North Carolina’s Best Beach Hotels

Grab your shades and a towel for a stay at one of North Carolina’s best beach resort properties. 
North Carolina beach hotels

North Carolina beach hotels

Photo by: Joshua McClure

Joshua McClure

With over 300 miles of beaches, North Carolina is an easy choice for an intimate oceanside retreat. You won’t find many hotel chains here, adding to North Carolina’s allure as a laidback beach escape. Travelers will find quaint beach towns, from Duck, NC, in the Outer Banks, to Sunset Beach on the Brunswick Islands, along with locally operated resort-style getaways with a cozy feel. Grab your shades and a towel for a stay at one of North Carolina’s best beach resorts. 

Inn on Pamlico Sound
Northern Outer Banks 

Inn Pamlico Sound
Inn Pamlico Sound
Located in the village of Buxton on Hatteras Island, The Inn on Pamlico Sound offers a chic, relaxing vibe. Inside, the boutique hotel showcases sophisticated touches, such as Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, cathedral ceilings and private baths with Italian ceramic tile. Enjoy your own private deck as well, with views of one of the biggest attractions in the Outer Banks, the Pamlico Sound. Don’t miss the complimentary 3-course breakfast, rated “Best Breakfast in the Outer Banks” by National Geographic magazine. Then take a stroll along Hatteras’s 70 miles of shoreline; ask the chef to make a picnic lunch before heading to the beach or exploring the Hatteras lighthouse. 

Blockade-Runner Beach Club
Wrightsville Beach 
Just outside the historic port city of Wilmington, on a stretch of Wrightsville Beach, is the Blockade-Runner Beach Club. From the expansive front lawn that hosts games of croquet and horseshoes, to surfing lessons in the open Atlantic and kayaking through the barrier islands, guests quickly acclimate to an outdoors-filled stay. Families with small children can enjoy the Sandcamper's Program. After a day of sun and play, guests can dine on local seafood and fresh farm favorites at the club’s on-site restaurant, East Oceanfront Dining -- as the name suggests, diners enjoy oceanfront seating beneath a canopy. Then take a complimentary Intracoastal Waterway cruise before retiring to an oceanfront terrace room. 

The Winds Resort Beach Club
Ocean Isle 
If you’re seeking a beach escape with a tropical feel, head to The Winds Resort Beach Club. This pet-friendly resort, in the small seaside town of Ocean Isle, is set against a tranquil backdrop of tropical banana trees, hibiscus plants and poolside tiki bars. Guests can choose from beachfront cottages and guest rooms with ocean views. Meanwhile plenty of outdoor fun awaits, from a 3-hour kayak tour to 1-hour stand-up paddleboarding trek. On the grounds, relax at one of 3 outdoor swimming pools, lounge in a hammock overlooking the ocean or play a round of golf. Although The Winds feels like a tropical paradise, the complimentary Southern-style breakfast (think: lots of grits, eggs and potatoes) and famed shoreline will remind you this is North Carolina.

Sea Trail Golf Resort
Calabash, North Carolina 
In the Brunswick Islands of North Carolina, head to the fisherman’s town of Calabash for a stay at the Brunswick Plantation and Golf Resort. Just a short distance from Myrtle Beach, the resort is both a golfer’s getaway and a beachcomber’s paradise. The sprawling plantation-style resort, nestled among the Carolina pines and just a few miles from Sunset Beach, offers 1- and 2-bedroom condos with full kitchens, overlooking 3 9-hole, award-winning courses. Enjoy dining at the 19th Hole restaurant, or relax poolside. Sea Trail Golf Resort, also in Calabash, is situated on the greens, with villa-style suites that offer full kitchens and private porches. Dine while golfing at Brassie's Pub, which offers an assortment of café items on the links, or head to the Magnolia Lounge in the evening for a romantic dinner. 

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