We stayed at The Lighthouse at Kure Beach for four nights in mid October. I like going to the beach…read morein the off season. The weather is still nice enough to enjoy the beach, the hotel deck and the pier. In narrowing down where we wanted to stay, it came down to who we are as vacationers. Even when at the beach we tend to spend quite a bit of time in our hotel, so it's more than just a bed to sleep in between activities, we want it to be comfortable and nice. The Lighthouse was perfect because it's just been renovated, is as close as you can get to the water, and depending on what room you choose, you can have an overview of the ocean. We chose the Grandview, and it was. I will mention there are residential homes right next to it but that was fine by us. I would describe our room as a lovely studio apartment with a massive bathroom. There's a pretty full kitchen, mini fridge, table to eat at, couch and very comfy bed. Now, the bed is very close to the kitchen but again, it was fine. The decor is trendy, grays and minimal. The dividers on the deck are sort of like shipping pallets hung vertically so you can certainly hear your neighbors conversations if they are out there. We didn't find this too distracting, just of note. Almost everything you could need is provided - dishes, coffee, towels, cooking utensils, microwave and electric stovetop. I mostly used the wine glasses. The outside areas of the hotel are also lovely. Potted flowers, fresh mulch and palm trees decorate the outdoors. There's a shower on the first floor to wash off and sand acquired at the beach. Even in off season there are a few walkable restaurants and of course the pier with a gift shop. The contact with management/owner was very easy and professional. You get a parking pass so you don't have to worry about street parking. We were on the third floor and I don't believe there is an elevator, just of note.

gorgeous! right across the beach. really well designed (love the renovations) and the bathroom was…read morehuge and clean. lots of towels and extras provided (we got a little tote bag with some snack bars and teas). we'll be back!

If you're looking for the perfect Carolina Beach stay, Hampton Inn & Suites oceanfront is tough to…read morebeat. The views are amazing. From the moment you wake up in an ocean-facing room to the fireworks every Thursday night in summer, you've got a front-row seat without even leaving the property. The tiki bar by the pool is a total win. Tasty drinks, good food, and that "vacation mode" energy, all just steps from the sand. Being right on the boardwalk means you can stroll to shops, treats, restaurants, amusement park and live music in minutes. A couple small misses kept this from being a perfect 5. We had to call for room service since they didn't automatically come during our stay, and the pool towel supply runs out fast. Definitely bring your own towels for the beach and pool. That said, the location, views, and laid-back vibes make this a spot we'd happily return to again and again.

The location is amazing. You walk onto the beach. Surrounded by bars and food, great for big groups.read more

Great stay, very nice, super clean. Room 6 had a nice big…read moretile shower. Owner is so nice. We will be back. Right near the boardwalk, pier and a couple restaurants.

Clean sheets and close to the beach Low bid .. no updates…read moreon any furnishings ..carpet has got to go and the old everything. We threw out a baking pan and the toaster needs the trash can. Friendly check in. Many families and close to the beach.

This room was perfect for a solo traveler such as myself! I was so thankful that they still had…read moreavailability, given that I was just kind of just passing through. I stayed in room 114, which gave me great access to the beach, Kure pier, and all things offered in the historic area of Fort Fisher. The room was nice, clean, quiet, and also had great access to the on-site pool. Awesome water pressure in the shower! In the times of Covid, just keep in mind that hotel staff will not enter your room during your stay. For any and all clean linens, they ask that you stick your used linens in a provided plastic trash bag and set it outside your door between the hours of 9 AM and 1 PM daily. As you go out and about and enjoy the rest of your day, hotel staff will switch out your linens and return them back at your door within that same timeframe in another clean trash bag.

Not sure why I'm the first one reviewing this on Yelp. But another similar site that deals with…read moreadvice on trips rates this as the #1 spot to stay, so I looked no further when deciding on a place to stay. I fell in love with the South Wind Motel!! Ok, people, this is a BEACH TOWN with one traffic light, so don't go down there expecting the Hilton. However, you can expect comfortable clean accommodations (100% on their Sanitation Inspection from the Dept. of Health!) and a friendly, knowledgeable staff. The ocean front units are wonderful. I had one on the third floor which had two double beds and a FULL kitchen set up. Full size fridge, coffee maker, four-burner stove, microwave. Pots, pans, dishes and flatware for four. Yeah, so the flatware didn't exactly match, but it's the BEACH! Go get a hotdog and get over it. Then go out on the balcony equipped with 2 rocking chairs and enjoy the beautiful view.

Not bad for the price. Nice clean place right now the beach. Staff is friendly. I would recommend…read morethis place. I was there the second week of August.

The room was not put together when I arrived. The night stands were at the door. I understand it's…read moreoff-season so I just moved one of them and left the other. This wasn't a big deal at all, but something to note. One thing I will say is the walls and flooring are very very very thin. On Sunday morning I was woke up at 6:30 am with what sounded like a herd of elephants running across the room upstairs. After listening to this for over an hour I contacted the number provided but the office was closed. I also texted the number they used to contact me on the first day. They contacted me back and went to speak to the guests above me. I appreciated the staff responding so early. (Although they did contact the guests the stomping persisted throughout the morning.) Other things to note; - only a few places to sit stuff. - sometimes the toilet would not flush so you would have to lift the lid and make sure the tank had water. This happened fairly often. - no overhead light, but the lamp provided enough. - the bed was very comfortable and so were the pillows. - staff was super friendly upon check in

Check in is done via email and when I booked through booking.com we asked to come an hour early due…read moreto my husband becoming ill during a camping trip. We received a reply of declined. I call and booking.com called them several times with no answer. Then at 7pm, I get an email apology and that they were still holding a room. They had just removed the decline at 7 pm. By then, with no additional funds, we had returned to the campsite and briefly stabilized my husband. After hours of being declined, they expected me to break down my campsite and move my husband again at 7pm. They are refusing to refund me for the error they made.

This hotel has gone drastically downhill since my last visit five years ago. What used to be a…read moregreat stay is now completely unsafe and unsettling. We could hear people fighting through the walls, which was scary and made it hard to relax. The main entrance was left unlocked all night, and there were no staff members or security present--just an overall feeling of being unsafe. To make matters worse, we just saw on the news that there was a shooting at this hotel, which sadly doesn't surprise me. Our group had multiple rooms and all showed signs of pets--hair, strong chemical smells clearly trying to cover up pet odors, and a general lack of cleanliness. There was no front desk, no amenities, and no one available to help or even answer basic questions. It's under new ownership now, and unfortunately, it shows. I would proceed with caution, but personally, I will not be staying here again.

We stayed here for one night on our way to Virginia. The room was so tiny and the bar across the…read morestreet was so loud that it kept us up all night.

Love the Location! Nice staff and clean rooms. Walking distance to Seawitch to hear the band.read more

(January 22 to 25, 2026 ) Photography by 3Spade7Star…read more@3spade7star_photography We were recommended to stay in the newly renovated room in this Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Carolina Beach. My husband was immediately impressed by the new renovations in our room and the balcony with an ocean view when he checked in the hotel early without me. The room we had was more spacious with more convenient or better amenities than the hotel we just transferred from in downtown Wilmington. We had a larger fridge in our room . A microwave was located at the ice machine room - a small walk away from our hotel room. The couch in our room converted to a bed. Looking at the bed in the couch you could see it was still encased in plastic & never used. My husband was very happy with the room and the beautiful ocean view from our balcony. It is the first time we booked an oceanfront hotel room in Wilmington, North Carolina. We always love visiting the beach even in winter weather - off season. The balcony was perfect for a private & quiet Christian memorial service for a loved one during sunrise at the beach. She had loved watching sunrises on the beach before she passed away. There were some difficulties experienced at this hotel, yet the stellar customer service from the staff overshadowed the obstacles we encountered there. Therefore, we are giving this hotel a rating of excellence especially in customer service. One of most accommodating & congenial staff at the hotel during our stay was Laney at the front desk. She was very professional, easy to communicate concerns with, and sensitive to the needs & the constant discomfort experienced by my husband on the day he could not get hot water to work in the shower. On top of that, we heard what sounded like construction work going on in the room above us around 7 AM in the morning. It turned out it was hotel guests above us. Luckily, they checked out that morning. My husband was getting irritated on our second day at the hotel and was going to have us relocate to another hotel if they could not get the hot water to work. We found out the whole hotel had no hot water when they let him have access to another hotel room to use the hot water there. The problem was finally fixed at the very end of the day. Laney listened to all our questions, concerns, & requests when we encountered the most obstacles in the hotel on our second day there . She communicated to us that she would resolve the problems we experienced in the hotel as quickly as possible and followed through with immediate action to ensure our hotel stay was above satisfactory. Despite being busy with hotel guests, she had a blanket and cleansing facial wipes personally delivered to our hotel room as I requested that day. Laney elevated our hotel experience that week from 4 stars to 5 stars. We had no more obstacles during the rest of our stay at the hotel. There was construction going on in the hotel but we never encountered any problems with it. We had peace & quiet, good sleep, stellar customer service, and a spacious nice new room with a balcony & ocean view. My most memorable and visual highlight there was just going out on the balcony to listen to the ocean and to see the ocean sunrise every day. It was pure magic. Cheers

Newly renovated room, and this still occurring currently at the hotel with minimal intrusion on…read moreyour stay. One of our best stays at a Marriott. Had some issues with hot water, but it was quickly fixed by management. To be totally honest, the room on this level takes over five minutes to get hot, and then there was no turning down the steaming hot water once it finally came. It was kind of annoying but maybe they can figure this one out still. Our view was gorgeous and room comfortable otherwise. Ice and microwave was conveniently down the hall by the elevator. Room comes with a decent size mini fridge. Laney, our receptionist, took great care and interest in our needs throughout our stay and followed up regularly to ensure we were well taken care of. Thank you.

Amazing experience and location! The hotel is being renovated, but still encompasses the Hilton…read morebrand. Oscar, the FD Manager, has impeccable customer service skills and made us and every customer feel like they were important. His smiles, kind words, and never making people feel like they were bothering him made the visit that much more pleasurable. Thank you Ocean Sands for making our stay memorable and pleasant to behold. Kathy and David

We had a wonderful time staying at the hotel…read more There are some small details to point out that will be beneficial for families staying but overall, it's well worth a trip here. To start on a positive, it has a very fun and funky vibe with a fantastic view. Our room overlooked the pier with a Tiki Bar. The Christmas lights were a nice touch. The hotel staff was very friendly and willing to assist and answer any questions. Nicole was kind enough to take time and show us additional rooms to help us better prepare for our next visit. While the family room boasts about having a bunk bed option, the upper bunk has a weight limit of 100lbs and unfortunately that left our kid unable to use it. The lower queen size bunk has a tv on the wall but you have to view the tv through the upper bunk bed ladder. It would have been a better function for our family if the upper bunk was not there. There is a lack of seating for the number of beds. The room has an oversized chair that converts to a pull out twin size bed but when used as a chair, was very uncomfortable. We doubled up the back cushions to sit on the chair. The dining table did have two dining seats so you could sit three people in the room when using the oversized chair. We plan on bringing additional beach chairs if we use this room option again. The lights are very funky and look amazing but they all point downwards. With every light on in the room, it still felt very dark at night. Visiting in the summer should not have an issue but it definitely feels dark in the winter time. While this sounds somewhat negative, there is a phrase "you get what you pay for" and for the price of the family room and the view, it is still a well worth option that just needs people to be prepared for the room type. We will opt for the double queen room for our next visit to have a full size couch when not utilizing the amazing surrounding area. Definitely check out this amazing hotel when visiting for the view, the friendliness of the employees and the price!