Seven room types, three of them called some version of “oceanfront,” two of them without a balcony, and one that needs a $1,000 deposit. If you are trying to work out which North Shore room is the right one for your trip, here is the honest guide — including the parts that are easy to get wrong.
Start with the view, because it is the one thing you cannot change later
Oceanfront rooms face the water head-on. Oceanview rooms look at it from the side, along the coastline. Both genuinely see the ocean; only one of them puts it directly in front of you when you open the curtains.
If the point of the trip is waking up to the water, book oceanfront and stop reading here. If you would rather trade the head-on view for a kitchen and a lot more floor space, keep going — our two largest one-bedroom units are oceanview.
Then check the balcony, because two of our rooms do not have one
This is the detail guests are most often surprised by, so we would rather you read it here than discover it at check-in:
- The Oceanview One-bedroom Studio has no balcony.
- The Oceanview One-bedroom Penthouse has no balcony, and requires climbing stairs to reach.
Every other room — both standard oceanfront rooms, the Oceanfront Deluxe, the Oceanview Room and the North Shore Penthouse — has a private balcony.
The stairs point matters for more than convenience. If anyone travelling with you has trouble with stairs, the Oceanview One-bedroom Penthouse is not the right unit, however good the space is.
Then count the beds against the people
Six of our seven room types sleep up to four guests. Only one sleeps more.
Up to four guests
- Oceanfront Room – Two Queens — 350 sq ft, two queens, oceanfront balcony.
- Oceanfront Room – Two Kings — 350 sq ft, two kings, oceanfront balcony. Same room, bigger beds.
- Oceanfront Deluxe Room — 475 sq ft, two queens, oceanfront balcony, plus a living area with a sofa, a table with two chairs and a second 42-inch television.
- Oceanview Room — 365 sq ft, two queens, private balcony, side view of the ocean.
- Oceanview One-bedroom Studio — two queens plus a living area with a sofa and dining table, and a kitchen with a full-size refrigerator and stove. No balcony.
- Oceanview One-bedroom Penthouse — two queens, living area, dining table, a kitchen with a full-size refrigerator and stove, and two bathrooms. No balcony, and stairs.
Up to eight guests
- North Shore Penthouse — three bedrooms, three bathrooms, eighth floor, private entrance, long oceanfront balcony. A king in the master, a queen in the second bedroom, two doubles in the third. Full kitchen, washer and dryer, spacious living and dining area.
One booking note on the penthouse: it takes a $1,000 deposit when you book, with the balance due at check-in. Worth knowing before you plan around it.
The question behind the question: do you want a kitchen?
This is what actually separates our rooms, more than the square footage does.
The standard oceanfront and oceanview rooms have what you need for breakfast and snacks — a small refrigerator, a microwave, a Keurig coffee maker, and a full bathroom with an extra vanity. That covers most beach weeks, where you are eating out anyway.
The one-bedroom units and the North Shore Penthouse have real kitchens — a full-size refrigerator and a stove — which changes the trip. A week of cooking a few meals in is a different budget from a week of eating every meal out, and with small children it is often a different trip altogether.
Four quick answers
Which room is best for a family of four?
The Oceanfront Deluxe Room. The 125 extra square feet come as a living area with a sofa, which is what you want when the children go to bed before the adults do. If the budget is tighter, the Oceanfront Room – Two Queens is the same view and the same balcony in a smaller footprint.
Which room is best for two couples?
The Oceanfront Room – Two Kings. Same room as the Two Queens, better beds for two adults sharing each one.
Which room is best for a family reunion or two families?
The North Shore Penthouse — three bedrooms, three bathrooms, eight guests, a full kitchen and a washer and dryer, all on one floor with its own entrance. Book it early; there is only one.
Which room should I avoid if stairs are a problem?
The Oceanview One-bedroom Penthouse, which requires climbing stairs. Any of the others will suit.
What every room includes
Whichever you pick, your stay comes with free admission to the Sands Resorts Waterpark — every North Shore guest gets in free — along with our oceanfront outdoor pool, the indoor pool, the Poolside Family Fun summer activities programme, the Family FunZone entertainment centre here at the resort, and Salt & Lime for dinner without getting in the car.
Still deciding?
Call us on 1-800-959-6418 and describe your group — how many, what ages, whether you want to cook. We will tell you which room we would put you in.
