at the Lillagaard B&B (5 Abbott Ave., 732-988-1216, lillagaard.com; from $115) may be a bit froufrou for some, but its Victorian tea room ($18 for afternoon tea) is a frilly hoot. A low-cost option with simple, clean rooms is Quaker Inn (39 Main Ave., 732-775-7525, quakerinn.com; from $50 single).

AVON-BY-THE-SEA: The putting green, outdoor fireplace and complimentary bikes make the 10-room Avon Manor Inn (109 Sylvania Ave., 732-776-7770, avonmanor.com; from $130) a standout.

BELMAR: It's old and tatty, but cheap beachniks may love the oceanfront Mayfair Hotel (Ocean and 10th avenues, 732- 681-2620; from $80). Guests get dove-shaped cookies and lake views at the Morning Dove Inn B&B (204 Fifth Ave., 732- 556-0777, morningdoveinn.com; from $175), whose eight rooms feature free Wi-Fi.

SPRING LAKE: In this ritzy enclave, you can spend a fortune at such high-end hotels as the Breakers (1507 Ocean Ave., 732-449-7700, breakershotel.com; from $220) or the Chateau Inn & Suites (500 Warren Ave., 732-974-2000, chateauinn.com; from $199). Ditto the bevy of B&Bs, including the White Lilac Inn (414 Central Ave., 732-449-0211, whitelilac.com; from $179).

The Atlantic House (305 Second Ave., 732-449-8500, atlantic-house.com) is a creaky but charming 1912-era motel with rates from $45 a night single. And although Doolan's (700 State Hwy. 71, 732-449-3666, doolans.com; from $85) is a trek from the beach, its simple but spacious rooms represent a real bargain.

SEA GIRT: You'll be tempted to stay by the pool at the Beacon House (100 and 104 Beacon Blvd., 866-255-0005, beaconhouseinn.com; from $215). But don't forget about the B&B's 21 tastefully decorated rooms, manicured grounds and Kodi, the resident chow.

MANASQUAN: Help yourself to the stocked pantry at the Inn on Main (152 Main St., 732-528-0809, innonmainmanasquan.com; from $179), a boutique hotel. Its 12 rooms feature pillow-top mattresses.

POINT PLEASANT BEACH: Good options include the beachfront Windswept Motel (1008 Ocean Ave., 732-899-1282, windsweptmotel.net; from $163), where many of the 46 rooms have an ocean view. The 40 rooms at Amethyst's Beach Motel (202 Arnold Ave., 732-899- 3600, njbeach.com; from $159), near the boardwalk, include fridges and microwaves. Farther from the tumult is the Shore Point Motel (205 Broadway, 732-892-7075, theshorepointmotel.com; from $109), with standard rooms and efficiency apartments.

BAY HEAD: The 1890-era Grenville Hotel (345 Main Ave., 732-892-3100, thegrenville.com; from $159) features 29 plush rooms with private baths and coffeemakers a block from the beach.

SEASIDE HEIGHTS/PARK: Picks include the Seaside Colony Motel (65 Hiering Ave., Seaside Heights, 732-830-2113, seasidecolonymotel.com; from $99), 20 basic rooms with microwaves and fridges a block from the northern end of the boardwalk; the Luna-Mar (Ocean Avenue and L Street, Seaside Park, 877-586-2627, lunamarmotel.com; from $148), a two-story beachfront property where you can pick from 24 hotel units, efficiencies and apartments; and the 72-room Island Beach Motor Lodge (24th and Central avenues, South Seaside Park, 732-793-5400, islandbeachmotorlodgenj.com; from $95), with a pool and in-room fridges.

LONG BEACH ISLAND: The White Whale Revisited B&B (20 W. Seventh St., Barnegat Light, 888-942-5325, whitewhalerevisited.com; from $150), near the bay, ocean and lighthouse, has rooms with homey - not kitschy - seashore touches. The Surf City Hotel (Eighth Street and Long Beach Island Boulevard, Surf City, 800-353-3342, surfcityhotel.com; from $160) has it all: rooms in the 19th century hotel, a restaurant, clam bar and pub, a liquor store and a lounge with live entertainment. Listen to the waves slapping the beach 200 steps from the Windward Manor Inn (Atlantic and Amber avenues, Beach Haven, 609-492-4468, windwardmanorinn.com; from $161), a historic property near Bicentennial Park, restaurants and the Surflight Theatre. The 22-room Daddy O (4401 Long Beach Blvd., Brant Beach, 609-361- 5100, daddyohotel.com; rates from $195 double) brings hipster Manhattan style to the Jersey Shore.

ATLANTIC CITY: The Irish Pub and Inn (164 St. James Place, 609-344-9063, theirishpub.com) has an English boardinghouse quality (the $40 rooms come with "running water" and shared bath) and a 24-hour bar in the basement. The killer ocean and boardwalk views will distract you from the office-quality furniture at FantaSea Resorts at Atlantic Palace (1507 Boardwalk, 800-647-7890, fantasea resorts.com; from $129 online or $149 by phone). Stay at any number of casino resorts, such as the Borgata (One Borgata Way, 609-317-1000, theborgata.com; from $199) or the Trump Taj Mahal (1000 Boardwalk and Virginia Avenue, 609-449-1000, trumptaj.com; from $157 online or $169 by phone). Also consider the chain hotels on the roads leading into town; rates are considerably cheaper.

OCEAN CITY: Koo-Koo's Nest B&B (615 Wesley Ave., 609-814-9032, kookoosnest.com; from $105), run by a quirky surfer from California, has catchy theme rooms (Asian, Lilac, Rainforest, etc.). A consortium of five hotels offers rooms on or barely off the Boardwalk: Impala Island Inn (1001 Ocean Ave., 609-399-7500, impalaislandinn.com), Beach Club Suites (1217 Ocean Ave., 609-399-4500, beachclubsuites.com), Beach Club Hotel (1280 Boardwalk, 609-399-8555, beachclubhotel.com), Ebb Tide Suites (1001 Little Atlantic Ave., 609-391-9614, ebbtidesuites.com) and Wild Dunes Inn (801 10th St., 609-399-2910, wilddunesinn.com).Rooms range from a standard with two double beds (Beach Club Hotel) to two-bedroom apartments (Ebb Tide), and rates run from $147 (Impala) to $404 (Beach Club Suites). At the elegant Flanders Hotel (719 E. 11th St., 609-399-1000, theflandershotel.com; from $340), wearing a shirt and shoes isn't enough - bathing suit coverups are required, too.

SEA ISLE CITY: Relax on the wraparound porch of the Colonnade Hotel (4600 Landis Ave., 609-263-8868, thecolonnadeinn.com; from $158), a 17-unit Victorian property. Party animals can play at the LaCosta Deck Bar and sleep at the adjacent Coast Motel (4000 Landis Ave., 609-263-1111, lacostaseaisle.com/coastmotel; from $98).

AVALON: The Avalon Inn Resort (7929 Dune Dr., 877-282-5663, avaloninn.org; from $174) has a pool half a block from the beach.

STONE HARBOR: The sedate Colonial Lodge Motel (181 93rd St., 609-368-2202, stoneharbormotels.com/colonial.htm; from $168) has 16 rooms on two levels. Rent a room or the entire three stories at Pebbles Guest House (9400 First Ave., 609-368-2203; rates from $170).

NORTH WILDWOOD: The adorable Summer Nites B&B (2110 Atlantic Ave., 866-762- 1950, summernites.com; rates from $145) has eight '50s, '60s and '70s-themed rooms, with breakfast served by the poodle-skirted owner. Rooms at the Lollipop Motel (2301 Atlantic Ave., 609-729- 2800, lollipopmotel.com; from $185) are maintained by their owners at this doo-wop-style "condotel." The Candlelight Inn (2310 Central Ave., 800-992-2632, candlelightinn.com; from $169) offers eight rooms as well as suites in the adjacent carriage house.

WILDWOOD: Stay in doo-wop-style rooms at the Starlux Boutique Hotel & Meeting Place (305 E. Rio Grande Ave., 609-522-7412, thestarlux.com; from $209) or bunk at the hotel's two Airstream trailers across the street. The 21-room Starfire Motel (5100 Ocean Ave., 609-522-6767, starfiremotel.com; from $110) has a pool, as does the 37-room Caprice Motel (4200 Ocean Ave., 609-522-3845, capricemotelwildwood.com; from $140).

WILDWOOD CREST: The Caribbean Motel (5600 Ocean Ave., 609-522-8292, caribbeanmotel.com; from $99) is doo-wop from head to toe. Rooms at the Bel Air (5510 Ocean Ave., 800-528-7991, belairmotel.net; from $139) come with fridge and microwave. The Pan American (5901 Ocean Ave., 609-522- 6936, panamericanhotel.com; from $233), a relative behemoth at four stories, has ocean views and a circular pool.