By: Chrysa Smith

Where’s a good beach house when you need one?

It’s  a question I ask whenever I try to stay or rent at the shore. Because short of shelling out $5000 a week, the accommodations tend to be tired, lackluster, even seedy. And I have a firm motto when it comes to vacation lodging: it’s gotta be at least as nice as my house or why am I paying to go there?

So, our new plan is to stay just a few days in a nice inn or lodge, where there is luxury, all the comforts of home and that ooh and aah vacation tingle that makes you feel you have just been somewhere special. And we just were.

I had a book gig in Central Delaware, and decided to turn it into a mini-vacay. So we drove down to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where we discovered The Bellmoor Inn. Finally, a refuge that made me feel pampered—and at the beach, all at the same time. Elegantly decorated and wonderfully pristine, the lobby is traditional and sophisticated–a bit of old world elegance. But step inside your guest room and the sophistication takes on a seaside air, with whitewashed furnishings and beadboard on walls. Lush bedding makes you actually want to snuggle up under the cozy covers, and ponder something on the spa menu or the breakfast buffet menu. With a short walk to the beach and some really nice restaurants (plus a brew-pub: Delaware is home to Dogfishhead Brewing Co.), what more could you ask?       

It was only my second time at Rehoboth, and the beach-side outlet shopping strip is quite nice; perfect for a rainy day or when you need a refuge from the sun. The boardwalk is more serene than many of its northern beach counterparts and the weather is warmer just a bit sooner.

If you’re looking for a pretty inn in a pretty beach town, check out the Bellmoor at: http://www.thebellmoor.com/.