I had a 4 night stay at the Hampton in Carolina Beach, NC. I got a King Suite which didn’t have an ocean view or a balcony, but I really enjoyed the size of the room for such a long stay. Regular bathroom door. Nice wet bar set up with fridge and microwave near the entrance to the room. The hotel was beachfront. A quick walk on a boardwalk over a beautiful sand dune to the beach. But, what I thought stood it apart from most beachfront hotels:

1) Nice free Hampton style breakfast
2) Free parking
3) No resort fee

What set it apart from the average Hampton:
1) Being able to have breakfast on a beachfront seating patio.
2) A tiki bar with tap beer, liquor, and frozen drinks.

It was a very nice stay in an oversized room at a very nice new clean Beachfront ‘resort type’ hotel in a great location for $130 per night total, with no parking or resort fees. That’s a hidden gem.