While beach lovers were burning wood (or sawing it) over the winter, Ocean City underwent some changes worth noting. To help you plan your spring and summer getaways to Mecca on the Atlantic, here’s a wrap-up of what’s new in 2006.

Put on A Perfect Face (and body too)

Beth Rubin photo

Relax at A Perfect Face

A Perfect Face, a longtime Coastal Highway full-service salon and spa, has relocated to its cushy new home in West Ocean City. Come here for a haircut, color, facial (lymph-draining, pumpkin enzyme or La Stone), waxing, manicure (basic or specialty), milk-and-honey body wrap or massage (Swedish, deep muscle, La Stone, aroma-therapy or reflexology). I had the pleasure of a therapeutic and sensual hot-stone massage with Monica recently. It was, in a word, heaven. If, like me, you sit at a desk all day, knotted with neck and back spasms, this is a sure cure. Trust me. A brick when I arrived, I came away like pudding. To prolong my mini-escape, I relaxed with complimentary tea and cookies, listened to soft music, watched a technician apply makeup to a bride-to-be and caught up on my magazine reading. A Perfect Face caters to the whole family with special services for kids, teens and men (Hey, men are people too).

Route 50/ Ocean Gateway Village, Unit 6, West Ocean City
800-476-5524;www.aperfectface.com

Shifting Sands

This is an “on” year for beach replenishment, part of a massive project to dredge every 4 years. The good news is, losses have been relatively minor since 2002. Between May and late June, more than 800,000 cubic yards of sand will be pumped onto OC beaches. Dredging will cease during July and August to resume after Labor Day.

Tennis anyone?

Six tennis courts have been added to the Tennis Center at 61st Street and Coastal Highway. For info on lessons and leagues, call 410-524-8337.

New Rooms

Courtesy of The Breakers

The Breakers Hotel and Dough Roller

The Breakers Hotel
This is no April Fool’s joke! The long-awaited grand opening of The Breakers took place April 1. On the ocean at 3rd Street, the hotel has 41 rooms and suites (refreshment areas - minifridge and microwave), atrium pool, fitness center, wireless internet and cable TV with movie channels, free parking (1 car per unit) and on-premises Dough Roller restaurant. Anyone traveling with kids will appreciate the convenience of falling into this popular OC eatery for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Breakfast—specialties include omelets, pancakes and creamed chipped beef—is served all day. Pizza, sandwiches, subs and Italian fare star at lunch and dinner. Rates range from $79 for a room off the ocean with 2 double beds (weekdays now until May 25), to $329 for a deluxe oceanfront suite over July 4th.

3rd Street and Boardwalk
410-289-9165 or 800-283-9165; www.ocbreakers.com

Days Inn Oceanfront
Good things come to those who wait. The new Days Inn at the Boardwalk and 23rd Street opened with 3 outdoor pools (1 for kids), gardens, a restaurant and bar, and packages from now through fall for value-conscious families. Done in a pleasing Caribbean palette, all accommodations have oceanfront balconies. Depending on the number in your caravan, opt for a Studio (1 large room with 2 Queen beds and a Queen sleep sofa, living area, kitchenette, dining table for 6 and 2 TVs with DVDs) or Suite (2 bedrooms, 2 baths, full kitchen, washer/dryer, 3 TVS with DVDs). The Surf’s Edge is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, specializing in pizza and pasta. Coffee and tea are complimentary, as is a daily newspaper. Can’t wait for Memorial Day to cross the bridge? Check out the Spring Fever package, available weekdays through May 31.

Boardwalk and 23rd Street
410-289-7161, 800-926-1122; www.daysinnoceanfront.com

The Fenwick Inn, known for its oversize, family-friendly guestrooms (with microwaves and refrigerators), and Jordan’s rooftop restaurant, has updated its exterior and unveiled its Indoor Aqua Fun Center. Under a futuristic skylight roof system lies a shallow water-spray area for small children. Murals color the walls, hydrotherapy benches hug the perimeter and, in the center, water cascades from a large raindrop. Greg Fleming, the hotel’s GM, says he learned from polling guests that their expectations had changed. “The hotel wants to meet and exceed those expectations. We want people to feel they are in a different place, far away from just a pool area.”

138th Street and Coastal Highway
410-250-1100; www.fenwickinn.com

Hilton Hotel and Suites Ocean City Oceanfront
Slated for a grand opening May 25, and taking reservations for June 2 on, the Hilton is a real looker with 225 deluxe suites (bedroom, living room, full kitchen, terrace overlooking ocean), meeting space and all the bells and whistles for a first-class getaway, special event or business meeting/retreat. (The Convention Center is within walking distance.) Some highlights include upholstered headboards, oak kitchen cabinets, double sink and vanity, high-speed Internet access and two 32” flat panel LCDs. Enjoy 3 outdoor pools—2 for adults (1 with a swim-up bar), 1 just for the kiddies; indoor pool, fitness center. Eat onsite in the fine-dining room or lounge, at the outdoor bar and grille, or order from room service. Having a reunion? Spring for the 3-bedroom Penthouse Suite. Ask about golf and other packages.

32nd Street, Oceanside
410-289-6444 or 866-729-3200; www.oceancityhilton.com

Eats and Drinks

Beth Rubin photo

Babe’s has “cool” strip

The Blue Ox Steakhouse & Raw Bar
Remember the folktales about Paul Bunyan and his Babe, the blue ox? Well, the generous drinks and portions at The Blue Ox would satisfy that giant’s appetites. Babe’s, the restaurant’s watering hole, is beyond cool. How cool you ask? An icy strip runs down the middle of the neon-lighted bar. No more melted cubes or tepid cocktails. Chilled drinks stay chilled. And you don’t need spandex and multiple body piercings to belly up to the bar or enjoy a Bunyan-size meal. On a recent evening 20- and 30-somethings, local regulars and family types rubbed shoulders with polyester grannies in sensible shoes. That the crowd is diverse is a biggie for mature beachgoers who may feel intimidated by more youth-oriented bars and clubs. A super deal is the Happy Hour with half-price drinks and half-price raw-bar selections (bar area only) Monday through Friday from 4 to 7pm. It’s easy to build a delicious (and lo-cal) meal from the delectable seafood offerings. On Saturday and Sunday from 4 to 6pm, beers, drinks and raw-bar items are discounted.

For heartier fare, the restaurant has a full menu at lunch and dinner. Choose from soups, salads, appetizers, hot entrees, burgers and sandwiches at lunch. Hand-cut Angus steaks, chops and seafood star at dinner. Have a burger your way: Wimpy (1/2 lb), Pounder or Big Ass (3 lb.) with your choice of toppings included, or spring for The Big Meaty, a 44-ounce double bone-in ribeye that will serve a small army. Kid-size coloring tables keep youngsters amused in the waiting area. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

127th St. and Coastal Highway (bayside)
410-250-6440; www.babesoc.com

Booty's Bar & Grill (formerly Pancho & Lefty’s), is the new kids on the block at 28th Street and Philadelphia Avenue. Riding the pirate wave initiated by the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, and its Volvo ocean-racing yacht namesake, Booty’s is “a pirate-themed restaurant with a sports-bar attitude,” according to owner Ron Bowden. Offering a full menu—everything from burgers and chicken wings to seafood and steaks—it’s open daily from 11am to 2am, with food service up to 1am. Sports fans take note. You can follow your favorite teams on several large-screen TVs. Bring the kids if you wish, and check out Booty’s shop for souvenir tee-shirts, caps and such.

2706 Philadelphia Ave (at 28th Street)
410-289-2020; www.bootysbarandgrill.com

Salsarita's Fresh Cantina
The new OC location of this fast-growing franchise offers diners numerous options for eat-in or take-out fast food Mexican style. First you pick your wrapper or base—taco, burrito, qusadilla, nacho or salad. Next select the filling or topping—grilled steak, shrimp, shredded beef, pork, chicken or vegetarian. Last, decide from a list of 18 ingredeients (beans, guacomole, cheese, etc.) how to accessorize your meal. As you might expect, this is a family-friendly eatery that is kind to the pocketbook. I suggest a visit here after you try on clothes at the factory outlets.Ole!

12471 Ocean Gateway (factory outlets)
West Ocean City
410-213-2313; www.salsaritas.com

The Crab Bag (formerly the Key West Crab Bag), at 130th Street and Coastal Highway, is under new ownership. Call 410-430-8332.

Galaxy 66 Bar & Grille (formerly Galaxy) at 6601 Coastal Highway (at 66th Street ), has new owners, Roger and Tammy Cebula. Call 410-723-6762.

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