If you’ve been around the Ocean City area for the past couple of decades, you’ve passed the Ocean Voyager at least a hundred times. The motel dated back to the 1950’s or 60s…and it showed. It was a basic economy motel with standard rooms- a few beds, a refrigerator and a TV; many could see the property had definitely seen better days.  “The old property had seen it’s time, and it just wasn’t cost effective to renovate,” said Salvatore Fasano, owner. Today, a beautifully built La Quinta Inn & Suites stands in its place, boasting both beautiful rooms and a prime location.

The new hotel is a full-service, three or three and a half star lodge with 101 rooms, from standard rooms to suites and efficiencies with full kitchens. In addition there will be a state of the art gym, laundry facilities, pool, 50-seat breakfast buffet and a restaurant run by the hotel. The family chose La Quinta as its partner in part because of the franchises flexibility. “That’s just the way the market is going,” said Fasano. “They have strong business models, proven track records and are a good, strong and up and coming brand.”

The family bought into the franchise, giving them access to the La Quinta name, the group’s marketing and advertising services and access to La Quinta’s centralized system for making online reservations. Another perk? The 5-story hotel is the only FULL pet friendly flag hotel on the island, making it convenient for families interested in bringing their four-legged family members with them to the beach. In addition, the hotel has an outdoor pool, a conference room, a tiki bar, free ‘brightside’ breakfast each morning, free wifi, coffee 24/7, and a restaurant (although not opening until 2016).

Currently, the hotel is running specials for $55 a night during the week, and $69-79 on the weekends, which makes for a perfect winter beach getaway. “Right now, we are looking forward to getting to the summer,” said Fasano. “This has been 3 years in the making; we can’t wait to see it filled to the brim with people.” With its prime time location, we’re sure the hotel will be bustling with happy beach-goers. It’s truly in the crossroads of OC with walking distance to everything; the new up and coming mid-town area is growing quickly, with new restaurants such as Barn 34 and Guido’s Burritos, and old favorites like OC Wasabi keeping their area bustling. “We’ve had so much support,” said Fasano. “We’re just gearing up for the summer season!”