New hotels in North Myrtle Beach

North Myrtle Beach is a separate incorporated city from Myrtle Beach, its far larger neighbor to the south — formed in 1968 when four smaller beach communities, Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach and Windy Hill, consolidated into one municipality. (A fifth, unofficial section, Tilghman Beach, sits between Cherry Grove and Ocean Drive.) The result is a quieter, lower-density stretch of the Grand Strand, and for now we're tracking exactly one hotel opening here: Compass by Margaritaville, a 14-story new build rising on Crescent Beach.

What to do

North Myrtle Beach's defining cultural export is the shag, South Carolina's official state dance, born on the beach and boardwalk of Ocean Drive in the mid-20th century. Main Street in Ocean Drive still centers on it: the Ocean Drive Beach & Shag Club and a run of beach-music bars keep the tradition active, and the twice-yearly SOS (Society of Stranders) gatherings fill the neighborhood's hotels and rental condos each spring and fall. Just south, Barefoot Landing is the area's main retail and entertainment complex — outdoor shops and restaurants along the Intracoastal Waterway, anchored by a House of Blues that brings a national touring-act calendar to a town that otherwise skews toward family beach vacations rather than nightlife. The beach itself is the other constant: a wide, comparatively uncrowded Atlantic coastline fronted mostly by mid-rise condos and single-family rentals rather than the high-density hotel towers of Myrtle Beach's Ocean Boulevard strip, one reason a genuinely new hotel here is a rare event. Golf is a further draw, with the wider Grand Strand's dense concentration of courses within easy reach, and downtown Myrtle Beach's boardwalk, SkyWheel and Broadway at the Beach are a short drive south for a livelier day out.

Where to stay, by area

Cherry Grove

The northernmost of North Myrtle Beach's original communities, Cherry Grove is quieter and more residential, with a fishing pier and a marsh-side inlet that draws boaters and anglers rather than the shag-dancing crowd further south. It suits travelers after a slower pace, and skews toward families and second-home owners.

Ocean Drive

The historic core of North Myrtle Beach and the spiritual home of the Carolina shag: Main Street's beach-music bars and the Ocean Drive Beach & Shag Club give this section a distinct identity within the Grand Strand. It's the natural base for a trip built around SOS weekends or beach-music culture, and it runs mostly on condo and vacation-rental stock rather than large hotel brands.

Crescent Beach

A relaxed, largely residential stretch between Ocean Drive and Windy Hill, favored by long-term owners and repeat visitors over first-time tourists. It's also where the city's one tracked hotel opening sits: Compass by Margaritaville, going up at 1717 South Ocean Boulevard on the former Castaway Beach Inn site, will be the first new hotel of any scale to open on this stretch of oceanfront in years.

Windy Hill

Developed after World War II and known today for its run of oceanfront condo towers, Windy Hill sits toward the southern end of North Myrtle Beach, closer to the Myrtle Beach city line, with a mostly residential, low-key character.

Tilghman Beach

A small, unofficial section between Cherry Grove and Ocean Drive, developed under restrictive covenants in the 1940s that left it a quieter, more upscale residential pocket — mostly single-family and condo ownership rather than a hotel corridor.

Which hotel for your trip

With one project on our radar, the choice is straightforward rather than comparative: Compass by Margaritaville is the property to watch if your trip is timed for spring 2027 or later, and you want Crescent Beach's direct beach access with a Jimmy Buffett-inspired, family-friendly take on the area's usual condo-and-motel lodging mix. It isn't open or bookable yet, and construction only broke ground in September 2025, so treat any planning around it as provisional until a firm opening date is confirmed.

Frequently asked questions

Is North Myrtle Beach the same as Myrtle Beach?

No. North Myrtle Beach is a separate incorporated city, formed in 1968 from four smaller beach communities (Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach and Windy Hill). It sits north of Myrtle Beach along the Grand Strand and has its own city government, beaches and hotel market.

What new hotel is opening in North Myrtle Beach?

Compass by Margaritaville, a 14-story hotel from Margaritaville Holdings' upscale, boutique Compass brand, is under construction on Crescent Beach at the former Castaway Beach Inn site. It's targeting a spring 2027 opening.

How many rooms will Compass by Margaritaville have?

The hotel's own booking site lists 141 rooms, though several outlets covering the September 2025 groundbreaking reported 150 — a discrepancy not yet resolved in public sources as of this writing.

Is Compass by Margaritaville open yet?

No. Groundbreaking took place on September 18, 2025, and the developer, MIG Investments of Myrtle Beach, is targeting a spring 2027 opening. Its status here is "Announced," not "Confirmed."

What was on the hotel's site before?

The Castaway Beach Inn, an independent oceanfront motel, previously stood at 1717 South Ocean Boulevard. It was demolished in early 2023, and the lot sat vacant until construction began on the Margaritaville project.

What is North Myrtle Beach known for?

It's considered the birthplace of the shag, South Carolina's official state dance, centered on the Ocean Drive section's Main Street bars and the Ocean Drive Beach & Shag Club. Barefoot Landing, an outdoor retail and entertainment complex with a House of Blues venue, is the area's other main draw.