well, i stayed at the Saida in S. Padre. They were more like condos, but it's a four building complex right on the beach. Quite nice, although i couldn't give you any rates since we stayed for free . the Radisson, which is right next door, is also a good place to stay and is very popular. You definitely couldnt go wrong with either of those, IMO. hope i was helpful and have fun.
Corpus is not the same as South Padre. It's a couple hours south of here. Raging, you might also check out the Aquarium while you're in CC, and Water Street is a good place to grab lunch or dinner. Any beach along North Padre is fine, but you might check out Bob Hall pier if you like surfing / fishing.