Harris House By the Beach

We’ve been coming to Harris House for more than ten years, and it remains one of our favorite places. The staff are a big part of that: many of the same people return each year, or may work there year-round, and they’re polite and professional. Any problem we’ve had was corrected right away. It’s a great value and kept quite clean. The location is right in the middle of the boardwalk. The upkeep is easy to see in the fresh paint, and the things in the rooms work, from outlets and faucets to the air conditioning. The pool is warm even toward the end of the season, so I assume it may be heated. The pool area is also a nice place to eat lunch or dinner, or play poker.

You can walk straight from the hotel parking lot onto the boardwalk, which was easily the best part. The staff greeted us warmly as soon as we came in, and the room was spacious and very clean. We were pleasantly surprised to have an ocean view, small as it was. The staff’s attention to detail and friendly attitude really made Harris House stand out. We were only there overnight, but had a delightful day. A few small drawbacks: the blankets felt thin, though that’s personal preference, and morning truck noise took away a little from the ocean view. The housekeeper used quite a lot of Clorox, though that could be a bonus!

I’ve stayed at Harris House for the past few summers and have always enjoyed it. The location is central in Ocean City and less than half a block from the boardwalk, with parking right on site. The rooms are always clean and well maintained for a beach town hotel. They include beach tags with your stay, and there’s a handy changing room to use if you arrive early before heading to the beach. On my latest visit, Michael at the front desk was friendly, helpful, and gave first-class service. Looking forward to coming back next summer.

The only thing still being worked out is bike storage. The little rack they prefer is quite small, and locking bikes to the railing by the office could be a hazard for cars coming and going. It's a work in progress, though, and not enough to keep us from returning. This has become our favorite September beach getaway. We book a mini-week in early spring, then just arrive when fall comes. The rooms are clean and right behind the boardwalk at 12th street. On checkout day, we can still use the pool and facilities before heading home, which means no sandy drive back. Looking forward to 2026.