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The Surf Shanty Motel

2.5 star property
Motel with free parking, 3-minute walk to Dewey Beach

Photo gallery for The Surf Shanty Motel

Exterior
Designer toiletries, hair dryer, towels
Exterior
Front of property
Ground Floor - Tub

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Air conditioning
  • Free WiFi

Explore the area

View map
21 Van Dyke Ave, Dewey Beach, DE, 19971
  • Place, Dewey Beach
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Place, Indian Beach
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Place, Delaware Seashore State Park
    ‪11 min walk‬
  • Airport, Ocean City, MD (OCE-Ocean City Municipal)
    ‪47 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Ground Floor - Tub

Ground Floor - Tub

Ground Floor - Tub

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
(28 reviews)

Highlights

Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Flat-screen TV
Pillow-top bed
Premium bedding
Hairdryer
Shower/bath combination
Designer toiletries
  • 26 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

View all photos for Second Floor - Shower

Second Floor - Shower

Second Floor - Shower

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
(30 reviews)

Highlights

Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Flat-screen TV
Pillow-top bed
Premium bedding
Private bathroom
Designer toiletries
Hairdryer
  • 26 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

View all photos for Third Floor - Shower

Third Floor - Shower

Third Floor - Shower

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(37 reviews)

Highlights

Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Flat-screen TV
Pillow-top bed
Premium bedding
Private bathroom
Designer toiletries
Hairdryer
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

About the area

Dewey Beach

At The Surf Shanty Motel you'll be within just a 5-minute stroll of Dewey Beach and within 15 minutes of Delaware Seashore State Park. Highlights at this motel include 20 beach bars and in-room free WiFi. .With a stay at this Dewey Beach motel, you'll be 2.9 km (1.8 mi) from Rehoboth Beach and 3.5 km (2.2 mi) from Funland.
View more Motels in Dewey BeachOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Dewey Beach Parasail - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Dewey Beach - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Indian Beach - 5 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Bottle & Cork - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Delaware Seashore State Park - 11 min walk - 0.9 km

Getting around

  • Georgetown, DE (GED-Sussex County) - 35 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Rusty Rudder - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Grotto Pizza - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪The Dewey Post - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Nalu Surf Bar - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Bottle & Cork - ‬7 min walk

About this property

The Surf Shanty Motel

Motel with free parking, 3-minute walk to Dewey Beach
The Surf Shanty Motel offers its guests express check-out. You can unwind with a drink at one of the 20 beach bars. The front desk is open around the clock. Limited free parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

This Dewey Beach motel is smoke free.

  • 15 guestrooms or units
  • 20 bars on the beach
  • Express check-out
  • No smoking on site
The Surf Shanty Motel offers 15 accommodations, which are accessible via exterior corridors and feature complimentary bottles of water and designer toiletries. Pillowtop beds feature premium bedding. 55-inch flat-screen televisions come with cable channels.

Bathrooms include complimentary toiletries and hairdryers. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access (speed: 50+ Mbps).

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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • In-room WiFi speed: 50+ Mbps

Parking and transport

  • Free uncovered self parking on site
  • Limited on-site parking (max 1 space per unit)

Food and drink

  • 20 beach bars

Things to do

  • Free bicycle rentals

Family friendly

  • Mini-fridge

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Handrails in stairways
  • Lever door handles
  • No lift
  • Visual alarms in hallways
  • Well-lit path to entrance

More

  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Pillowtop mattress
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Designer toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 55-inch flat-screen TV with cable channels

Food and drink

  • Free bottled water
  • Mini-fridge

More

  • Access via exterior corridors
  • Air conditioning (climate-controlled)
  • Heating (climate-controlled)

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; check-in end time: 6:00 PM
Minimum check-in age - 21

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

There is no front desk at this property
Guests will receive an email within 24 hours before arrival with check-in instructions and an access code; access will be through a private entrance
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Access code, private entrance

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Payment types

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and debit cards; cash is not accepted
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector and a first aid kit
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A credit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a private host, not a professional engaged in trade or business. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and debit cards. Cash is not accepted. For guests' safety, the property includes a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector and a first aid kit in all accommodation.

Property is also known as

The Surf Shanty Motel Motel
The Surf Shanty Motel Dewey Beach
The Surf Shanty Motel Motel Dewey Beach

Frequently asked questions

Is parking available at The Surf Shanty Motel?

Yep, The Surf Shanty Motel has a free self car park. Onsite parking is limited (max 1 space per unit).

Are there any beaches close to The Surf Shanty Motel?

Yep, The Surf Shanty Motel is a short 3-minute walk from Dewey Beach.

Is there a free airport shuttle available at The Surf Shanty Motel?

No, The Surf Shanty Motel does not offer an airport shuttle service.

What time are check-in & check-out at The Surf Shanty Motel?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM. Check-out time is 11:00 AM.

Are pets allowed at The Surf Shanty Motel?

No, pets are not allowed.

Reviews

The Surf Shanty Motel Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

10/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Staff & service

9.2/10

Amenities

9.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.4/10

Eco-friendliness
Rating 10 - Excellent. 263 out of 309 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 43 out of 309 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 309 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 309 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 309 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

LORI

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Loretta

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Loved the beachy vibes, and friendlines. Hoping to go back again!,
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mihalis

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff is always super nice. Hotel is quiet, clean, and in a good location. Stayed here 3 times now and always had a good experience l.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jessica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Katelyn

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Such a great stay at the Surf Shanty! This was my first time staying here and I will definitely be back. Everything was perfect; quiet area, walkable, safe, bikes available, clean, easy access to the ice machine. I have come to Dewey every year for the past 20 years and this has become a new favorite motel. Highly recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2025

8/10 Good

Brett

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Surf Shanty Love

The staff is always the best. Perfect location. Friendly and we love staying here. Will be back again!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Paul

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jodie

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Effecient

Easy check in. Great location. Safe and welcoming
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very nice and clean property. Staff was very friendly and helpful.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Janet

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Jason

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A great location for this beachy vibe motel. A couple things I would suggest to the property manager would be to offer a coffee cart each morning, add an additional chair and bedside table to the room and finally, I would suggest that the room be serviced automatically if you’re there for 4 nights…we didn’t get our room serviced our entire time. Beyond those minor things, it was a quirky, clean, convenient motel that has 95% of the components needed for a top-notch beach motel.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A really cute place for a reasonable price. We walked most places we went to and we were right near the beach
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lawrence

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay; second time. Quiet spot with friendly staff. Super clean and less than a 2 min walk onto the beach. Plenty to eat and drink within walking distance. Will be back.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Julie

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very clean , quiet and convenient to the beach. Would highly recommend and repeat
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Teresa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Hotel was clean. Very close to the beach and close to restaurants. Would stay again
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Always love staying here!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Colleen

Travelled with partner
Liked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful!! Adorable, love the branding and bikes....!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tina

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
na
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Shendi

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
amazing place to stay- the staff was so friendly
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Cute motel, great location

Location can’t be beat. Friendly staff. Nice to have access to bikes. We stayed there a couple of nights. The room doesn’t have many drawer space or a closet so that might have annoyed me as I like to put my clothes in drawers or hang them up on longer stays. There was a coat rack that was handy to have to hang clothing on. Only complaint is that the walls are thin. I had to keep the TV on at night to drown out the footsteps/noise from the room directly above or next door. Would definitely stay here again!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Masooma

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Amber

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I am so glad I chose Surf Shanty to stay at! The man at the front desk was so nice and helpful upon checking in. The location was perfect! Less than a block to the beach, on the quieter end of the strip but still walkable to everything. The room was clean and you can tell they put thought into this hotel. All the colors and decor are cohesive and beachy. There is an outdoor shower to rinse the sand off before going back to your room. The beds are super comfortable. We will definitely be back!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lani

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Surf Shanty was a great small hotel, close to everything Dewey Beach has to offer, but still tucked away that it wasn’t as noisy as some other hotels we’ve stayed at. Staff was very friendly. Beds and pillows were super comfortable.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025