Pleasantly removed from the raucous biker, spring break and perpetual party scene of Daytona Beach, this clean, modern and particularly friendly Hampton Inn in Daytona Beach/Beachfront (five miles south of Daytona’s Main Street) checks all the boxes for a wholesome, affordable family vacation on the beach.

Renovated in early 2014, the hotel has 110 rooms, many of which have full ocean views and balconies from which to soak in the scenery. Mini-fridges and microwaves are standard in every room, making it easy to “cook” simple meals. And the Hampton Inn’s free, daily hot breakfast lets you get fortified early and with zero hassle for a great start to a Florida beach day. The beach is really the main draw here — some 23 miles of wide, flat sand front the beautiful Atlantic Ocean in Daytona Beach, and the hotel’s slice of it all is a serene spot where you’ll hardly have to battle crowds to find a nice place to spread out for the day with your gang. The hotel’s pool, while small, is located directly on the oceanfront, too. And the pool deck has a nice glass wall as a barrier (instead of the usual metal fence) so even when you’re lounging poolside, you still feel fully at the beach.

The Daytona Beach area is packed with activities for families, with everything from river cruising in the Intracoastal Waterway, visits to the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse (Florida’s tallest!) and mini golf nearby to forays farther afield, such as visits to the theme parks in Orlando (an hour away) or day trips to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. For a family beach vacation that’s affordable, fun, and comfortable, this hotel is likely to keep you coming back.

The Hampton Inn's 110 rooms were renovated in March 2014, and the contemporary look is conveyed through starch-white beds with crisp linens, simple wood furnishings, carpeted floors and tile bathrooms with shower-in-tub configurations (including those shower curtains that curve outward to give you maximum space for bathing a crowd). All rooms have the crucial appliances families love -- we're talking about microwaves and empty mini-fridges ready to be stocked with your favorite snacks and juice boxes. DVD players are not available, but there are hookups if you've brought your own DVD players or gaming devices. Coffee makers and safes are also standard in all rooms.

As far as views, this is where you'll want to be specific when booking, depending on your desires. The oceanfront and sideview rooms all give you views of the Atlantic, and most have balconies, too. The city view rooms overlook the constant stream of cars along A1A and surrounding neighborhoods and aren't nearly as scenic (it's worth the few extra dollars to be on the ocean side, if you can swing it).

Rooms with king beds have an ottoman chair for lounging and room for a rollaway ($10 extra per day) and are ideal for a family of three, and you can opt for oceanfront or city view king rooms. The same goes for rooms with two queen beds -- your choice of cityview, oceanfront with or without a balcony, and with room for a rollaway bed, too.

The hotel has a limited number of rooms that can be connected, all of which are oceanfront, but it is impossible to confirm availability in advance. If you're traveling with a group, however, you can request rooms on the same floor. Balconies are on the small side but roomy enough, with a small table and Adirondack-style chairs for soaking up the views. There are small tables in the rooms, too, with two chairs for sitting for a meal. High chairs and cribs can be requested in the rooms, free of charge. Accessible rooms with bathtubs and roll-in showers are also available on request. Free wireless Internet is available in all of the rooms and throughout the hotel's public areas.

Important Note: Rooms near the elevators are subject to noise.

It's all about beach and pool fun at this oceanfront hotel. Spend your mornings on the sand, splashing in the shallow tidal areas or, for the bigger kids, boogie boarding or skim boarding in the surf. Plan a picnic on the beach for lunch. Then retreat to the pool area to splash in the rectangular heated pool, which is five feet deep and heated during the winter months. There's a hot tub, too, where kids are also allowed. Note that there are no lifeguards at the hotel's heated pool, but they are present down on the beach in lifeguard stands scattered about every 50 feet along the shoreline (lifeguards are there during the busier months, such as spring break -- February and March -- and all summer long).

Something important to note about the Daytona area is that people are allowed to drive their cars on the beach, a tradition that dates back to the drag racing days here. There's plenty of room for laying out your lounge chairs and towels in the area of sand east of the "traffic lanes" (closer to the water), but while the speed limit is only 10 miles per hour, you'll want to keep a close eye on your kids as they run between the pool and the beach. The hotel has a limited number of beach chairs available for guests, as well as sand toys, such as buckets and shovels, but they tend to get snatched up quickly so it's advisable to bring your own. During the busier months, a kiosk on the beach rents beach chairs and umbrellas by the hour or by the day.

Breakfast is the only meal served in the hotel (6 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily), in a pleasant dining room off the lobby, and the good news is that it's a delicious and abundant affair and free of charge for everyone in your party during your stay! There are always two hot items, which might be scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns and the like, as well as an all-you-can-eat spread of fruit, cereals, danishes, muffins, juices, coffee, and more. Kids particularly love the Belgian waffle-maker, where they can pour the batter themselves for a do-it-yourself breakfast. If you get a late start to the day or just want to have breakfast on the beach or elsewhere, breakfast bags filled with bottled water, a breakfast bar and danish or muffin are also available free of charge, Mondays through Fridays. High chairs are on hand for children. There are a very limited number of restaurants within walking distance of the hotel, including a Denny's and a Red Lobster.

All About the Extras
A coin laundry machine is available on the third floor for $1.75 per load. You can get coins from the reception area, and laundry detergent is also available. The hotel also has a small gym and an office center, where you can send faxes for $1, print documents and make copies free of charge. A notary public is also available.

Toothbrushes, razors and other things you may have forgotten at home are available free of charge.

The Art of Smart Timing
Spring break brings big crowds to Daytona Beach and this hotel as well, and prices will be higher and the property at capacity during February and March. The summer months are also quite busy, with many Floridians taking in-state vacations, so consider booking in advance if you plan to travel at this time of year. October and November are lovely months to visit, as crowds are down and the beach is less crowded but still warm and beautiful. April and May are equally agreeable.

Getting There
Shuttle services are not offered between the Daytona International Airport (about 20 minutes away) and the hotel. If you plan to stay more than a few days, you'll probably want a rental car for making grocery store runs and visiting the area's attractions. All of the major car rental companies have kiosks at the Daytona airport. You'll likely find cheaper flights into the far larger airport in Orlando (Orlando International Airport), which is about one hour and 15 minutes away from the hotel and also has all of the major car rentals available in the terminal for bookings.

Getting Around
Self-parking is free for guests in a lighted outdoor parking lot, with an allowance of one vehicle per room. To get around the area, you can also use the city bus stops just next door to the hotel and makes regular runs to downtown Daytona Beach, where you'll find lots of restaurants and shopping.

For Mom and Dad
The Hampton Inn doesn't provide a babysitting service, but if your kids are old enough to look after themselves, plan to steal a night away for a romantic dinner at Azure restaurant at the nearby upscale resort, The Shores. The restaurant's oceanfront location is spectacular and Florida seafood favorites, such as cobia and grouper, are often on the menu. For something more casual in the same location, the hotel's Tiki Bar on the pool deck does delicious cocktails and is adjacent to an inviting area with a firepit and Adirondack chairs for kicking back with a cold one. Indulge spa at The Shores is another destination worthy of some parents-only time, with lavish 80-minute-long couples massages on the menu.