Topsail Shores Inn

For a last-minute weekend in Topsail, my husband and I found this Inn at a very reasonable price and decided to try it. The rooms were comfortable and clean, and we were happy with the stay. There’s a coffee house across the street and a brewery and restaurant within walking distance. We’ll return.

Everything felt cared for, from the rooms, which were exceptionally clean and organized, to the attentive, friendly, efficient service at the front desk. The facilities and service were impeccable, and the experience went beyond what I expected.

The rooms have a hairdryer, ironing board, refrigerator, TV, and phone plugs, though you need to bring your own cord. Outside there’s a pet-walking area, rocking chairs by the rooms, a little playground for kids, and paved parking. A Dollar General is next door, with a restaurant and convenience store within walking distance. It’s so nice, clean, and quiet here that I almost want to keep it a secret. There is a curfew for outdoor activities.

We’ve stayed at this motel many times over the last three years and usually had good experiences, so this last visit was especially upsetting. I felt unsafe being alone in the room with my 3-year-old while my husband was away fishing. I wanted to tell Nell Griffin how distressing the whole thing was, but worried Joseph Griffin might escalate again or involve the police. We’d been loyal guests for years, and his conduct has made us question whether we’ll return. We’d like to speak directly with the property owners by phone or email about how they’ll address and hopefully rectify this. The incident began when a friend I hadn’t known was coming by walked upstairs with her dog to knock on our door. She didn’t know pets weren’t allowed upstairs. I was asleep with my child, and my husband had walked to the nearby Dollar General. Nell, the manager, came out and politely explained the rule. My friend apologized and immediately started taking the dog downstairs. That should have been the end of it, but Joseph came out yelling aggressively at her. Her father tried to calm him, but Joseph kept escalating. As they left, he wrote down their license plate. Soon after, Joseph came to our room shouting that we were evicted and would be charged a $350 cleaning fee. No dog had entered our room, I’d been asleep the whole time with my child, and my husband wasn’t even on the property when it happened. We tried to explain calmly that we didn’t know what was going on, but Joseph wouldn’t listen and told us to leave without a refund. When my husband returned, he spoke with Nell. She was more professional and understanding, and after hearing what happened, she let us stay. Over the years, we’d heard stories from other people that Joseph was aggressive and hostile toward guests, though we hadn’t experienced it ourselves until this visit. Nell had already handled the situation respectfully, so Joseph’s response felt blown far out of proportion, unnecessary, and unprofessional.