Termite Lawyer in Myrtle Beach, SC

The nightly rate of a hotel room is a huge factor when planning a vacation. But what many people may not plan for when booking is the hidden costs — resort fees, daily parking and even mandatory security deposits.

Resort fees can unknowingly increase what you planned to spend for vacation before you even pack the first suitcase.

Several hotels and resorts in the Myrtle Beach area charge resort fees and extra charges for amenities on top of their nightly room cost.

Hotels were previously not required to disclose such fees when booking a room, resulting in customers not finding out about the extra costs until checking in or checking out.

But a new federal rule that went into effect in May 2025 prevents deceptive pricing for short-term lodging, including hotels, motels and home rentals through apps such as Airbnb and VRBO. The Federal Trade Commission rule is intended to create transparency, requiring businesses to disclose charges and fees upfront, display the total price prominently and be truthful about fees and charges, describing the purpose of the fees.

If you are planning on booking a room along the Grand Strand, here are some of the resorts and hotels that charge the highest resort fees, according to ResortFeeChecker.com, an online resource that helps travelers research resort fees at hotels worldwide:

* Holiday Inn Club Vacations Myrtle Beach Oceanfront, 3090 Springmaid Blvd., Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: $44.07 per room nightly

* Kingston Plantation Condos, 9800 Queensway Blvd., Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: $40.95 per room nightly; also, a 5% destination fee will be charged

* Embassy Suites by Hilton Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort, 9800 Queensway Blvd., Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: $39.20 per room nightly

* DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Myrtle Beach Oceanfront, 3200 S Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: $36 per room nightly; also, destination fee of $1 per room nightly

* Grande Beach Resort, 2101 S Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: $25 per room nightly; also, breakage deposit of $150 per stay

* Hotel Blue, 705 S. Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: $25 per room nightly; also, deposit of $250 per room, per stay and a destination fee of $3 per room nightly

* Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes, 8400 Costa Verda Dr., Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: $25 per room nightly

* Dunes Village Resort, 5200 N. Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: $22.60 per room nightly; also, deposit of $50 per stay

* Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort, 2007 S Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: $18 per room nightly

* Prince Resort, 3500 N Ocean Blvd., North Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: 17.99% of room rate; also, deposit of $100 per stay

* Seaside Resort, 2301 S Ocean Blvd., North Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: 17.99% of room rate; also, deposit of $100 per stay

* Grande Shores Ocean Resort, 201 77th Ave. N., Myrtle Beach. Resort fee: 16.99% of room rate; also, deposit of $100 per stay

* Holiday Inn Resort Oceanfront at Surfside Beach, 1601 N Ocean Blvd., Surfside Beach. Resort fee: $16.80 per room nightly

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - Several flights from and to Myrtle Beach International Airport were canceled Friday.

As of writing, three routes were canceled, according to MYR’s flight tracker.

Two American Airlines flights from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to MYR and the return flights to Charlotte were canceled.

A Delta flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to MYR and its return flight were also canceled.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are among 40 “high-volume” markets where the Federal Aviation Administration is reducing air traffic by 10%.

The cuts began Friday morning.

MYR released a statement on Thursday on the situation, saying that while it did not make the list for cuts, many of its flights come from or go to these airports and may be impacted.

MYR officials are asking travelers to check with their airlines for the latest updates before traveling.

WMBF News spoke with travelers flying in from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport, who reported mixed experiences.

“TSA had no problems, got right through,” said Landon Warren, who flew to MYR from Detroit. “I dropped someone off at the airport on Thursday, took them ten minutes.”

Ariella Figuroe flew to MYR from a connecting flight in Charlotte after taking off in Miami. She said she didn’t see any problems at the Charlotte airport, but the lines in Miami were substantial.

“It was probably a good hour and ten-minute wait at 3:30 this morning, and it was just getting longer and longer and longer, with only one machine working,” said Figuroe. “The TSA workers are doing their absolute best. they’re trying to work with everybody, but when they’re so outnumbered and there’s only one machine running, they can only go as fast as they can go.”

WMBF also spoke to Patricia Pellerin, a vacationer departing MYR for Texas, with a connecting flight in Chicago. Pellerin said she kept a close eye on her flight details throughout the day.

“I told my husband, ‘let’s get there early anyway just to make sure,’” She said. “Sure enough, as we walked in, they said, ‘It’s delayed to Chicago.’”

List of airports impacted by airspace reduction:

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Some South Carolina diners may be alarmed when they receive their restaurant bill, only to see they’ve been charged extra for paying with a credit card.

While some states have outright bans on credit card fees at businesses, South Carolina does not.

In the Palmetto State, these credit card surcharges are allowed, but restaurants and other vendors must follow certain guidelines when it comes to charging extra.

In the Myrtle Beach area, restaurants will often offer discounts to customers for using cash. But those buying items or food in Myrtle Beach city limits, for example, might see prices climb higher when credit card fees combine with tourist fees and city, county and state taxes.

But do you have to pay them?

Credit card surcharges are often implemented as a way to help businesses offset the cost of processing the cards, which can include fees charged by credit card companies. As long as South Carolina restaurants and merchants comply with federal regulations and the rules set forth by credit card companies, they are in the clear.

First, merchants are required to disclose the surcharge to customers before the transaction. Customers have to be notified upon entry of the establishment, such as with a posted sign, and at the time of sale.

The surcharge is also not allowed to exceed the amount it costs the merchant to process the card, or a set cap, which is usually set at 4% — whichever is lower.

Additionally, debit cards cannot be surcharged, even if the customer selects “credit” on a transaction but then pays with a debit card.

Credit card companies also do not prohibit credit card surcharges. For example, Visa advises merchants to abide by state laws and requires them to properly notify customers, but does not ban surcharges.

Merchants can also choose to apply surcharges on Visa cards at the “brand level,” meaning all Visa cards only, or at the “product level,” meaning a certain kind of Visa credit card gets surcharged, according to the company’s website.

Additionally, restaurants and businesses can offer a “cash discount,” incentivizing customers to pay with methods other than credit cards. Businesses that do so must display either the card price or the cash and card prices side by side, according to Visa.

If a credit surcharge is applied to a debit transaction, or otherwise violates state laws or card company guidelines, the charge can be disputed. Consumers can check for the surcharge by scanning through the line items on their receipts.

With nearly 100 championship courses, Myrtle Beach offers plenty of golf. But this year one course took home top honors not only in the Grand Strand, but the entire Palmetto State.

Prestwick Country Club won the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association’s 2025 South Carolina Golf Course of the Year. The award looks at course quality, ownership and management, contributions to the community and contributions to the game of golf to determine the best course in the Palmetto State.

“Our greens are probably known for some of the fastest on the beach and some of the best conditioned and very consistent,” said Prestwick general manager Jay Smith.

Designed by acclaimed course creators Pete and P.B. Dye, Prestwick Country Club offers picturesque dunes, water hazards, pot bunkers and railroad-tie accents.

“It is a challenging layout. We have six sets of tees, meaning the golfer can basically pick … what kind of yardage they want to play from,” Smith said. “I would say, most people would say it’s pretty tough, but if you pick the right [equipment], it can play nicely for anybody.”

Although the course first opened more than 35 years ago, Smith says Prestwick Country Club has benefitted from regular upkeep. The greens, clubhouse and restaurant have all been renovated in recent years.

“They just constantly are reinvesting in the facility, which keeps it fresh,” said Smith.

But the course wasn’t just recognized for its facilities. Beyond raising money for local schools, teams and charities, Prestwick has hosted the Socastee High School golf teams without charge for decades. And, as of three years ago, the course is home to the Horry County Special Olympics golf team.

“The golf course is an avenue that is used in the community as well,” Smith said.

Before winning state recognition, Prestwick Country Club was named the Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association’s 2025 Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course of the Year over the summer.

As the winner of the 2025 South Carolina Golf Course of the Year, Prestwick Country Club’s owners and management hope national accolades will follow. The course was submitted for the National Golf Course Owners Association’s award, which will be announced in Orlando, Florida, in January.

Regardless of whether the course is honored nationally, Prestwick Country Club will remain a golfer favorite for Grand Stranders and visitors alike.

“Golfers, they know they’re going to get treated in a nice manner, and they’re going to get value for their dollar that they pay for golf,” said Smith. “Because they know the golf course is going to be a challenge, it’s going to be fun to play, and it’s going to be in good condition.”

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH — Along with picking their first new mayor in more than two decades, North Myrtle Beach voters will also decide two contested city council races next month.

Incumbent Trey Skidmore is running for an at-large seat along with challengers Tony Warren Jr and David Weitzman.

Meanwhile, Jeri McCumbee and Jolene Puffer are running for the Windy Hill seat that Councilwoman Nikki Fontana has held since 2013. Fontana opted not to seek another term.

Bubba Collins, who holds the Ocean Drive seat, will also be on the ballot but is running unopposed.

Here is a snapshot of the candidates:

At-large seat

Trey Skidmore

Skidmore, 43, is the owner of Barefoot RV Resort and Foxfire Communities.

Skidmore has been on city council for four years and also served on the city's board of zoning appeals.

He said growth is the city’s most pressing issue, and it's the reason he ran for council four years ago. He is trying to limit the impact of the development boom on residents.

Skidmore said much of the growth is taking place outside the city limits, so North Myrtle Beach needs to work closely with Horry County Government.

Diversifying the economy is also important to Skidmore, who said he wants his daughters to stay in the area. He said there has been progress with companies like UPS coming to the area and hiring workers, but recruitment efforts are a balancing act because he never wants to damage the fabric of the family beach community.

If reelected, Skidmore said he will continue his open-door leadership style and keep his personal number published for anyone to reach him.

Tony Warren

Warren, 60, owns Realty Rock, a real estate company.

He said North Myrtle Beach needs help from a regular guy, not career politicians.

Warren wants the city to hit the brakes on allowing large neighborhoods and developments. He said the city should focus on fixing roads and addressing flooding.

"I will listen to our residents and try with all my heart to help our town grow but not outgrow," Warren said.

He said the city needs more grocery stores, fire departments and hospitals.

He intends to work with industry recruiters to attract different companies, such as technology and manufacturing businesses.

Warren also said the city needs to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a long-term plan to keep the beach town beautiful and inviting.

David Weitzman

Weitzman, who declined to provide his age, is a primary care physician who is new to politics.

If elected, Weitzman’s top priorities for North Myrtle Beach would be strengthening communication and trust, developing a clean industry and AI technology corridor, and building a stronger economy.

Weitzman wants leaders, residents and business owners to listen to and understand one another. He intends to institute a community involvement plan if elected.

Weitzman said North Myrtle Beach has the potential to become a regional hub for AI. Through faster permitting and attractive zoning, he wants to recruit innovative startups that will provide quality jobs and long-term growth.

As for growth, he said the city should bring in experts who have successfully managed growth in other communities.

Windy Hill seat

Jeri McCumbee

McCumbee, 58, is the director of operations for MEDcare Urgent Care.

She has served as chairperson of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and was appointed to the S.C. Education Oversight Committee.

Her top priorities are managing growth, infrastructure and short-term rentals.

McCumbee said she wants to slow city growth and stop annexing land so North Myrtle can catch up with its infrastructure needs.

She said the city should work with the S.C. Department of Transportation on road improvements, lobby for funding for beach renourishment and continue stormwater drainage repairs.

To boost tourism, McCumbee said the city needs better infrastructure and should focus on attracting commercial businesses. She wants to keep taxes low and provide incentives to businesses that move to the area.

Jolene Puffer

Puffer, 55, is a real estate agent who ran for the Windy Hill seat four years ago and lost by 267 votes.

Over the past four years, Puffer said she has focused on learning how the city works so she can serve effectively from day one.

If elected, she said her top priorities would be addressing overdevelopment and overspending.

Puffer wants to focus on infrastructure needs before allowing more development.

"My goal is to ensure we grow in a way that protects our quality of life while still welcoming opportunity," Puffer said. "I do feel it's time for more serious measures to deal with the growth that is plaguing our infrastructure."

Puffer also wants the city to partner with local colleges and business groups to help bring sustainable, well-paid jobs to the area.