Housing in Myrtle Beach?

[american_mama]

My Girl Scout troop will almost certainly be going to Myrtle Beach in June. We need housing for 13 people. I thought this would be easy, but 1) our budget is really low and 2) we are only staying 3 nights. Our budget is probably forced downwards because I've had 4 girls join my troop since June - yay - but that means they have not had much opportunity to raise money but are still part of our headcount.

Plus, I get the impression that Myrtle Beach has tons of condos, some large enough for 12-14 people. Is there a website that searches condos for vacation rentals?

Our activities will probably include things like a nature program and swimming at Huntington Beach State Park, a trip to the Wonderworks crazy discovery place, swimming in the heart of all the action, boardwalk/souvenir/ice cream time, possibly a kayak program in the Waccamaw River, Skywheel if the girls think it's worth it, browsing at Broadway on the Beach. I think the dinner shows and music shows may be too expensive for us. Maybe some minigolf if the girls are interested. I am not a fan of Ripley's anything, but it may be unavoidable there. I am not in favor of any water or amusement rides because of the time and money they take, and my troop generally wants a Busch Gardens type experience or nothing. Not sure if there are any dolphin tours or ghost tours that would be worthwhile.

I am more than willing to stay off the oceanfront and further from the Strand and Boardwalk. If we drive in for at least two half days in the heart of all the action, will parking be a nightmare or just pay and find a garage and it works?
South of Myrtle Beach might be more desirable than north, but there are hardly any listings on AirBnB there and limited hotels. Inland from the beach might also be great - any suggestion for areas to look?

Is Conway worth considering for lodging if it's cheaper? It's only 22 minutes to the Skywheel and 33 minutes to Huntington Beach SP.

[pharmjenn]

I can't answer most of your questions, but will recommend VRBO and Homeaway.com. They are both run by the same company and have many duplicate listings. I just ran a search and there appear to be plenty, but probably lots that only will rent by the week.
I am sure in the morning you will get many answers to your other questions.

[SnuggleBuggles]

As before when you ask about troop trips, surely there are forums where people share trip itineraries and resources. Obviously it’s fine to ask here but your questions are often really specific to planning a Girl Scout trip. There are probably better brains to pick. All I’ve got is to look at Vrbo/ HomeAway (as pp suggested) and call hotels directly and ask about group discounts(this isn’t the type of trip you should just book on the website- someone can help you with pricing, possibly a discount if eligible and with the logistics of dealing with a bigger group).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mom2binsd]

I have friends that go every year, although I they book a year in advance, as June is very busy/expensive due to being high season. . Have other troops gone to MB before? Maybe they have ideas of places that meet the needs? I agree the 3 nights might be a problem. Second the vrbo search and ask some of the other parents for ideas maybe?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[american_mama]

Hmm, I didn't think my questions were specific to Girl Scouts at all. I am only 2 states away, but don't actually know any troops who have gone. There are web forums for troops going to certain popular cities... NYC, Wash DC, Savannah... but not much else.

Searching for rentals in such a heavy condo area is new to me and I thought others might be some websites specific to that other than AirBnB, Home Away, VRBO.

I also thought the driving and geographic questions were relevant to anyone who had been there. I have never been to MB.

[SnuggleBuggles]

It was your itinerary questions that made me think of them as being specific for a group trip/ Girl Scouts.

Can you bump your trip to before Memorial Day? If you do that, you might find that the hotel and house minimums are more compatible with your needs. It'd be cheaper too.

[westwoodmom04]

It was your itinerary questions that made me think of them as being specific for a group trip/ Girl Scouts.

Can you bump your trip to before Memorial Day? If you do that, you might find that the hotel and house minimums are more compatible with your needs. It'd be cheaper too.

Absolutely this, so much easier to find a cheap rental during shoulder season.

[Percycat]

I would join a closed girl scout facebook group to get information. "Girl Scout Leaders Chat" would be a good starting point -- members may have relevant information or can point you to a more focused group.

In my council, we are not allowed to use VBRO or AirBnB. We have to submit a troop trip itinerary about 6 months in advance to go through all of the approvals for troop travel (although last year, we were able to get streamlined review for a quick weekend trip.)

Personally, I would look into the GS Councils in the area and see if they have camp property you could rent. We took a trip from St. Louis to the Boundary waters two years ago and rented lodges/cabins at two different camps on the drive up and drive back. The girls loved seeing different council Girl Scout camps and it was very economical.

You could also look to see if there are cabins available at State or County parks.

[mmsmom]

There can be a lot of traffic around MB so the drive times would actually be a lot longer. There is no way you can do all on your list in 3 nights. Will the girls be working towards badges? I would focus on the educational parts or badge activities then add in a couple of fun things. Hotels will be your best option for 3 nights.

[american_mama]

I would join a closed girl scout facebook group to get information. "Girl Scout Leaders Chat" would be a good starting point -- members may have relevant information or can point you to a more focused group.

Personally, I would look into the GS Councils in the area and see if they have camp property you could rent.

You could also look to see if there are cabins available at State or County parks.

I am a member of one very big national FB group for Girl Scouts and have asked there about MD. I get somewhat short replies. BBB replies often have more detail. I will look into the other group you mentioned.

There are no Girl Scout properties within 2 hours of Myrtle Beach that I can find. One nearby state park has cabins, but they are booked solid, plus splitting into two buildings is not ideal.

I have done trips through our council before so I know our council's ropes. Fortunately, they do not require trip paperwork as far in advance as yours.