What an Ocean City Vacation Could Cost this Summer

OCEAN CITY, Md. — Ocean City’s hotel and tourism industry is gearing up for what could be another packed summer season, and this year, travelers are paying close attention to how prices are looking for this year.

Executive Director of the Ocean City Hotel Motel Restaurant Association Susan Jones says with over 11,000 rooms in the resort town, there’s something for everyone. And this year, they’re offering special weekday discounts with their Weekday Smiles program.

“It’s very expensive to live in today’s world, so we are trying to offer some great deals so people can still have a little bit of enjoyment,” Jones said.

But one thing stays true every summer in Ocean City — when the forecast changes, hotel prices often do, too.

“We’re a heavily weather dependent market, so that matters a lot. On Memorial Day, you’ll see that, as far as if we have a bright beautiful forecast, they’ll come here in droves, if there’s rain anywhere, they’ll still come, but not in droves,” General Manager of the Residence Inn Keith Whisenant said.

Restaurant owner Cole Taustin says they’re getting hit with increased prices from wholesalers, and fuel surcharges — which has led some establishments to raise menu prices. “Seafood is certainly tough. Beef prices are at an all-time high. Unfortunately, these are nationwide problems not specific to Ocean City.”

Officials say the best way to vacation affordably is to research your options ahead of time. “I think what somebody has to do is a lot of research. So, it might take a little longer to figure out where are those price points that fit in somebody’s budget, so research is very important,” Jones said.