Orange Beach Vs Gulf Shores In A Nutshell
The main difference between Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, AL that I found was that Orange Beach feels a little quieter and less hectic .
If youre looking for a relaxed escape with lazy days by the sea , Orange Beach might be the initial obvious choice.
If youre looking for planned activities and events, Gulf Shores had more going on from mini-golf to theme nights at bars and restaurants to scheduled special events.
Why Stay In Orange Beach
There is something for everyone in Orange Beach. Whether you are traveling alone, as a couple or with family and friends, there is an abundance of hotels fit for family vacations, romantic getaways, weddings, girlfriend getaways, and more. Consider exploring the nearby area of Gulf Shores while you’re here for even more activities!
Located along the Gulf of Mexico, Orange Beach is a popular travel destination that offers many things to do. Visit the white sand beaches, take a boat trip or a dolphin cruise to see the Gulf wildlife. Get active and go fishing at Gulf State Park Pier, play on our championship golf courses, rent gear for your favorite water activity, or check out the great nature trails and parks Alabama has to offer. Bring your kids to the well-known Wharf in Orange Beach to ride the largest Ferris wheel in the Southeast and see the views, or watch a show at The Wharf Amphitheater. Be sure to visit the town for great gulf front shopping and restaurants, or dive into the history and art of Orange Beach with a visit to one of our popular attractions, such as a museum or gallery. Make your own adventure while visiting the Gulf Coast!
Hang Out At The Hangout
Located in Gulf Shores, The Hangout is one of the first places that welcomes you if you enter Gulf Shores on Alabama State Route 59. It offers lots of fun for the entire family during the day and at night. At night, youre likely to be drawn in by the sounds of a live DJ or band performing on the stage. Whether youre looking to relax by the fire pit, make a wish on the wish wall, put your toes in the sand, or dance to some amazing tunes, The Hangout will give you all of those options and more.
Theres also a full menu offering a variety of delicious food and drink options.
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You Can Also Fly And Rent A Car
Pensacola airport is very close by and both American and Southwest fly directly in less than 2 hours.
Its about an hour to drive to Orange Beach and the Car rental pick-up can get very busy, so try and book a skip-the-counter option or rush there once you deplane.
When flying home, allow extra time due to the airport size being smaller if its crowded during the Summer and if flying Southwest, they may not have the self-check in machines available to tag your own bags and take them to the bag drop. You may have to line up to check-in with an agent.
A Shiny New Stay In Orange Beach
The newest beachfront hotel in Orange Beach, Best Western Premier, The Tides brings an upscale take to a three-star stay, modernizing the shoreline with its swanky presence. Covered parking comprises the first three floors, with a spacious beach-view lobby dominating the fourth. The contemporary rooms of varying size are stacked above, giving all of its Gulf-side rooms expansive vistas.
Youll certainly find service and amenities galore here, but the vibe is far more brand-new-beach-house than chain-hotel. While other beachfront hotels in Orange Beach tend to offer only the basics, The Tides truly understands the essence of a beach vacation and excels at offering extra touches, like the cozy poolside fire reminiscent of beach bonfires and the free cruiser bike rentals to explore the coastline.
You wont find a restaurant at The Tides, but the grab-and-go deli on the lobby level and the two bars onsite more than make up for it. Youre also close enough to area restaurants to walk or bike.
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Popular Places To Dine
If you want savory, succulent, and scrumptious food, you will find it on Orange Beach. Along with family-friendly fun, this place has great restaurants, cafes, and dessert places for you to fill your belly.
Like most beach places, this place has amazing seafood, but there are more kinds of food that you will be expected to find.
- Classic American food
- An option for cooking your catch
Needles to say, there are many foods to enjoy while staring at the turquoise water that makes it a perfect atmosphere to relax in.
Oceanfront Hotel On Al
Enjoy white sand beaches and emerald waters at Escapes! To the Shores Orange Beach, a Ramada by Wyndham, on AL-182 and 32 miles from Pensacola International Airport . Head to Gulf Shores Welcome Center to discover all the area has to offer, from watersports galore to the stunning scenery of Robinson Island. Hit the greens of Orange Beach Golf Center, have family fun at The Wharf®, or dine on tasty seafood at Wolf Bay. Back at our non-smoking, oceanfront hotel, youll appreciate indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, and free WiFi.
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Escapes To The Shores Orange Beach A Ramada By Wyndham
Address: 24060 Perdido Beach BoulevardAccommodates: 8
This resort offers some of the finest holiday features to compliment your stay in this city and comes with rooms which feature a cable TV, an iPod docking station, a living area where you can relax after a long touring day, private bathrooms with necessary essentials, free internet, a mini fridge, and a balcony. While here, you can also enjoy the indoor pool, the seasonal outdoor pool with scenic sea views, an on-site restaurant, and a bar with some of the finest cocktails you will ever come across this part of America. There is also a 24-hour front desk at the property where you can arrange outdoor activities and other tours from here in case you want to spend a day outdoors.
Go On A Orange Beach Pirate Ship Adventure
Yes, you can also go on a pirate ship adventure! This is perfect for kids who love Peter Pan and want to feel like a pirate for a day. The kids can buy pirate-themed hats, get their faces painted, and enjoy pirate-themed food items as well. You will also have a very fun-filled time, as there are songs to sing, games to play, and so much more adventure on the pirate ships.
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Resort Life On The Gulf
If youre looking for the full resort experience on the Gulf of Mexico but dont want to leave the country, hang your hat at Perdido Beach Resort. This spot is the only true beachfront resort in the entire state of Alabama. This one-stop shop on the beach fits all your vacation goals, from indoor and outdoor pools and a hot tub to a 24-hour fitness center. The impressive modern lobby boasts the islands only live piano entertainment, but the resorts top marks come from its dining options, as well as partnerships with nearby businesses.
In true resort fashion, youll find five dining venues and three bars onsite at Perdido. Highlights include broiled Gulf oysters and ostrich carpaccio on the Gulf-view deck at Voyagers, and Gulf shrimp and Mai Tais from Splash Bar & Grille. Whether youre in the mood for pizza and ice cream or a formal white linen feast, you wont have to leave the property to indulge.
Still, there are some stellar reasons to venture offsite, particularly to take advantage of the regions renowned sport fishing and golf courses. Perdidos partnerships with trusted fishing, golf, and spa providers have you covered.
Heritage Motor Coast Resort And Marina
A luxury motor home park, Heritage Motor Coast Resort welcomes Class-A vehicles only on its 8.5-acre resort lined with brick-paved streets and gas-lit lamps overlooking Bayou St. John. Site pads, stretching to 80 feet in length with a 40-foot width, are equipped with 30- and 50-amp electric, Internet access and cable television. The 3000-square-foot clubhouse contains a full kitchen, shower and laundry facilities and a fitness room. Resort amenities include a putting green, walking trail, landscaped oak shade trees, a fireside pavilions and a swimming pool and hot tub. Pets are welcome with some restrictions and sites are available nightly, weekly and monthly.
Heritage Motor Coast Resort and Marina 28888 Canal Rd. Orange Beach, AL 36561 800-730-7032 heritageorangebeach.com
References
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Stylish Ocean Condo In West Beach: Beach Condos
We love this stylish condo that will have you enjoying luxury living at a reduced cost! The beach is only a stones throw away, and many other great attractions are within walking distance. Theres a small seating area on the balcony where you can enjoy breakfast with a view. This house can sleep up to six guests across two bedrooms, with a private bathroom for the adults.
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A Hotel For Every Budget And Lifestyle
There are many types of hotels to choose from here in Orange Beach. Whether you stay with us as on a family vacation, a romantic getaway, or on the fishing excursion of a lifetime, we’ll help you find the perfect Orange Beach hotel for activities and relaxation. From luxury beachfront resorts and suites with in-room conveniences to easy-going family accommodations, we have a hotel to suit your needs.
Want beachfront access? No problem. After all, they dont call us Orange Beach for nothing.
If spectacular Gulf of Mexico sunrises and sunsets are your thing, youre in the right place. Youll find plenty of rooms with Gulf views in Orange Beach.
Looking for amenities? Check-in to a hotel in Orange Beach thats the perfect fit by picking what hotel features are most important to you. We’ve got a hotel to fit your lifestyle and budget. Amenities that are most popular amongst guests include:
- Pet-Friendly Accommodations
Orange Beach provides the perfect place to relax and get away beachside. Come to play, find tranquility or have some adventures in Alabama’s hidden gem with our many things to do both in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach from a day at the beach to shopping and sightseeing. With a wonderful selection of friendly hotels and resorts, today is the perfect time to start plan your next vacation to Orange Beach.
Where To Stay On The Alabama Gulf Coast
For travelers used to beach vacation destinations in many other places, the lodging situation on the Alabama Gulf Coast might appear a bit strange at first glance. The vast majority of the accommodations available in the area are condos for rent from individual owners not hotels. There is a fair mix of standalone beach homes available for rent as well.
For families, having a condo or a house with kitchen, laundry, living area, and multiple bedrooms is probably just what you want. Most travelers come and stay for a week, making these kinds of accommodations even more useful. But if you want a full service luxury hotel vacation experience like you might be used to in a beach destination like Hawaii, the pickings are a bit slim.
Many of these condominium complexes are managed by the major realty companies in the area Kaiser, Spectrum Resorts, Brett-Robinson, and many others. If you rent directly from the management company, youll sometimes pay a higher price but also get some amenities that you will miss out on if you rent direct from an owner . It is vital to read the fine print to find out what amenities you need and what you might be passing up depending on the method you choose for rental. A lot of the management companies advertise or rent on sites like VRBO, Airbnb, and HomeAway, so its sometimes easiest to start there to compare options. Check out VRBO rentals in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to get see the array of options.
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Turquoise Place By Spectrum Resorts
Our stay at Turquoise Place by Spectrum Resorts was nothing short of luxurious. From the moment we drove up to those gorgeous blue-green glass towers and checked in, we felt relaxed and pampered.
My daughter and I stayed at Turquoise Place with my sister and her family. There were six of us in a 3-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath condo and never once did we feel crowded the condos are huge!
My brother-in-law, who is the cook of our family, loved the high-quality appliances in the chef-ready kitchen, as well as the grill on our balcony.
The new Spectrum Club Lounge is another great perk to staying at Turquoise Place. With your SpectrumBand wristband , you have access to the Lounge for free continental breakfast, ping-pong, pool table, special toddler activities, and video game consoles.
In the afternoons, they have a full cash bar available, as well as evening receptions to mingle with other guests.
Turquoise Place is right on the beach and you should definitely take advantage of their beach chair service. You can rent a set of two chairs, a small table, and an umbrella for one day or for your whole stay.
Its fantastic having a dedicated spot with an umbrella to keep you shaded and the employees will come by and adjust the umbrella any way you want throughout the day. Just walk out to the beach and find an employee who will set you up.
Additional amenities include:
- Tiki bar, boutique and gift shop
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The Beach Club By Spectrum Resorts
I havent had the chance to stay at The Beach Club yet, but I did tour the property during one of my visits to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. The Beach Club by Spectrum Resorts is unique because it not only offers condos, but also individual bungalows with small, private pools. These little houses offer more privacy and a real golf resort feel since everyone gets around the property on golf carts!
In addition to their pools, beach, and water sport rentals, The Beach Club has its own restaurants, kids activities, and more. And their spa looks amazing.
The Beach Club by Spectrum Resorts is a bit more out of the way than the other properties, but just 10-15 minutes from most of the action in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. This would be an especially good property if youre looking for a more inclusive getaway feel to your vacation, since you never need to leave the property if you dont want to!
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Visit The Orange Beach Islands
Orange Beach, Alabama is a world-class vacation destination for families, couples, and fun-seekers. Scenic beaches make for premium fun in the sun, and a growing tourist industry offers family-friendly tours, attractions, and dining! Orange Beach Islands include Bird Island, Robinson Island, Gilchrist Island, and Walker Island. Discover what each of these Orange Beach Islands has to offer online!
Which Neighborhoods In Orange Beach Should I Stay In If I Want Access To Public Transport
Since it is a small town situated along Alabamas Gulf Coast, Orange Beach does not currently have public transportation, but there are walkable neighborhoods like the Wharf, where you can find hotels in Orange Beach, like SpringHill Suites by Marriott Orange Beach at the Wharf. You can also take advantage of the affordable local taxi services or ridesharing apps like Lyft or Uber when youre in the Romar Beach area and staying at Hotel Indigo Orange Beach. Another option would be to rent a car from Enterprise or Hertz, available to book on momondo, and drive yourself all around the Cotton Bayou neighborhood, which has Orange Beach hotels like Snells Place.
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Information About Staying In Orange Beach
Read these important travel tips before booking a hotel in Orange Beach
How much does a hotel cost in Orange Beach?
The cost of a hotel room in Orange Beach will vary according to demand, location and star rating. On average, rooms will cost around $239 per night.
When is the best time to book a hotel in Orange Beach?
Orange Beach hotels are at their most economical to book in the month of January. The rates you are charged may be 55% lower than in the high season and is the best time to get a great deal.
Which day is cheapest to stay in Orange Beach?
Sunday is the cheapest day for hotel rooms in Orange Beach. Thursday is the most expensive day.
How much does a hostel in Orange Beach cost?
On average, a hostel in Orange Beach will be priced around $123. This price will be per person, per night and was obtained using hostel and 2 star or below hotels. In comparison, this will be $116 lower than your typical Orange Beach hotel.
Does Orange Beach have vacation rentals?
Yes, Orange Beach does have vacation rentals. Of the 200 vacation rentals in Orange Beach, Grande Caribbean is the most popular among our users. Find vacation rentals in Orange Beach.