Concierge.com's insider take:

The Cliffside's big draw is its right-on-the-sand location, just west of Jetties Beach a mile from town: You can walk out of your room or suite (there are 26 total) and a minute later be in the water. A private club since 1949, the Cliffside owns its stretch of shore and has a healthy respect for its history. The beach pavilion and a set of wooden changing rooms have been there since 1904, and some of the interiors (especially in the 10 Gold Coast rooms and the beach cottage) have a vintage feel, with patchwork quilts and antique wood or wicker furniture. There's a 3,000-square-foot exercise room, hydrotherapy spa, and a guests-only bar and café. The outdoor pool complex is great for lap-swimming, but otherwise superfluous, since the waves beckon just outside. Although certain rooms are designated adults-only, the hotel is very family-friendly; you'll see more than a few tykes making sand castles or napping under the trademark yellow, blue, or green beach umbrellas.

Open mid-May through mid-October.