Pros

  • Clean, family-friendly motel with multiple room types
  • Small heated pool with a waterslide and sand box for kids
  • Outdoor hot tub
  • Sun deck with umbrella-covered tables and chairs
  • Four barbecue grills in two separate grilling areas
  • Free parking and Wi-Fi
  • Pet-friendly for a fee
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Cons

  • Five blocks from the beach and boardwalk
  • Walls are paper thin
  • Bathrooms are minuscule
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Bottom Line

The Sand Box Motel is a 24-room budget-friendly motel that caters to families. The Sand Box has a heated pool with a tiny waterslide and a sand box for the little ones, as well as a sundeck, hot tub, and two separate grilling areas for the adults. Completely renovated in the summer of 2015, rooms feel refreshed with updated furniture, carpeting, bedding, and fresh coats of paint on the walls. Bathrooms maintain their charming, original 1950s tile, but most are teeny tiny and some smell musty. The San Box’s major pitfall is its location -- five blocks and a good 10-minute walk from the beach. The motel is pet-friendly for a fee, and offers free parking and Wi-Fi. Guests traveling with pets who’d prefer to be closer to the beach should check out Rus Mar Motel, although its rooms aren’t as nice and it doesn’t have a pool.    

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Amenities

  • Internet
  • Jacuzzi
  • Pets Allowed
  • Pool

Oyster Hotel Review

The Sand Box Motel

Scene

A family-friendly motel 

Though it’s not as close to the beach as other Wildwood motels, The Sand Box sees its fair share of summer crowds. The majority of guests here are families, including those traveling with pets. The small heated pool is often crowded during the day as kids romp around in the toy-filled sand box and endlessly slide down the pool slide.  

The front office is a simple, sunny room, packed with local brochures, menus, and advertisements. Check-in is usually hassle free, as long as you arrive within the motel’s designated check-in times. 

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Location

On Park Boulevard, five blocks from the beach 

Located on Park Boulevard, The Sand Box Motel isn’t as close to the beach or the boardwalk as many of its competitors. The nearest beach and boardwalk entrance is five blocks away, or about a 10-minute walk. Attractions like Morey’s Pier or Ranging Waters Water Park aren’t really within walking distance, but are within a 10-minute drive. The Sand Box is conveniently located next to Acme, CVS, Walgreens, and a liquor store. 

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Rooms

Simple, updated decor, but tiny bathrooms and paper thin walls 

Completely renovated in the summer of 2015, rooms at The Sand Box feel refreshed thanks to new carpeting, fresh coats of paint on the walls, updated furniture, and new, simple bedding. They're still not modern (this is a motel), but they're a step up from those at area competitors (no tacky, thin patterned comforters here.) There are a variety of room options at The Sand Box, including standard motel rooms with one bed, efficiencies with kitchenettes, and multi-bedroom apartments with separate living spaces. Room decor is casual and beachy. Walls are painted in sand-and-sea tones, beds are dressed in simple white cotton, and most rooms come equipped with desks and ergonomic desk chairs. However, most rooms are pretty tiny, and feel cramped with furniture. Walls are also paper thin, which means even if you weren’t planning on watching ESPN at midnight, you are now thanks to your neighbor’s late-night TV habits. 

Bathrooms weren’t updated in the renovation process, and all still have their original 1950s tile work. Some guests may find the vintage look to be charming, others will think it simply outdated. No matter their decor, bathrooms are minuscule, and most barely have enough room to fit a shower stall, toilet, and single sink. During our visit we noticed that some bathrooms smell pretty musty.    

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Features

Pool with slide, free parking and Wi-Fi, and pet-friendly policy (fees apply)

The pool area at The Sand Box is particularly kid-friendly, which attracts a lot of families with young children. The heated pool is somewhat small, but there’s a tiny waterslide to keep kids entertained. Next to the pool is a large sand box filled with toys, so families who’d rather not trek to the beach can still be close to the sand. The pool area is filled with plastic lounge chairs, and several fake palm trees give the pool deck a tropical flair. Next to the pool is a small, round hot tub for the adults. The motel has four gas grills in two separate barbecue areas, one adjacent to the pool, and one on the second floor sundeck. Both barbecue areas have several umbrella-covered tables and chairs. 

The Sand Box’s pet policy is pretty straightforward -- up to two pets are allowed in each room as long as they weigh less than a combined 75 pounds, pets incur an extra nightly fee, and owners are responsible for their pets and any damage they may cause to the property. The motel offers free parking and Wi-Fi to all guests.  

See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

The Sand Box Motel

Scene

A family-friendly motel 

Though it’s not as close to the beach as other Wildwood motels, The Sand Box sees its fair share of summer crowds. The majority of guests here are families, including those traveling with pets. The small heated pool is often crowded during the day as kids romp around in the toy-filled sand box and endlessly slide down the pool slide.  

The front office is a simple, sunny room, packed with local brochures, menus, and advertisements. Check-in is usually hassle free, as long as you arrive within the motel’s designated check-in times. 

See More Scene

Location

On Park Boulevard, five blocks from the beach 

Located on Park Boulevard, The Sand Box Motel isn’t as close to the beach or the boardwalk as many of its competitors. The nearest beach and boardwalk entrance is five blocks away, or about a 10-minute walk. Attractions like Morey’s Pier or Ranging Waters Water Park aren’t really within walking distance, but are within a 10-minute drive. The Sand Box is conveniently located next to Acme, CVS, Walgreens, and a liquor store. 

See More Location

Rooms

Simple, updated decor, but tiny bathrooms and paper thin walls 

Completely renovated in the summer of 2015, rooms at The Sand Box feel refreshed thanks to new carpeting, fresh coats of paint on the walls, updated furniture, and new, simple bedding. They're still not modern (this is a motel), but they're a step up from those at area competitors (no tacky, thin patterned comforters here.) There are a variety of room options at The Sand Box, including standard motel rooms with one bed, efficiencies with kitchenettes, and multi-bedroom apartments with separate living spaces. Room decor is casual and beachy. Walls are painted in sand-and-sea tones, beds are dressed in simple white cotton, and most rooms come equipped with desks and ergonomic desk chairs. However, most rooms are pretty tiny, and feel cramped with furniture. Walls are also paper thin, which means even if you weren’t planning on watching ESPN at midnight, you are now thanks to your neighbor’s late-night TV habits. 

Bathrooms weren’t updated in the renovation process, and all still have their original 1950s tile work. Some guests may find the vintage look to be charming, others will think it simply outdated. No matter their decor, bathrooms are minuscule, and most barely have enough room to fit a shower stall, toilet, and single sink. During our visit we noticed that some bathrooms smell pretty musty.    

See More Rooms

Features

Pool with slide, free parking and Wi-Fi, and pet-friendly policy (fees apply)

The pool area at The Sand Box is particularly kid-friendly, which attracts a lot of families with young children. The heated pool is somewhat small, but there’s a tiny waterslide to keep kids entertained. Next to the pool is a large sand box filled with toys, so families who’d rather not trek to the beach can still be close to the sand. The pool area is filled with plastic lounge chairs, and several fake palm trees give the pool deck a tropical flair. Next to the pool is a small, round hot tub for the adults. The motel has four gas grills in two separate barbecue areas, one adjacent to the pool, and one on the second floor sundeck. Both barbecue areas have several umbrella-covered tables and chairs. 

The Sand Box’s pet policy is pretty straightforward -- up to two pets are allowed in each room as long as they weigh less than a combined 75 pounds, pets incur an extra nightly fee, and owners are responsible for their pets and any damage they may cause to the property. The motel offers free parking and Wi-Fi to all guests.  

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Basic Television

  • Full Kitchen

  • Internet

  • Jacuzzi

  • Kids Allowed

  • Pets Allowed

  • Pool

  • Supervised Kids Activities

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.