An oceanfront Myrtle Beach hotel and resort re-opened after renovations. What changed?
An oceanfront hotel has re-opened in Myrtle Beach.
The Ellie Beach Resort re-opened to the public after undergoing extensive renovations, according to a press release. The resort has 238 rooms and a new 5,000-square-foot resort pool with water slides.
Casey Kupper, a public relations manager for the project, said renovations began in mid-October 2023, with the property adding about 40 new jobs. The Ellie will be familiar to Grand Stranders, as the resort used to be part of the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Myrtle Beach Oceanfront at 3200 South Ocean Blvd. in Myrtle Beach.
The property, which dates back to 1948, is a Hilton project under its Tapestry brand, which focuses on upscale hotels with specialized features. The re-opening comes as several new hotels might open in the area or have opened.
The City of Myrtle Beach considered plans for a new downtown hotel at least 243 feet tall. The new hotel would accompany another oceanfront property, a 150-guestroom Margaritaville resort, which could open in Myrtle Beach by 2025.
Meanwhile, in January 2024, Holiday Inn opened a new hotel and resort featuring villa living arrangements that allowed guests to cook and have more living space. Holiday Inn’s latest project opened before Georgetown’s new waterfront hotel, which opened to the public in March 2024 and featured a high-end seafood restaurant and outside bar.
The hotels come as investors noticed the recent surge of people moving to the Myrtle Beach area. For some, the Grand Strand’s recent boom period is an opportunity for expansion and further investment. Max Mellman is the managing partner of Hybridge Capital Management, which purchased The Yachtsman Resort at 1304 North Ocean Blvd. for $13 million.
In a February 2024 interview, Mellman said the area is well-positioned for growth in general. With prices rising in places like Florida, he expects the Myrtle Beach area to undergo significant change.
“I see a ton of people moving here. I suspect employers are going to start moving here,” Mellman said in a February 2024 interview. “We like to be really proactive about where we invest and try to identify places of growth. Myrtle Beach is one of our favorites.”
He added that the area’s continued expansion could attract more institutional investment into many sectors of the Myrtle Beach economy.
“People are going to look at the next markets,” Mellman said.” (The) Carolina’s are top choice.”
