STAY: North Carolina's Sanderling Resort

We have been vacationing on the Outer Banks - barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina - for years. Before kids, we used to rent a house there with couples from college.  Then when kids came along we returned with them to enjoy the beaches, visit the Wright Brothers Memorial, and see if we could spot the famous wild horses who live there. There was a beautiful hotel that we would pass in Duck built in the Nags Head style of unpainted homes with large porches and roofs that mimic the dunes. The Sanderling Inn. (Which has since been updated to Resort)I had heard that it was expensive to stay there. So I didn't give it a second thought.

Fast forward to our last visit to the Outer Banks. There are now more hotels there than there used to be. Since we were only staying for a few nights and most rentals are weekly, I started  looking into hotels. I stumbled upon the Sanderling, remembering it from long ago. Set in the town of Duck, the Sanderling is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound. Sunrises and sunsets.

Recently voted in the top 10 of North Carolina's hotels by Our State Magazine, the Sanderling was offering off-season rates. (They regularly offer specials to military personnel and special rates for different seasons) So I called them up and lo and behold, we were staying at the Sanderling!

A Four-Diamond resort that has been recently renovated, the Sanderling is known for it's service.When you hear Four-Diamond or Resort you might think that it's stuffy. Pretentious. But there's none of that here. You can do as little or as much as you want. 

 There are three buildings of accomodations, a spa, vacation home rentals, two restaurants, 2 bars and 2 pools and a hot tub. Staff will provide beach chairs for you whereever you would like, set up local activities including a wild horse safari tour or golf or tennis or set up spa time for you. There are lounges with reading materials in each building. And those rockers - 
they're available on most of the porches.

We stayed in the North Inn with a balcony overlooking the pool and hot tub. Our room came with a smores packet for smores at the fire pit and our own rubber duckie for the bath. Since we were there off-season, one of the pools was closed as was one of the restaurants. But the spa, hot tub, fire pit andthe Life Saving Station restaurant were open.

We spent our time in the hot tub and the beach chairs overlooking the ocean. We witnessed a sunrise and a sunset. We drove into Corolla for breakfast  - if you go to First Light for breakfast, you must, MUST get one of their fist size biscuits. And we enjoyed a glass of wine on our balcony on those out of the world comfortable chairs.

If you're heading to the Outer Banks and you would like to stay at a Four-Diamond resort known for it's service and spa, then give the Sanderling Resort a look. Check the website or give them a call. You never know if you will fall into a special. And then you could be staying at one of the top ten ranked hotels in North Carolina!

This post is not sponsored. I just got a really good deal - first night at off-season rack rate and the second for $29.


This post is part of a link-up with: Travel Photo Thursday at Budget Travelers Sandbox, Weekend Wanderlust Facebook Travel Blog Party, The Weekly Postcard at Travel Notes and Beyond and Weekend Travel Inspiration at Reflections Enroute!