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What do you call a property you own that is smaller than a condo that formerly was a hotel room? A Contel of course, and not the defunct telephone company from the eighties.

Contels are converted hotel rooms, usually at the smaller beachside motels that were popular in the fifties and the sixties. They are now being sold as individual units to buyers. While they lack the full amenities that a true condominium have such as a full kitchen, the units provide a guaranteed escape from the city during the summer for an affordable price.

And if you are not using the unit, the management company will rent it out for you. It is not a bad idea to get one of these contels if you have limited budget dollars but want to get away to the beach for the weekend regularly.

Hampton has some units that have been converted from previously existing motels and one new development. Others are in the planning stage. In Seabrook, its first and only new development went on the market three weeks ago. Chuck Bellemore, who renovated the Royal Hampton Hotel into the Condominiums at Ashworth Avenue and who developed the Shore Club on Route 286 in Seabrook, said the concept behind contels is simple: “Condominiums are typically bigger, more expensive. (Contels) meet the needs of the average family. They’re much more affordable.”

Contels do not have full-sized kitchens, reducing the selling prices. Owners can use them for a home away from home or they can rent out the units when they’re not using them.The biggest drawback in owning a contel is the lack of a stove or oven and the stipulation that the property may not be used as the owner’s primary residence. Yankee Trader broker Kara Schaake, who is the listing agent for the Shore Club, said contels are not meant to be a year-round home. “It’s definitely a second home or a getaway,” Schaake said.

The Shore Club contels range from $129,900 to $139,900, and offer a room with a balcony or small patio overlooking the marsh and Blackwater River, less than half a mile from Seabrook Beach. Rooms have full-sized baths. Along a small wall there’s a refrigerator, sink and a granite counter top big enough to hold a microwave oven. via Seacoastonline.com

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