4701 S Virginia Dare Trl, Nags Head, North Carolina, United States | (618) 248-8274
Lovely setting along a wide and sandy beach
Contemporary rooms with work desks and flat-screen TVs
All rooms come with mini-fridges, coffeemakers, and microwaves
Some rooms have furnished balconies with ocean views
Free continental breakfast with biscuits from local eatery
Indoor pool with an adjacent outdoor sundeck
Small gym with a few cardio machines and free weights
24-hour business center and laundry facilities
Free Wi-Fi and parking
Some complaints of noise from adjacent rooms
Not all rooms have balconies
No restaurant or bar
No outdoor pool and indoor pool is in need of a renovation
The 100-room Holiday Inn Express Nags Head Oceanfront is a solid mid-range hotel, with an enviable location right on the wide, sandy beach. Its contemporary rooms all have mini-fridges, microwaves, coffeemakers, and flat-screen TVs, plus those with ocean views have small furnished balconies. Some guests have complained of noise from adjacent rooms, however. The hotel lacks an outdoor pool and its indoor pool is dingy, but it does have an outdoor sundeck. There's a small fitness center and rates include free continental breakfast. It's worth comparing rates with the Surf Side Hotel, which has an outdoor pool, indoor hot tub, and more homey rooms.
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Scene
Beachfront chain with a contemporary makeover
On four acres of oceanfront, this older Holiday Inn Express (formerly the Nags Head Inn) was built in the '80s, but had a 2016 renovation that updated its decor throughout. The building is surrounded by a parking lot and has the look of sitting on stilts, with a covered lot taking up the open-air ground-floor space under the shadow of the main wing. A grassy dune separates the asphalt lot from the gorgeous wide beach beyond. Inside, the small lobby has a pair of cube-like reception desks and a beverage cooler, while the adjacent breakfast room provides places to sit at tables or window stools, but there's no lounge or substantial common space.
Location
On the beach in a quiet residential area
The Holiday Inn Express Nags Head Oceanfront sits along the wide beachfront in a residential neighborhood. There's a strip mall a block away, surrounded by small rental houses, along with a few restaurants and bars within walking distance. The Wright Brothers National Memorial, one of the area’s top attractions, is a 12-minute drive to the north. It's a five-minute drive to Jockey’s Ridge State Park with its impressive sand dunes, and a 14-minute drive to Bodie Island Lighthouse. Kitty Hawk is less than a 20-minute drive away. Expect a two-hour drive to Norfolk International Airport.
Rooms
Contemporary decor, mini-fridges, and microwaves, plus some ocean-view balconies
The hotel's 100 rooms have contemporary decor typical of mid-range chains, with wood-veneer furnishings and an earth-toned palette. Entryways have cabinets and a countertop with Keurig coffeemakers, mini-fridges, and microwaves, that open to bedrooms with either one king or two queen beds. The former have sitting areas with sofa beds, and all have large work desks with roller chairs beside wall-mounted flat-screen TVs. Free Wi-Fi comes standard. Upgraded rooms with ocean views have small furnished balconies (street-facing rooms don't have balconies). Bathrooms have fun white-and-blue wallpaper with a geometric print, wide vanities, and walk-in showers, as well as hairdryers and toiletries.
Features
Lovely beachfront and free breakfast, but dingy indoor pool
The most noteworthy feature at this hotel is its direct access to Nags Head's sandy beach, over a long wooden walkway that traverses the dune off of its parking lot. The heated indoor pool, on the other hand, is grungy and in need of maintenance, but it opens to a sundeck with a few loungers that has partial views of the ocean. There's a small gym with a treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, and free weights, along with a 24-hour business center and laundry facilities. Free continental breakfast is served in a bright room and includes sweet potato biscuits with and without ham from a local eatery. Kids (and young adults) under 19 stay free with a parent. Wi-Fi is free throughout and free parking is also included, with some covered spots available.
