• Avalon is a mecca for water sports.atlantic ocean with surfer image by Dev from Fotolia.com
  
  Avalon, New Jersey, is situated on a barrier island at the southern end of the state. The quiet summer resort offers ocean beaches, opportunities for fishing and crabbing on the bay side, tennis and basketball courts, playgrounds, and many fine restaurants and upscale shops in the recently revitalized business district of town. With a motto of "Cooler by a Mile," thousands of vacationers visit this Jersey shore resort every season to unwind at one of its several luxurious hotels.
  
  

Concord Suites

• Totally renovated for the 2010 season, the Concord Suites added central air conditioning and heating, flat-screen TVs and new modern furnishings. Located just one block from the beach and the town's recreation center, the hotel provides complimentary beach tags, free parking and two swimming pools with kiddie pools. Suites are decorated in seaside motifs and contain a bedroom with two queen beds, a living room with queen sofa bed, and a kitchen complete with refrigerator, microwave, sink, stove top, toaster and coffee maker. Double occupancy rates range in price from $89 to $221 per night as of 2010.
  
  Concord Suites
  7800 Dune Dr.
  Avalon, NJ 08202-1070
  609-368-7800
  concordsuites.com
  
  

The Windrift Resort Hotel

• The Windrift is a beachfront hotel with an oceanfront restaurant and four lounges. The tiki bar, sushi and oyster bar, the beach bar with live afternoon entertainment, and the pool bar with DJs nightly are popular with locals and tourists alike. Containing 94 deluxe, non-smoking suites in seven varied room styles, the hotel offers free beach tags, a heated swimming pool, wireless Internet access, and cable TV with free HBO. Across the street from the township recreation department, the Windrift not only is just steps away from the ocean, but also playgrounds, tennis courts and skateboard ramps. Rates as of summer 2010 range from $155 to $400 per night.
  
  The Windrift Resort Hotel
  P.O. Box 271
  80th Street and the Beach
  Avalon, NJ 08202
  609-368-5175
  windrifthotel.com
  
  

Golden Inn Hotel & Resort

• The Golden Inn is an oceanfront hotel offering 154 guest rooms, many with water views. Featuring a beachfront dining room, the inn provides clean, well-appointed rooms with standard cable TV, pillow-top beds and a refrigerator. Known for its wide selection of specials and packages, the Golden Inn offers everything from a "Ladies Nite Out Getaway" for $99 per person to a "Dance Getaway" weekend starting at $429 per couple. Rates are as of spring 2010.
  
  Golden Inn Hotel & Resort
  7849 Dune Dr.
  Avalon, NJ 08202
  609-368-5155
  goldeninn.com