Thunderbird Beach Motel
3110 Baltimore Ave, Ocean City, MD 21842-3398
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About
#13 of 28 motels in Ocean City
Location
4.4
Rooms
3.6
Value
4.1
Cleanliness
3.9
Service
3.9
Sleep Quality
3.7
The Thunderbird Beach Motel is a quaint 63 room motel located in the downtown area of Ocean City, MD. It is on the East side of Baltimore Avenue. Rooms come standard with 2 double beds, mini fridge, microwave, color/cable TV, and Free Wi-Fi. There are also King Rooms available, which contain one King sized bed, with a pull out sofa, and flatscreen TV. There is an outdoor heated swimming pool on site, and is a 30 second walk to the beach!
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Pool
Vending machine
Non-smoking hotel
Sun loungers / beach chairs
24-hour front desk
Outdoor pool
Room features
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Microwave
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Family
Languages Spoken
English
Location
3110 Baltimore Ave, Ocean City, MD 21842-3398
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 75 out of 100
75
Wicomico County Airport
23.8 mi•
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Baltimore-Washington Intl Airport
103 mi•
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Rental Cars
29 Restaurants
within 0.3 miles
Reviews
Traveler rating
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Detailed Reviews
First of all I did not give this motel 5 stars because it isn't a 5 star motel. What it is is a very nice typical beach motel. I booked this place for a 1 night stay. When I arrived the office was practicing safe social distancing guidelines by only letting one person in the office at a time. The other people had to stand in line outside and everyone was wearing a mask and they social distanced. The office staff were very friendly and told me everything I need to know about the property. I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of my room when I arrived. The air conditioning was already on and my room was very cool. There were plenty of towels, pillows, etc. and they had very nice toiletries. They told me at the office that if I needed more all I needed to do was ask. The facility in general could use some upgrades, but if you are looking for a nice clean place and can look past the needed upgrades it was ok to stay here. The pool was a little run down, but it served it purpose to take a quick dip and cool off. Again, because of COVID they removed all the chairs around the pool and limited the number of people that could be in the area at one time, and people were complying with this. I did not go to the beach, but I could see that it was within walking distance to the motel out the back. There was plenty of parking although the spaces are tight. I would stay here again.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The room was clean but it is small, so I don’t think it needed both a big table as a desk with a chair and a round table with two chairs. The bathroom didn’t have space for our toilet kits. It also didn’t have hangars but had bars to hang things over. There was a gap in the doorway. (Someone else added that comment in their review.) The staff was very friendly and helpful. It was perfect for what I needed. I spent most of my time with friends and at the beach, so I just needed a clean bed and shower.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Towels and swimsuits don’t dry well inside the room. Some people hung them over the railing...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This motel is just that, a motel. I did not expect a fancy place but a place that had clean sheets, ice machine that works and a friendly staff that actually catered to you. Great location, price fit my pocket and my stay was great. Would I return to the Thunderbird again, absolutely I will.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I do not recommend this Motel. The room was small, dated and dirty. I informed the manager that the towels in the bathroom were soiled. Nothing was done. Upon checkout the attendant expressed that the manager had received numerous complaints about soiled linens. The attended also shared that the manager only provide clean or gently used linens to her friends when they stay at the hotel.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The motel was clean! The staff was very courteous and helpful. The pool was clean and well taken care of.
The only downfall was being an older person on the third floor with no elevator. Otherwise, I will definitely stay there again!!
The only downfall was being an older person on the third floor with no elevator. Otherwise, I will definitely stay there again!!
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Myself and 2 girlfriends checked in after 7 pm. After we checked in, we left our stuff in the room and headed out for dinner and drinks. We arrived back to the motel at 2:30am and observed multiple men sitting on the balcony by our room 311, drinking and making a lot of noise. as we approached our room (we are pretty girls) the guys started to holler trying to talk to us. We ignored those guys and proceeded to enter our room. About 1 minute after we entered the room, there was a knock at the door. It was Bob, the nighttime staff member at Thundrbird. I opened the door because he had the hotel shirt on. as soon as I opened the door, he started yelling at me saying that if we keep it up, we will be evicted. I asked him "keep what up??? we just got here a minute ago." then Bob says "If I get one more complaint, you're out of here". I was really confused at that point and said to him "Sir we just got here and I have a complaint myself, those drunk guys sitting by the door are being really loud and unruly"
At that point I closed the door and observed Bob go over and talk to those guys. he was talking to them, not yelling like he was yelling at us. about 2 minutes afterwards, he came and knocked the door again. I opened it and as soon as I opened the door, Bob started yelling again saying " you know what, I can evict you guys if I want" I said "Sir I don't understand what your problem is with us, we just got here and we are getting ready to eat... Are you okay??" that's when he started to yell again with this scary look on his face saying "You have 15 minutes to leave. I am evicting you guys"
I was completely shocked. I asked him why. Bob said "because I said so" Then I explained to him that its 2:30 am, we just got here and we haven't made any noise, its not fair. That's when he said "I don't care" I then told him that the three of us have been drinking and we are not driving under the influence. That's when Bob says "well im calling the cops" ABout 15 minutes later, Bob came back with 2 police officers to escort us out of the motel. at this time, we packed our stuff and asked him for a refund so that we can pay another motel to stay in. The cop said that I had to go back in the morning for my refund.
I went back that morning 11am and spoke to Dicky, the motel manager. I explained everything that happened and asked for my refund. He said that all my debit card information was in the computer and that he will credit my account.
I emailed the motel and got no reply. I call the Motel and he dodges my phone calls, and its been almost 2 months now and I haven't received my refund.
I want to complain about Bob. there are multiple complaints online about Bob and he really needs to be aware that his behavior is unacceptable. We really risked our lives that night because we were forced to leave the motel and drive under the influence because he didn't even allow us to leave the vehicle there til the morning. Bob said "take all your property off my property" when asked if we could leave the car since we cant drive. we could've lost our life that night.
At that point I closed the door and observed Bob go over and talk to those guys. he was talking to them, not yelling like he was yelling at us. about 2 minutes afterwards, he came and knocked the door again. I opened it and as soon as I opened the door, Bob started yelling again saying " you know what, I can evict you guys if I want" I said "Sir I don't understand what your problem is with us, we just got here and we are getting ready to eat... Are you okay??" that's when he started to yell again with this scary look on his face saying "You have 15 minutes to leave. I am evicting you guys"
I was completely shocked. I asked him why. Bob said "because I said so" Then I explained to him that its 2:30 am, we just got here and we haven't made any noise, its not fair. That's when he said "I don't care" I then told him that the three of us have been drinking and we are not driving under the influence. That's when Bob says "well im calling the cops" ABout 15 minutes later, Bob came back with 2 police officers to escort us out of the motel. at this time, we packed our stuff and asked him for a refund so that we can pay another motel to stay in. The cop said that I had to go back in the morning for my refund.
I went back that morning 11am and spoke to Dicky, the motel manager. I explained everything that happened and asked for my refund. He said that all my debit card information was in the computer and that he will credit my account.
I emailed the motel and got no reply. I call the Motel and he dodges my phone calls, and its been almost 2 months now and I haven't received my refund.
I want to complain about Bob. there are multiple complaints online about Bob and he really needs to be aware that his behavior is unacceptable. We really risked our lives that night because we were forced to leave the motel and drive under the influence because he didn't even allow us to leave the vehicle there til the morning. Bob said "take all your property off my property" when asked if we could leave the car since we cant drive. we could've lost our life that night.
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Date of stay: August 2013Trip type: Traveled with friends
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â A room on the first floor... there are no elevators
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The best part about my stay here was when I got to return my keys and leave... Should've been a sign when I was checking in and the staff refused to let a man on the phone cancel... The rooms smell musty, until you mistakenly turn the a/c over to heat at 2am, then your room can smell like burnt hair for the night with the smoke detector going off! The walls in this hotel as others have said are REALLY paper thin. You can hear the drunkards stumbling around above you, or shouting across the parking lot/balconies. My 5 year old son did learn a new cuss word because of all this though. "I think he just called him a "p****." Too cute. While we were there at least one person got arrested for dropping a beer bottle from the 3rd floor onto a vintage mustangs windshield(cracking it). And another room or two was thrown out for Partying and being obnoxious. The noise from their rowdy corn hole tournament was just so pleasant outside my door at 1am. More shady patrons showed up around 3am peeking in other cars windows. The sounds of people getting sick and talking about drugs etc. was all just too much. I was just happy no one tried to gain access to my room, rob me or anything else. I had my door fortified and was ready to call 911 at all times... I give myself and my family 1 star for making it out of this hotel alive. The attached picture is the view from room 111 with a patron from the thunderbird motel being placed into a police van. I do not recommend this hotel to anyone.
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Date of stay: May 2015Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Checked in late on a Thursday night. It was after midnight so I called ahead to inform them I was running a bit late. The phone etiquette of the young lady who took my call was very pleasant and professional. Upon my arrival the gentleman who was working the Night Shift at the front desk was pleasant and helpful by providing me directions to my room and my options for additional parking areas in the event the hotel lot gets full, which, he noted it usually does on Friday and Saturday.
My room was on the third floor. The way the hotel is designed each room has a walkway in front of it that over looks the parking lot and nearby streets. To that end each room has sort of a balcony if you choose to use it as such. Bear in mind, this is also the egress that people may will have to use if they need to get past your room. Many guests used this area to smoke cigarettes as no smoking is allowed in the rooms. Ash trays that conceal the butts and contain the smoke are in place at strategic locations around the motel. I saw several people smoking cigarettes but saw very few cigarette butts on the ground.
Which brings me to the curb appeal of the property. Everything appeared to be clean and well maintained. The motel, while the building is old, the rooms are up to date with amenities and this is a very nice "Beach Motel". My room was clean, my air conditioner worked very well, and the bathroom was clean with running water. Flat screen TV with a boat load of cable channels, two queen size beds in the room, a working refrigerator and a microwave in the room! I suspect there are some more expensive Hotels in the area that do not provide a microwave and a fridge! There is also a small pool on the premises. The beach is a couple of blocks away, the Boardwalk is about 4 or 5 blocks away. There are several kinds of eateries within a short walking distance of the motel. Not sure what else you could want from a BEACH MOTEL!
The staff I observed and encountered seemed to be busy with their assignments but all pleasantly offered or returned my greetings.
Personally, I think my room was a bit over priced but based on the motel location in Ocean City and the Golden Rule of supply and demand, The Thunderbird is charging what the market will pay for this service. This might not be my first choice but I definitely would have no problem staying at the Thunderbird Motel again.
Thanks Thunderbird for a very pleasant lodging experience!
My room was on the third floor. The way the hotel is designed each room has a walkway in front of it that over looks the parking lot and nearby streets. To that end each room has sort of a balcony if you choose to use it as such. Bear in mind, this is also the egress that people may will have to use if they need to get past your room. Many guests used this area to smoke cigarettes as no smoking is allowed in the rooms. Ash trays that conceal the butts and contain the smoke are in place at strategic locations around the motel. I saw several people smoking cigarettes but saw very few cigarette butts on the ground.
Which brings me to the curb appeal of the property. Everything appeared to be clean and well maintained. The motel, while the building is old, the rooms are up to date with amenities and this is a very nice "Beach Motel". My room was clean, my air conditioner worked very well, and the bathroom was clean with running water. Flat screen TV with a boat load of cable channels, two queen size beds in the room, a working refrigerator and a microwave in the room! I suspect there are some more expensive Hotels in the area that do not provide a microwave and a fridge! There is also a small pool on the premises. The beach is a couple of blocks away, the Boardwalk is about 4 or 5 blocks away. There are several kinds of eateries within a short walking distance of the motel. Not sure what else you could want from a BEACH MOTEL!
The staff I observed and encountered seemed to be busy with their assignments but all pleasantly offered or returned my greetings.
Personally, I think my room was a bit over priced but based on the motel location in Ocean City and the Golden Rule of supply and demand, The Thunderbird is charging what the market will pay for this service. This might not be my first choice but I definitely would have no problem staying at the Thunderbird Motel again.
Thanks Thunderbird for a very pleasant lodging experience!
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Date of stay: June 2015Trip type: Traveled with friends
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We arrived early around 10am on a Saturday morning and checked in with front desk. The staff was very friendly and allowed us to park in the parking lot until our room was ready. They took down our phone number and called us about an hour and a half before normal check-in time as that's when our room was ready. When we received our "room keys" they were exactly that. Keys. They still use the normal door lock style large bulky keys with an attached flat index style card that must be inserted into the wall to run the AC unit. I am glad I asked for two keys so we were able to keep the small window sized AC unit running during the day, otherwise it would be extremely stuffy as it was when we first entered our room. We had a top floor room, 3rd floor. When I walked into the room, I noticed the one lamp directly behind the TV was about to fall off of the wall mount and was only held on by 1 screw on the bottom. We were not able to use this lamp as we feared touching it would make it fall the rest of the way and be charged for it. The walls are literally paper thin and you can hear everyone walking by on the exterior walkway as well as all the road noise and pedestrians on the sidewalks. The place was a little odd as the people next to us had a mini camping grill and would grill their breakfast in the morning on the exterior common walk way as well as hang beach towels over the railings directly in front of our room. The day we checked in, we asked if they had a bathroom or changing room to use and they directed us to ones near a stairwell. As we proceeded to the bathroom, a group of younger teenagers were staying in a room directly across from where the bathrooms were and all of them were standing outside with their door open to their room, and a smell of marijuana was coming from the area. Also, people would sit on the exterior walk way below and smoke cigarettes, the front door to our room definitely was not air tight as we could smell smoke in our room whenever someone below us was smoking. On Sunday evening, someone in the parking lot was lighting off fireworks around 10pm. The bathroom was barely big enough for one person to stand in at a time, and had NO exhaust fan or hair dryer. When someone takes a shower the entire bathroom would be steamed over for a while as there are no air ventilation as the small AC unit sits outside the bathroom and no air flow enters. There also was no phone.The beds were so so, and the mattresses should have been replaced several years ago as one of them sloped the right side and could feel multiple broken springs in both of them. The sheets also had that "sticky" feel to them. This was a last minute get away for us and unfortunately this was the only place at a "cheaper" price that we could afford as all others were well in excess of $600 for the two nights we wanted to go. If you need a quick "fairly inexpensive" place to sleep, it is ok but I would not recommend this place for a family vacation. The parking lot is extremely tight with very limited parking. I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee and would have to do almost a 3pt turn to pull out of a parking space which I had backed into due to multiple larger trucks parked next to and across. I personally have no interest to return to this hotel.
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Date of stay: June 2016Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â Ask for a top floor to avoid hearing noises above, below and next to you
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A few weeks before this long weekend trip to OCMD, I was looking online for the best value I could find. I had a strict $600 budget for our 3-night stay. Because we'd stayed there before, I decided to call the Thunderbird Beach Motel to see if they had anything with that budget. I was told yes, they did. I reiterated at least twice the dates we were looking to stay. Because I had never received a confirmation email as if requested, I called the day we were leaving to confirm. They proceeded to tell me that we were only booked for 2 nights for that price. I argued and even asked to speak to a manager but was told I had no way of proving the conversation is had while booking the room. Then we got there and was roomed next to a group of young boys who partied all night, and since the walls are paper thin, we had a difficult time getting our infant son to sleep. I was really disappointed that management of this motel felt it was okay to lie and take advantage of me and my family. Charging $600 for 2 nights in a 2-star motel is absurd. And I had clearly booked a room for 3. It's there loss as we visit OCMD several times a year, as do many of our friends and relatives, none of whom will ever stay at this facility again.
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Date of stay: August 2014
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from troypurn, Owner at Thunderbird Beach Motel
Responded Mar 7, 2015
Certainly sorry to hear you feel you were lied to or taken advantage of. Our goal is that every guest has a great experience staying at the Thunderbird. It is unfortunate that you waited until March of the following year to bring this to our attention but would like to discuss it and hopefully resolve exactly what happened. Please contact me at troypurn@aol.com with your contact information. Troy Purnell
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TravelingToTheMoon asked a question Aug 2018
Duncansville, Pennsylvania20 contributions9 helpful votesIs your pool still open in early October, weather permitting?
I am sorry but we do not. Try the Spinnaker on 18th st
I am sorry but we do not. We are reviewing this policy but probably will not change it until next year. The Barefoot Brachcomber on 36th street does accept pets.
We issue 1 parking pass per room but there is plenty of free off premise parking around the motel.
"Towels and swimsuits don’t dry well inside the room. Some people hung them over the railing outside their doors. Bring hangars. "Read full review
"Never book at this hotel unless you are absolutely sure that you will be staying, because they do not refund you."Read full review
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PRICE RANGE
$108 - $221 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
thunderbird beach hotel ocean city
LOCATION
United StatesMarylandOcean City
NUMBER OF ROOMS
63
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Thunderbird Beach Motel
Which popular attractions are close to Thunderbird Beach Motel?
Nearby attractions include Jolly Roger Amusement Park (0.3 miles), Splash Mountain Water Park (0.2 miles), and Old Pro Golf (0.2 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Thunderbird Beach Motel?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, a pool, and free parking.
Which room amenities are available at Thunderbird Beach Motel?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a flat screen TV, and a refrigerator.
Is parking available at Thunderbird Beach Motel?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Thunderbird Beach Motel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Anthony's Beer and Wine, Fractured Prune, and Barn 34.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Thunderbird Beach Motel?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Are there any historical sites close to Thunderbird Beach Motel?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Main Street Berlin (8.3 miles), Calvin B. Taylor House Museum (8.4 miles), and Transpeninsular Marker (6.4 miles).
Is Thunderbird Beach Motel accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.