Tybee Island Beachfront Hotels and Oceanfront Rentals
By Best of Savannah
Tybee Island hotels on the beach come down to three properties that describe themselves as oceanfront, plus a larger set of houses and condos. Hotel Tybee, at 1401 Strand Avenue, calls itself an oceanfront hotel. DeSoto Beach Hotel, at 212 Butler Avenue, calls itself Tybee's only beachfront hotel. Beachside Colony, at 404 Butler Avenue, calls itself Tybee's only oceanfront resort and rents condos rather than standard hotel rooms. Admiral's Inn, at 1501 Butler Avenue, belongs in a different column: the inn says it is one block from the sand, not on it.
The two hotels do not agree about the word "only," and this page does not pick a winner. Each beach-position line below is the property's own wording, or Booking.com's wording, with the date we checked it. Prices are the from-prices Booking.com showed for one night and two adults on its Tybee Island hotel list on October 22, 2026. Those figures move as soon as you enter dates. If you are still deciding whether to sleep on the island or in town, read our Tybee versus Savannah where-to-stay guide once, then come back here for the beachfront shortlist.
Quick answer: which Tybee hotels are on the beach
Use this table to separate a hotel room on the sand from a condo resort and from a near-beach inn. Pier distances are walking routes measured October 22, 2026, from each street address to the Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion, which OpenStreetMap places at 15 1/2th Street. Lighthouse distances later in the page are straight-line measurements to the Tybee Island Lighthouse at 30 Taylor Street.
| Property | Address | How it describes the beach | Walk to the pier | Parking, as stated | Booking.com from-price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Tybee | 1401 Strand Ave, Tybee Island, GA 31328 | Oceanfront hotel; a public parking lot between the building and the beach, per Booking.com | About 0.1 mile | $40 per night parking and amenities fee, one vehicle, on the hotel's site | $199.10 for 1 night, 2 adults |
| DeSoto Beach Hotel | 212 Butler Ave, Tybee Island, GA 31328 | "Tybee's ONLY beachfront hotel," with direct beach access | About 1.4 miles | One off-street space included; no separate parking fee listed | $176.14 for 1 night, 2 adults |
| Beachside Colony | 404 Butler Ave, Tybee Island, GA 31328 | Oceanfront condo resort; no road to cross to the sand | About 1.3 miles | Two spaces included with the condo | One listed condo from $326.50 |
| Admiral's Inn | 1501 Butler Ave, Tybee Island, GA 31328 | One block from the beach, not beachfront | About 0.3 miles | Complimentary, one car per room | $181.91 for 1 night, 2 adults |
Book the hotels through Booking.com here: Hotel Tybee, DeSoto Beach Hotel, and Admiral's Inn. The from-prices above are from Booking.com's Tybee Island hotel list, checked October 22, 2026. For houses and condos, use the Tybee Island vacation rentals search.
How the beach, the dunes, and the streets fit together
Tybee's ocean side is a thin strip of sand, dune, and low buildings, and the street names are easy to mix up. Hotel Tybee's published address is 1401 Strand Avenue. The same hotel tells drivers that GPS should use 1412 Butler Avenue to reach the main entrance. Strand is the address it prints for the ocean side of the property. Butler Avenue is the street it tells cars to use. Checked on hoteltybee.com, October 22, 2026.
Booking.com's Hotel Tybee description, checked the same day, adds a physical detail the hotel's homepage does not spell out: "A long, narrow public parking lot separates the hotel from the beach." So the hotel calls the property oceanfront and beachfront, and the booking listing places a public parking lot between the building and the sand. Both sentences can be true of a low building sitting just inland of a beach lot. We are reporting them, not grading them.
DeSoto Beach Hotel and Beachside Colony also use Butler Avenue addresses, farther north, and both say guests can reach the sand without a long walk. Beachside's homepage says the resort occupies a full oceanfront block "with no roads to cross." DeSoto's property page says "direct beach access" and lists a beachfront pool. Admiral's Inn, back at the south end on Butler Avenue, is explicit that the beach is one block away. If a listing says "steps from the beach" without saying the building faces the water, read the address and the parking line before you treat it as oceanfront.
Hotel Tybee
Hotel Tybee sits at 1401 Strand Avenue, Tybee Island, GA 31328, at the south end of the island. Its homepage title is "Oceanfront Hotel on Tybee Island GA," and the page calls the property a beachfront retreat with rooms "steps away from the beach, Tybrisa Street, the pier," plus shopping and restaurants. The history page on the same site describes an Ocean Plaza Beach Resort era from 1989 to 2015, after earlier decades the homepage dates to 1889. Phone 912-786-7777. Checked October 22, 2026, on hoteltybee.com and the hotel's history page.
The pier is the anchor at this end of the island. A walking route from 1401 Strand Avenue to the Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion measured about 0.11 miles (182 meters) on October 22, 2026. Booking.com says the hotel is a 3-minute walk from Tybee Beach Pier, which matches a walk that short. In a straight line, the same address is about 2.0 miles from the Tybee Island Lighthouse. This is a south-end, pier-side hotel, not a North Beach hotel.
Pools and the beach setup are part of why people pick it. The hotel lists two outdoor pools, the Tybee Tidal Zone splash pad, a tiki bar, bicycles, and beach chairs. Booking.com also lists two outdoor pools and a seasonal outdoor tiki bar, and it says every room has a balcony. Check-in is 4:00 p.m. and check-out is 11:00 a.m. on both the hotel site and Booking.com. The guest who checks in must be 21 or older. The hotel adds a $20 extra-person fee. Booking.com says children of all ages are welcome, that guests 18 and older are charged as adults, and that cribs and extra beds are not available.
Parking is a fee, not a freebie. The hotel site, including its FAQ, lists a parking and amenities fee of $40 per night per room, with one vehicle per rented room and in-and-out access. Booking.com's fine print, checked October 22, 2026, does not repeat that $40 line. It says an additional vehicle may be parked for $30 per car per night based on availability. Budget the $40 from the hotel's own policy, and ask about a second car before you arrive.
Pets are allowed. The hotel says it is pet-friendly at $50 per day per pet. Booking.com says pets are allowed and charges may apply. The homepage also advertised a winter stay "as low as $54/night." That is the hotel's own promotion. It is not the Booking.com rate. On October 22, 2026, Booking.com's Tybee list showed Hotel Tybee from $199.10 for one night, two adults, with a guest score of 7.4 out of 10 from 951 reviews. The property page asks you to choose dates before it shows a nightly range, so treat $199.10 as a from-price, not a promise for your weekend.
Stay here when the pier, Tybrisa Street, and a hotel front desk matter more than a kitchen. It is the south-end hotel in this set. Compare downtown rooms in our Historic District hotels guide if the beach is only one day of the trip.
DeSoto Beach Hotel
DeSoto Beach Hotel is at 212 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, GA 31328. The homepage headline is "Tybee's ONLY Beachfront Hotel," and the property page repeats "Tybee's ONLY Beachfront Hotel" and "direct beach access." Amenities on that page include a beachfront pool that is heated and cooled, a sun deck, complimentary continental breakfast, free parking for one space per room, elevators, and complimentary Wi-Fi. The same page calls the location a convenient mid-island spot, less than 20 minutes from historic downtown Savannah. Phone 877-786-4542. The group says it has owned the hotel since 1999. Checked October 22, 2026, on desotobeachhotel.com and the hotel property page.
Booking.com's listing, checked the same day, calls it a beachfront hotel with an outdoor pool and free continental breakfast, and says the Tybee Island Lighthouse is a 4-minute drive away. A straight-line measurement from 212 Butler Avenue to the lighthouse at 30 Taylor Street is about 0.9 miles, which fits a short drive. The walk to the pier pavilion is the long direction from here: about 1.4 miles by the mapped foot route. Mid-island means closer to the lighthouse than to the pier.
House rules are specific, and they are on the hotel's policies page. Check-in is 4:00 p.m. and check-out is 11:00 a.m. You must be at least 21 to check in. Cancel at least 72 hours before arrival or the first night is charged. Rates are based on single or double occupancy and include breakfast and off-street parking for one passenger vehicle. Extra guests over age 12 are $12 per night. As of June 1, 2024, the hotel adds a $15 per night service fee plus tax per room. Taxes on the policy page are 14 percent (7 percent state and 7 percent local) plus a $5 state transportation tax. Pets are not allowed. The hotel states a $250 cleaning charge if a pet is found. Smoking in a guest room brings at least a $250 cleaning charge, and the policy notes Tybee's beach smoking fine.
On October 22, 2026, Booking.com's Tybee list showed DeSoto Beach Hotel from $176.14 for one night, two adults, with a guest score of 7.8 out of 10 from 516 reviews. Add the $15 nightly service fee and tax on top of whatever rate you lock in. The property page did not show a high-low range until dates were selected.
The practical case for DeSoto is a beachfront hotel room with breakfast and parking already in the rate, on the mid-island stretch, without a pet. The "only beachfront hotel" line is the hotel's claim. Hotel Tybee also describes itself as oceanfront. Read both, then book the layout you want.
Beachside Colony and other oceanfront rentals
Beachside Colony is a condo resort at 404 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, GA 31328, not a single hotel with identical rooms. The homepage calls it "Tybee's Only Oceanfront Resort" and "Tybee Island's only oceanfront resort," "perfectly located mid-island between the Lighthouse and the Pier." It says the setting is a full oceanfront block, "steps from the sand with no roads to cross." Two oceanfront pools sit on the property: one with a zero-entry slope the resort calls family-friendly, and a second pool heated seasonally. The Deck Beach Bar and Kitchen is the on-site restaurant, with walk-up service from the pool deck. Phone 1-800-786-0770. Checked October 22, 2026, on beachsidecolony.com.
The resort's FAQ, checked the same day, sets check-in at 4:00 p.m. and check-out at 10:00 a.m. A door code is texted when the condo is ready. The on-site office is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Parking is two spaces per condo. Oversized vehicles, RVs, boats, and trailers are not allowed on the property. The FAQ says public metered parking on Tybee can cost up to $48 a day, paid most easily in the Park TYB app. One pool is heated from mid-October through the end of May, adjusted for weather. Beach towels are free to check out. Office chair or umbrella rentals are $10 per day per item. A separate beach setup service lists $50 for one umbrella and two chairs, $10 for one chair, and $30 for one umbrella, with a phone number of 912-547-8145.
Dogs are allowed only in designated pet-friendly condos, at $100 per dog. Cats are not allowed. The FAQ says pets are not allowed on Tybee Island's beach under city rules, and it points dog owners to Memorial Park across the street. A straight-line measurement from 404 Butler Avenue to the lighthouse is about 1.0 mile. The mapped walk to the pier pavilion is about 1.3 miles. That matches the resort's "between the lighthouse and the pier" line.
Nightly prices depend on the unit. On the resort homepage, checked October 22, 2026, 117 Beach Club (2 bedrooms) was listed starting at $461.79 per night, 116 Beach Club (3 bedrooms) starting at $493.62 per night, and a 1-bedroom starting at $476.38 per night. The same day, Booking.com's Tybee list showed one Beachside condo, "BEACHSIDE CONDO-WATER AND POOL VIEW Top Floor," from $326.50 for one night, two adults, with a guest score of 8.3 out of 10 from 18 reviews. Those are different units and different date assumptions. Neither number is a resort-wide rate. Search the Tybee vacation rentals page for other oceanfront houses, and read each listing's beach line the same way: address, what the host says about crossing a road, parking count, and pet rules.
Choose Beachside when you want a kitchen, more than one bedroom, and a pool deck that the resort says opens onto the beach without a road in between. It is the rental in this comparison, not a drop-in hotel room.
Near-the-beach hotels: Admiral's Inn
Admiral's Inn is the near-beach pick, and it should stay in that column. The address is 1501 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, GA 31328. The inn's FAQ says, "We're one block from the beach and one block from the Tybee Pier — about a two-minute walk to either." The homepage calls it "a short walk from the south-end beach, two minutes from the pier." That is not a beachfront claim. Phone 912-786-0700. Checked October 22, 2026, on admiralsinntybee.com/faq.
A mapped walking route from 1501 Butler Avenue to the pier pavilion is about 0.3 miles. The inn's "two-minute" line is shorter than that route. We are leaving both on the page: their wording, and the measured route. In a straight line the address is about 2.0 miles from the lighthouse, the same south-end band as Hotel Tybee. Booking.com places the inn 16 miles from Savannah.
The inn is a 41-room, non-smoking property. Check-in is 4:00 p.m. and check-out is 11:00 a.m. The guest who books and checks in must be 21 or older. Parking is complimentary, one car per room. There is a heated saltwater pool with a sun deck. The inn does not serve breakfast. It names Sunrise Restaurant on Butler Avenue as about a two-minute walk. Room types on the FAQ are a double queen that sleeps up to 4 and a king suite with a sleeper sofa that sleeps up to 4. Both list 49-inch smart TVs, mini-fridges, and rain showers. Booking.com lists free Wi-Fi, a year-round outdoor pool, and free private parking, and it says you do not need a reservation for that parking.
The FAQ page we checked does not state a pet policy. Do not assume dogs are welcome. Ask the inn before you book. On October 22, 2026, Booking.com's Tybee list showed Admiral's Inn from $181.91 for one night, two adults, with a guest score of 8.3 out of 10 from 1,229 reviews. The property page again withholds a date-specific range until you search dates.
Stay at Admiral's Inn when you want the pier and the south-end beach a short walk away, free parking, and a pool, and you do not need the building to face the water. It is the wrong listing if your search is strictly "hotel on the sand."
North Beach vs South Beach vs mid-island
Tybee is one island with three useful lodging zones for this search. South Beach is the pier end. Hotel Tybee and Admiral's Inn are both there: Strand and Butler addresses in the 1400s and 1500s, a short walk from the pavilion, and about 2 miles in a straight line from the lighthouse. Tybrisa Street, the pier, and the densest cluster of shops are this end. If your evening plan is the pier, sleep here.
Mid-island is the Butler Avenue stretch that DeSoto and Beachside both claim. DeSoto's property page says "MidIsland." Beachside says it sits between the lighthouse and the pier. The measurements agree with that description: about 0.9 miles from DeSoto to the lighthouse and about 1.0 mile from Beachside, versus 1.4 and 1.3 miles on foot to the pier. You can still reach either landmark, but neither is outside the door the way the pier is at Hotel Tybee.
North Beach is the lighthouse end. The light station mapped at 30 Taylor Street is about 2.1 miles in a straight line from the pier pavilion. None of the four stays in this guide uses a North Beach street address. If the lighthouse climb is the reason for the trip, you will drive or bike there from all four, with a shorter hop from the mid-island pair. Hours and tickets are in our Tybee Island Lighthouse guide. Beach access, parking lots, and the difference between a day trip and an overnight are in our Savannah beach guide.
A rental search will surface houses in all three zones, including places closer to North Beach than any hotel in this article. Read the street, not the headline. A "Tybee beach house" on the Back River or several blocks inland is a different product from Beachside's no-road-to-cross block.
Things to do from your hotel
Once you are on the island, the useful outings are a short drive or a walk, depending on which end you chose. Eat near the sand or the marsh using our Tybee Island restaurants guide. Dolphin boats and kayak launches are collected on our Tybee Island boat tours page, including Captain Derek's Dolphin Adventure from Lazaretto Creek.
Three bookable outings were checked on Viator on October 22, 2026. The Historic Tour of Tybee Island (product 370721P1) is an open-air tour with Tybee Tour Company, meeting at 301 1st Street. Viator showed a rating of 4.96 from 346 reviews and a from-price of $37. The Tybee Island Sunset Tiki Cruise (475151P4) is a 90-minute sightseeing cruise with Tybee Island Watersports, meeting at 4 Old US Highway 80. Viator showed 4.79 from 122 reviews and a from-price of $53. The Tybee Island Day at the Beach Experience (180342P1) is a private pickup from Savannah's Historic District with chairs, umbrellas, and coolers, listed from $110 with a rating of 4.80 from 305 reviews. That last one starts in Savannah, so it fits a downtown hotel night better than a Tybee check-in. See the beach-day experience.
How long to stay is a separate question from which building to book. Our how many days in Savannah guide is the place to decide whether the beach gets its own night. Search more Tybee rooms with the card above, or open the rentals link if you need a kitchen.
FAQ
Is there a hotel right on the beach on Tybee Island?
Hotel Tybee describes itself as an oceanfront hotel at 1401 Strand Avenue, and Booking.com's listing says a long, narrow public parking lot separates the building from the beach. DeSoto Beach Hotel's own site calls the property "Tybee's ONLY beachfront hotel," with direct beach access at 212 Butler Avenue. Beachside Colony describes itself as an oceanfront condo resort, not a traditional hotel, on a full block at 404 Butler Avenue with no road to cross to reach the sand. Those are the properties' own claims, checked October 22, 2026. This page does not decide which "only" claim wins.
Do Tybee Island hotels charge for parking?
Hotel Tybee's site lists a parking and amenities fee of $40 per night per room for one vehicle. Booking.com's Hotel Tybee fine print, checked the same day, says an additional vehicle may be parked for $30 per car per night based on availability. DeSoto Beach Hotel includes one off-street space in the room rate and does not list a separate parking fee. Admiral's Inn says parking is complimentary, one car per room. Beachside Colony includes two spaces with a condo rental and notes that public metered parking on Tybee can run up to $48 a day. All of those figures were checked October 22, 2026.
Which Tybee beachfront stay works for a family?
Hotel Tybee's site points families to two outdoor pools and the Tybee Tidal Zone splash pad. Beachside Colony describes a zero-entry oceanfront pool as family-friendly and heats a second pool from mid-October through the end of May. DeSoto Beach Hotel lists a heated and cooled beachfront pool and charges $12 per night for each extra guest over age 12. None of these properties publishes a family ranking. The useful comparison is pools, extra-guest fees, and whether you want a hotel room or a condo with a kitchen.
Are Tybee Island beachfront hotels pet-friendly?
Hotel Tybee says it is pet-friendly and charges $50 per day per pet. Booking.com's Hotel Tybee page says pets are allowed and that charges may apply. DeSoto Beach Hotel does not allow pets and states a $250 cleaning charge if a pet is found. Beachside Colony allows dogs only in designated pet-friendly condos, at $100 per dog, and does not allow cats. The resort also says pets are not allowed on Tybee Island's beach under city rules. Admiral's Inn FAQ page, checked October 22, 2026, does not state a pet policy, so confirm that with the inn before you book.
How far is Tybee Island from Savannah?
Hotel Tybee says the island is 18 miles from Savannah and about twenty minutes by car. DeSoto Beach Hotel says historic downtown Savannah is less than 20 minutes away. Beachside Colony says Savannah is about 20 minutes away. Booking.com's listing places Admiral's Inn 16 miles from Savannah, and the inn says Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is about 26 miles and roughly a 45-minute drive. One causeway, US-80, is the drive. Weekend traffic can make the trip longer than those drive times.
Should you book a beachfront hotel or a vacation rental on Tybee?
A room at Hotel Tybee or DeSoto Beach Hotel is the simpler check-in: a front desk, a set room type, and, at DeSoto, continental breakfast and one parking space included in the rate. Beachside Colony is individually listed condos with kitchens, two parking spaces, and resort pools, which suits a longer stay or a group that wants to cook. Other oceanfront houses show up in Booking.com's Tybee vacation-rental search, and nightly rates move with the dates you pick. If you are still deciding whether to sleep on the island at all, read the Tybee versus Savannah where-to-stay guide on this site.
Is North Beach or South Beach closer to these hotels?
Hotel Tybee and Admiral's Inn sit at the south end, near the Tybee Pier and Pavilion. A mapped walking route from Hotel Tybee to the pavilion is about 0.1 mile, and from Admiral's Inn about 0.3 miles. DeSoto Beach Hotel and Beachside Colony describe themselves as mid-island, between the lighthouse and the pier. Their addresses are about 0.9 to 1 mile in a straight line from the lighthouse and about 1.3 to 1.4 miles on foot from the pier. None of the four has a North Beach street address. Distances were measured October 22, 2026 from OpenStreetMap coordinates.
This post contains affiliate links. See our affiliate disclosure. Beach-position lines, fees, and from-prices were checked October 22, 2026, on the hotel sites and on Booking.com. They change. Confirm the rate for your dates before you pay.
