Our Crown Reef Resort at Myrtle Beach off Season Experience

When you think of Myrtle Beach, I am sure Spring Break, Summer vacation and family fun come to mind. That’s exactly what I thought when I was invited to spend a few days at Crown Reef Resort with my family. However, because of my kid’s school and sports schedule we were only able to take the trip in November. The week of Thanksgiving!

• Would anyone be there?
• Would we have fun?
• Can we swim?

These are all questions my husband and I asked ourselves before we headed to South Carolina last month. We were excited about getting away but we also wanted to make sure our children would enjoy themselves because who goes to Myrtle Beach during offseason? We did! 

Check out the video of our experience:

Day 1.

Arriving at the Crown Reef Resort in November has its perks. We checked into our room, which was actually a great size for my family of 5. Our room had 2 beds in the front room, a sofa bed and a bed that actually came out of the wall in the back of our suite.ad

We were able to let all 3 children sleep in the back, so mommy and daddy could have our privacy. Between the two rooms was the mini kitchen, that came fully stocked with dishes, pots, stove, refrigerator, microwave, and bathroom.

The room was big enough for our 3 kids to run back and forth between rooms, play with their gadgets, watch tv and not stumble over each other. After we checked in, the first question is always, “Can we go swimming?” Now the week of Thanksgiving, it’s cold in South Carolina. At least its colder than Florida, and too cold to get into the beach water. Although, the view is still amazing.

On our first night at Crown Reef, we toured the resort and learned they have more than 10 pools, a two four-story tall indoor waterslide, a kiddie slide (for my 4-year-old) and indoor heated pools, hot tubs and a 575 ft lazy river. My kids immediately got excited when we saw the arcade. We had dinner in the Loco Gecko Beach Shak located next to the Game On! Arcade at Crown Reef.

Day 2. 

We had breakfast at Johnny D’s Waffles and Bakery. It was DELISH! This restaurant opened in 2014 by Chef Jamie Saunders. She happened to be there and even came out to our table to make sure we were happy. I’m an omelet girl, so when I saw their new Crab and Shrimp Omelet, I was on it. Our table was packed with waffles, French toast, bacon, pancakes, grits, eggs and of course a couple of different omelets. This was the type of breakfast where you could skip lunch. (See our full spread in the video.)

After we left Johnny D’s Waffles and Bakery, we went site seeing around Myrtle Beach. There were so many places for family fun, however, there were a few places that were closed because of the season. We ended up at the outlets. GOODNESS, WHY!! When we left the outlets, it was DARK OUTSIDE! We shopped like crazy for our children because the prices were just too good. Christmas came early for them.

We utilized our kitchen and saved money by cooking dinner in our room. Afterwards, the kids went swimming. The life! 

Day 3.

We started our day with breakfast at the Grab n Go Grill resort. They usually have a buffet but because the crowd is light, we were able to get buffet prices while they made everything we wanted fresh to order. If we wanted more, we just needed to ask for it.

Our day 3 adventures started at Ripley’s Aquarium. It’s located in Boardwalk at the Beach, a 350-acre property with hundreds of shops, entertainment, attractions and more.  The kids had fun petting the Sting Rays at Ripley’s Aquarium and learning about the different types of sea creatures are in the area.

We then headed to the Brookgreen Gardens. I actually enjoyed this part of the trip the most because of the history. This piece of land used to be a plantation where slaves farmed rice.

There are still rice fields for you to see where these slaves worked and lived. Just to walk the land that former slaves walked and lived did something to me. I wanted my children to really see how far we’ve come and how important it is to be grateful.

In addition to walking the gardens, there was a zoo also on the grounds. It wasn’t your typical zoo but had foxes, owls, alligators, and deer that were allowed to live in their natural habitat. We had to be careful not to disturb them. It was amazing.

That evening, we had dinner with another blogging friend, Tomika and her family. Our children hit it off immediately. They were laughing and playing so hard by the end of our dinner, we had to tell them to calm down. 

It was the perfect end to a full day.

Additional Crown Reef Resort amenities:

• Sun Deck
• Fitness Center
• Beach access
• Resort activities
• Free wifi
• Gift shop

The best part of the resort is The Crown Reef Resort APP!

This was the first time I’ve been to a resort where they had an app that will help you have a better stay. Their app handles:

• Guest services
• Express Check-in
• Discounts 
• Activities 
• Resort info
• Weather
• Special offers
• Waterpark info
• Social Media
• Selfie spots (how cool!)

Crown Reef Beach Resort & Waterpark 
2913 S Ocean Blvd | Check-In at 2918 S Ocean Blvd 
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577  

Overall, my family had a great time. It was good feeling like we had the resort to ourselves (it was other people there, but just not overcrowded). Myrtle Beach is not just for Spring break or Summer vacation. You can have fun any time of year. 

Happy vacationing!