3 Best Hotels in Bethany Beach, Delaware

Elegant Victorian furnishings fill this cozy, cedar-shingled beach mansion overlooking the ocean. As welcoming in winter as it is in summer, the adults-only inn, built in 1902, retains original tin ceilings and woodwork, and though the style is formal, the atmosphere is relaxed. Sip morning coffee on a porch rocking chair or meet for afternoon tea in the fancy parlor.

Just two blocks from the beach and close to downtown, the hotel is a good base for exploring the shore. A tennis center and golf course are less than a mile away. Working vacationers have access to a business center and meeting room that hosts up to 100 people.

Formerly the Westward Pines, this boutique hotel was renovated in 2014 and given a new moniker that fits the secluded, woodsy setting that many guests describe as quaint and peaceful. The beach, boardwalk, and shopping are a half-mile-walk away, but free loaner bikes are available.