Off-Season Escape to Ashore Resort & Beach Club in Ocean City, MD

Rides and attractions on the Boardwalk may be closed until next May and summer crowds have long gone, but Ocean City, Maryland, remains an appealing coastal off-season escape. The Ashore Resort & Beach Club is a recent addition to the shoreline that lets you enjoy oceanfront scenery even as temperatures drop.

The hotel, formerly the Ocean City Fontainebleau Resort, reopened in April after a comprehensive renovation. The refreshed property features 250 fully updated rooms and suites and five distinct food and beverage venues, several of which operate year-round.

Because the building sits at an angle to the shoreline, not all rooms are full oceanfront, but many offer side ocean views. Every room has a balcony; due to the design and railings, balconies are best for stepping outside to check the air, listen to waves or enjoy the view rather than for extended outdoor dining. The hotel’s location literally on the water means guests can fall asleep to the sound of surf or wake to the ocean’s cadence.

Interiors are calm and contemporary, with hardwood floors, mid-century modern accents and bathrooms fitted with rain showers and lighted mirrors. A typical ocean-view king room combines a bedroom with balcony and a separate living area that includes a dining table with seating for four, a second balcony, sofa bed, armchair with ottoman, mini-refrigerator, coffee maker and two flat-screen televisions. A daily resort fee covers parking for one vehicle per room, complimentary bicycles, bottled water and access to a 24-hour fitness center. In season, guests can also borrow beach chairs, toys and boogie boards, enjoy the outdoor pool and order food and drinks delivered to poolside or the beach.

Tide Room, the resort’s signature restaurant, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bright, welcoming bar offers seating with Atlantic views both indoors and on the outdoor terrace. Chef Ronald Marvel, Jr., who previously worked at Congress Hall in Cape May and the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, brings a Mid-Atlantic sensibility to the menu with a strong focus on regional seafood.

Local seafood shines across the menu, including Maryland blue crab preparations. Deviled eggs finished with Old Bay and chives can be topped with tender lump crab; a broiled jumbo lump crab cake is plated with tomato-corn salsa, chipotle crema and a sprinkle of queso fresco. A tomato-based crab soup is well seasoned, though additional crab meat would amplify the shellfish flavor. Linguine served in a garlicky, herb-scented broth arrives with generous littlenecks in the shell—perfect with crusty bread to soak up the sauce. For dessert, a warm sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream is a satisfying finish.

The cocktail program balances time-honored classics with inventive originals. A strawberry-infused take on the Negroni brightens Campari’s bitter profile, while a nonalcoholic option using Lyre’s Italian Bitter closely mimics a Campari spritz. Lost in the South, a bourbon-forward variation with St. George Spiced Pear, cinnamon and lemon, delivers seasonal flavors without overwhelming the palate.

Adjacent to Tide Room, The Tap Room offers a more casual atmosphere with bar seating and indoor and outdoor tables. The all-day menu overlaps with Tide Room but focuses more on craft beer and lighter fare, making it a reliable choice for lunch. Menu highlights include buffalo chicken quesadillas, battered Chesapeake Bay catfish, a coconut shrimp po’boy and the Eastern Shore salad topped with shrimp and crab.

During the summer the oceanfront grill Wahoo opens with beach-style cocktails and a menu of crushes—the classic Maryland refresher that mixes flavored vodka with juices, mixers and fruit. The Shore Deck, also seasonal, features a large sunroom furnished with sofas, slingback and wicker chairs, pendant lighting and potted plants, all with unobstructed ocean views. Regardless of weather or season, the Shore Deck is an inviting spot to read, relax and enjoy a quiet, endless-summer moment by the sea.