Carolina Tarheel Motel

The pool was clean and fun, and the room was cute, spotless, and just the right size for my husband and me. We were also close to the beach, right across the street, with lots of restaurants and shops in walking distance. The man at the desk was friendly and shared tips about local places and activities. We’ll definitely stay here again when we’re back at the beach.

We got a clean room to sleep in, friendly staff, and a motel just one block from the ocean, which was everything we needed. It was the cheapest place I found, and while the room was a little dated, it was clean. I wasn’t expecting a five-star hotel. We came in around 1 a.m. after driving all day and night. The office had called at 10 p.m. to check when I’d arrive, and after I explained the late arrival, the man was kind and arranged for me to get into the room that night instead of waiting until the next day. The maid was extremely nice too. Even though we slept in most mornings, she made sure we had fresh towels and anything else we needed. There’s a pool for kids, though I don’t have kids and rarely use pools. If you expect the Ritz Carlton, pay for the Ritz Carlton. I just wanted an affordable, clean, bug-free place to sleep so I could spend my money on having fun. I was very pleased with the stay, and I’d stay here again without a question. Great job!

The best part for us was the location, less than a two-minute walk to the beachfront. There’s also an outdoor shower by the office to rinse off after the beach or pool. The pool itself is small, but it worked for our little family. The staff seemed friendly, though the office was rarely open when I went down with a question. They did provide a decent number of towels, which was nice. We booked for five days. The room was fairly big, with a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette with a table and three chairs. The kitchenette had a microwave, toaster, and mini fridge. The wall air conditioner was above the table, but it didn’t cool the sleeping area, so we bought a fan at Walmart. We kept the bathroom door shut since that area wasn’t cooling either. The tub drained slowly, but we put up with it. There was just one trash can in the room, which we moved from the sleeping area to the kitchenette, and none in the bathroom. My parents initially booked their room for 42 days, then managed to add one more night at the last minute. They wanted two extra nights but only one was available. Their room had the same issues: the AC didn’t cool the sleeping area, there was only one trash can, and the tub drained poorly. I’d book here again, but I’d remember to bring a fan.

Two days before we were due to make a 12-hour drive to Myrtle Beach, I called Carolina Tarheel Motel to confirm our stay. The woman told me there was no reservation, even though I had the confirmation email. Expedia then told me the motel had canceled it and hadn’t sent me any cancellation email. With our vacation two days away, we had nowhere to stay. When I called Carolina Tarheel back to ask the front desk woman about it, she hung up on me. It seems they overbooked and canceled my reservation instead of owning the mistake. This wasn’t Expedia’s fault. They told me the MOTEL had canceled, and Expedia only helped me find another hotel after I was left without a place. Please don’t waste your time or money here. They showed no respect for me as a customer or a person.