
Choosing the PERFECT vacation rental in Ocean City can be a bit overwhelming. Mostly because of how many options are out there. Where do you start, and how do you find the best one?
In today’s blog, we’re going to show you how to book the best beach rental. One that’s perfect FOR YOU.
What Does Your Vacation Look Like?

Relaxation vs. Adventure: Is your next beach vacation all about relaxation? Or do you want to be in a place where you’re close to a bunch of family friendly activities?
This is an important thing to consider when you’re booking a vacation. If you’re someone who likes to spend hours on the beach and doesn’t want anything to do with the boardwalk, check out our North OC vacation rentals!
Or, if you’re someone who wants their kids to have plenty of family friendly activities to participate in, check out our vacation rentals near the OC boardwalk!
Family Vacation vs. Getaway With Friends: Are you coming on your vacation with your family? Or are you coming with your friends? This is another important thing to consider when you’re booking your vacation.
Coming to Ocean City for a family vacation? Make sure you read our blog on things to do with your family on your beach vacation!
If you’re coming on your family vacation you might want to book a vacation rental that’s Oceanfront! This way, you don’t have to worry about bringing all of you AND your kids beach equipment across Coastal Highway.
If you’re coming with your friends for a getaway, you might not care quite as much about having to take a stroll to get the beach. If that’s the case, check out some of our Bayfront Vacation rentals!
How Much Do You Want To Spend?

We feel like this one goes without saying, but before you start looking for an Ocean City, MD vacation rental, it’s important to set a budget and account for additional costs you’ll incur on food, drinks, etc.
Everyone has a different vacation budget, and everyone spends a different amount of money while they’re on vacation. Some people eat out for every meal. Others cook most of their meals.
Take all of this into consideration to determine how much you’ll likely spend while you’re in OC so that you can determine how much you can spend on a place to stay!
Want a luxurious vacation? Check out our Oceanfront vacation Rentals!
Vacationing on a budget? Try our Oceanblock or Bayside Non-Water vacation rentals!
Need some advice on how to save money on your OC vacation? Read our budget vacation tips and tricks blog!
Where in Ocean City do you want to stay?

We cover different accommodation options and places to stay in our Ocean City, MD Vacation Guide, but we’ll cover it briefly here as well. Before you make the trip to the beach, you’ll want to consider exactly where in town you’d like to stay.
If you want to have a TON of nearby activities and the opportunity for morning boardwalk strolls, consider staying from the Inlet to 28th Street.
Want to be close to both the boardwalk as well as north Ocean City and coastal Delaware? Consider staying between 29th and 66th Street or 67th and 93rd Street.
If you want to stay in a high-rise building with TONS of amenities, your best bet is to look between 94th and 118th Street.
Last, but certainly not least, we have what many refer to as North Ocean City from 119th to 146th Street. North OC features a lot of smaller, more quaint condo buildings in what many consider the quietest part of town.
One last thing to consider in terms of location when booking an Ocean City, MD vacation rental is proximity to your favorite activities and restaurants. To make sure you can visit your favorite places, make sure you aren’t too far away from them!
Accessibility and Parking

While it’s easy to overlook, we’ve seen too many vacationers make this mistake. Before you book your vacation rental, make sure it has the accessibility you need for your group.
If you have someone in your group who has a bit of trouble climbing stairs, make sure the vacation rental you book has an elevator. Or, at the very least, book a unit on the first floor of a “walk up” building or a single-family home.
If you want to double check whether or not the vacation rental you’re considering has an elevator, look under the “amenities” section of the property. If the building has an elevator, it will be listed there!
You’ll also want to double check how many parking spaces the vacation rental you’re considering has.
While it may seem counter intuitive that a condo that sleeps 12 only has 2 parking spaces, unfortunately there isn’t much anyone can do about it. If you need a place to park your car, often times you will be able to find street parking. You can also park your car in the convention center parking lot, or at the Park and Ride in West Ocean City!
When in doubt, simply contact us to confirm any details about your vacation rental. While we can’t make an elevator or an extra parking space magically appear, we can answer any questions you might have! You can find all of our contact details at the bottom of this blog.
What Platform Should You Book On?
VRBO & Air BnB vs. Booking Directly With A Local Rental Manager
Yes, Airbnb or VRBO are both very trustworthy places to book a vacation rental. Not only that, but they’re likely familiar to you!
However, do you know where a TON of those vacation rental listings are coming from? They’re coming from local rental management companies… just like us!
We’re going to let you in on a little bit of a trick. When you are searching for a vacation rental on VRBO, scroll down until you see “Property Manager” as shown below.

Now, go through the booking process and see your final price. In this example, the total price on VRBO is just over $8,200.00.

Now, go ahead and google the property manager you saw in the first screenshot we attached above. In this case, it’s us! Central Reservations (the best in town).
Next, find the same unit directly on our website by inserting the same dates, and filtering by which building the unit you’re booking is in.

Now, go through the booking process and compare the two prices.

Look at that… you just saved $1,209.59. Just by booking direct. Not only that but you also got access to our vacation rewards! It’s really that easy! (Keep in mind we didn’t add any linens or any travel insurance… but neither did VRBO.)
Not only does booking direct save you money, but it also gives you a direct line of communication with the company managing the property you rented. Booking direct is without a doubt the way to go.
Read Reviews

Last, but certainly not least, you’ll want to read some reviews of the property you’re considering staying in as well as the company you’re renting from! If other people are happy with their experience, chances are you will be too.
Conclusion
While evaluating all of the different options available to you when booking a vacation to Ocean City, MD can be overwhelming, we hope we made it a little bit easier for you. Remember, nothing is perfect, and no vacation rental is either!
At the end of the day, make sure you book a property that you can afford, is in the right location, has the amenities you’re looking for, and the accessibility you need. AND don’t forget to book direct!!!
Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoyed!
If you want to learn all about vacationing in Ocean City, check out our YouTube Channel.
If you’re ready to book your summer vacation to Ocean City, MD, visit our website at centraloc.com! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at info@centraloc.com or give us a call at 410-723-4111! We’d be happy to help!
The Team at Central Reservations
Ocean City’s Vacation Rental Leaders
See you at the beach soon!