I was worried about staying here after reading the particularly negative review posted a while back but was delighted to find that the Shoreline offered exactly what I was seeking--a cozy, relaxing, private cabin, a beautiful heated pool and direct beach access. My Mother and I walked the beach for hours and, as far as we could tell, this is the only place on Daytona Beach where you can rent a cottage to yourself.
The inn is divided into two parts, individual cabins and duplexes with one shared wall. The kitchenettes were fully stocked with dishes and relatively new appliances. There was also a breakfast nook, a separate bedroom and bathroom in our lodging. They deliver the local paper to your door every morning. We would walk into the office and pick up some Florida oranges (there's no matching the taste of the local fruit) and bananas and head down to the deck to read the paper in peace. It was lovely.
The deck looks out directly onto Daytona Beach and is always in the sun (as is the pool) because the inn, possessing only one level, doesn't tower over the lawn in the same way its neighbours do. That's another thing-there is a large grass-covered lawn surrounding the place, an asset found nowhere else on the beach except in front of private homes. We enjoyed the fact that we had so much space and could swim and sun ourselves whenever we desired.
I too enjoyed the proximity of the inn to the "Top of Daytona" restaurant, a glassed-in eatery on the 29th floor of a condominium building. The Top of Daytona offers good food, 360 degree views of the waterfront and early bird pricing before 6:00pm. The parking is slightly puzzling. You leave your vehicle outside of the building (whereas the residents park inside) and enter through a door (you can't miss it) inside the parking garage, where an elevator will take you directly to the top floor. I would also recommend the shrimp at the little diner on the pier nearby the hotel.
As for attractions, we enjoyed ourselves at the mini-golf place across the street from the Shoreline. We also took in the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum and the trails in behind the lighthouse, which I believe were linked to a science centre. The nearby lighthouse restaurant was full of character and offered all sorts of local seafood. They warn you, however, that there are no preservatives and everything is made from scratch so you'd best be prepared to sit back and relax.