This little inn is a great way to take in the charm of Southport, NC. It's an older roadside motel…read morefrom the 1950s, but is in the process of being renovated and updated under its new management. Rebecca, the innkeeper, is an incredible host, and the rest of the staff is equally friendly and accommodating. The rooms my family and I stayed in were newly renovated, with hardwood floors, new beds, paint, fixtures, appliances, and furniture. The WiFi worked perfectly, the beds slept like a dream, and the overall ambience really worked for our getaway. When we come back for another Southport visit, we will be returning to River Oaks.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Not all rooms are fully updated yet, but each room has new features that are slowly being added, like curtains, beds, lamps, better WiFi, and so forth. All will eventually be updated, per a discussion with Rebecca. If you want one of the more updated rooms, reach out to her for more info.
- The inn does not run like a normal one, as it's more of a vacation rental than a standard inn. Management lives offsite, but is readily reachable by phone and can quickly arrive if needed. The staff for maintenance and cleaning arrive in the morning and leave in the afternoon, but can also help with anything.
- Your room key is delivered by phone, via OpenKey, which was a new experience for us. Just download the app before your arrival, and it makes the process easier. It's a fairly simple key to use; just open the key within the app and press the black button on the door; rather quickly, the door unlocks. If a physical key is needed, please ask management and they will provide one for you.
- There is very little need to use a car, as the main attractions and areas of Southport are easily reachable by walking. Downtown is a ten minute walk, and Yacht Basin is about 15.
- The town has a strict "no branding" policy, when it comes to businesses, which really offers up a unique opportunity to support locally owned eateries and shops. That being said, leave any expectations for Starbucks and McDonald's far behind.
- Like I mentioned at the top of this post, this is a building from the 1950s, so it does have an older presentation on the outside and interior, in terms of design; things weren't built then as large as they are today. The rooms aren't closet-sized by any means, but are more in line with the size of a guest bedroom/bath at a standard house.
