Old Silver Beach, home of the Sea Crest Beach Hotel, has a history that extends back to 1929, when a summer theater first operated on the property. Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart were two notable names that performed on these shores in a time when the theater was a summer hotspot worthy of Broadway fanfare. After being destroyed by a fire in 1936, the property was transformed into a popular hotel and dinner theater by Lou Walters, father of famous American journalist and writer Barbara Walters. During World War II, the hotel was converted into housing for the neighboring Camp Edwards military base, but became a summer hotel again after the war.

The Sea Crest Beach Hotel began its operations as a family vacation destination in 1962, when Boston Celtic president “Red” Auerbach and friends purchased the property. They converted it into a year-round resort in 1971. Recently, the hotel received a full renovation to the tune of more than $15 million! Today, the 263-room resort is a secluded and still-family-friendly destination on West Falmouth’s Buzzards Bay. Two saline pools, one indoor and one outdoor, lead the path to Old Silver Beach, where rows of orange-and-white striped umbrellas and white chairs face toward the setting sun. Onsite dining, seasonal activities for kids and nautically themed rooms serve as the ultimate in family vacation relaxation.

After receiving a massive multi-million dollar renovation, Sea Crest looks like a modern and upscale beach resort. Formerly a motel, the remnant motel look remains, with first-, second- and some third-story rooms located in wings with walk-out decks or porches and interior front-door corridors.

Each guestroom features a flat-screen TV, mini-fridge and a writing desk. Sofa beds and sitting areas are available in some rooms. Room types include Standard Rooms with king or double beds that sleep up to four; Sundeck Rooms and Oceanfront Rooms with either balconies or patios; Fireplace Rooms, which only come with a king bed and sofa bed to sleep four; and Oceanview Rooms.

Madcap and Hot Foot rooms are furthest from the beach and the views. Some rooms overlook the parking lot and grounds, so be sure to ask if you want to see the bay. The outdoor pool area can be quite loud during peak season; if that is a problem, avoid Arabella rooms. Then again, request a walkout Arabella room if you'd like to watch the kids in the pool from the patio.

A year-round beachfront location, Sea Crest guests must wear hotel wristbands to use the facilities. Daily, seasonal activities are planned, mainly in the summer months, with a schedule provided upon check-in and in your room. Many activities are offered indoors near the pool.

Old Silver Beach
With its beachfront location, many spend the warm months situated on the calm waters of Buzzards Bay. Beach chairs and umbrellas are provided at no charge on a first-come, first-serve basis. (There are plenty; so don't worry about grabbing a chair at 8 a.m.!)

Shining Sea Bikeway
Falmouth's 10.7-mile Shining Sea Bikeway runs along the shore and tours woodlands, salt ponds and marsh, and is used by bikers, walkers, rollerbladers and joggers.

Pools
The resort provides two heated saline pools, one indoor and one outdoors. The outdoor pool is open seasonally, while the indoor pool is open year-round. A toddler pool is located adjacent to the indoor pool, which is also open year-round. Floatation wings are permitted in the pools, but other floatation devices are not allowed.

'Tween Room
It's called a "tween" room, but teens will also like this new room. The room provides gaming stations, TV and comfortable seating to help parents who need a small break from the kids!

Watersports
Guests can borrow kickboards, boogie boards and kayaks for free. For an additional charge, guests may rent windsurfing, parasailing, waterskiing and jet skis from the hotel at the lifeguard areas on the beach.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily on the property at a number of areas. Grab-and-go breakfast items, coffee and snacks can be purchased in the lobby café from 7 to 11 a.m., and a limited menu from the restaurants is available to be delivered to guests' rooms. Other options include:

Red's Restaurant
This sports-themed restaurant honors the hotel's owner "Red" Auerbach, and provides a casual spot for North American cuisine with popular Cape Cod seafood dishes.

Red's Poolside Bar
Overlooking the outdoor pool, Red's is a seasonal dining option and quite popular in the summer for lunch and snacks. Red's Take Out also provides sandwiches, burgers and pizza.

Red's Lounge
Indoors, Red's Lounge is a pub-style lounge serving light fare year-round.

Shutters
Overlooking the beach and Buzzards Bay and providing the best sunset views, Shutters is the hotel's upscale restaurant. The menu features local and organic ingredients and seasonally inspired dishes.

All About the Extras
As summer is peak season and is filled with additional activities and programs, families may be charged a daily fee to cover the activities and entertainment.

Wi-Fi and parking are included with your stay.

The Art of Smart Timing
Sea Crest Beach Hotel is open year-round, but remains a more seasonal destination. Guests will find more activities available during warm-weather months, but less crowds in winter months.

Getting There
Falmouth is easy to get to on Cape Cod from Boston's Logan Airport (about a two-hour drive), and is a port for the ferries to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard; however, it's secluded Buzzards Bay location makes it more difficult to get to other Cape Cod points of interest. In the summer, two-lane roads may make a trip to Hyannis an hour, and points beyond even further.