John Yancey Oceanfront Inn

The family-run John Yancey Oceanfront Inn is located right on the beach, on landscaped grounds with shrubbery, a flower garden, a lawn, and gazebo. Rooms are housed in a series of two and four-floor buildings. Guests enter to a muted beach-themed lobby with colors of sea blue and ocean-inspired artwork -- coffee is available here throughout the day. A 400-square-foot oceanfront dune deck with picnic tables and views of the ocean also makes a fine place to gather in high season. During summer months, there's an outdoor pool and children's pool, but the main highlight of the hotel is its location directly on the beach, where there are activities like sunbathing, volleyball, swimming, surfing, and stand-up paddle boarding. The hotel primarily draws families and couples, who appreciate the oceanfront location, pool, free breakfast, and affordable room rates.

The beachfront John Yancey Oceanfront Inn is within a short walk of Kill Devil Hill's surf shops, souvenir stands, ice cream parlors, fast-food outlets, seafood restaurants, and a laser tag and 3D games center -- there's plenty in town to keep kids and adults happy. Of course, the main draw here is the beach, which is literally out the back door of many rooms here. The Wright Brothers National Memorial, honoring the aviation pioneers, is a seven-minute drive from the hotel. It's an eight-minute drive up the highway to Avalon Fishing Pier, and also eight minutes by car to the Nags Head Woods Preserve. Manteo, Roanoke Island Festival Park, and the North Carolina Aquarium are a 20-minute jaunt. Bodie Island Lighthouse is a little under 20 minutes by car. Corolla and its famous wild horses is about an hour up the road. Norfolk International Airport will take 90 minutes to reach from the hotel. 

The 108 rooms at John Yancey Oceanfront Inn are clean and pleasant, but won't inspire any great soliloquies on style. Rooms are generally spacious, with good natural light. Some rooms have a subdued color palette of light green, beige, and brown, while others have a more energetic palette of yellow, plum, and teal. Situated in a series of two and four-story buildings, many of the rooms are arranged along exterior corridors that can pick up noise from neighbors and the road, and the style in most rooms is outdated. Expect to see floral bedspreads in some rooms, warped drop ceiling tiles, and plenty of wear and tear on light wood veneer furniture. That being said, the rates here -- and the location directly on the beach -- keeps plenty of visitors happy enough. Sea Building rooms are right on the beach, with no dunes obstructing views of the ocean. These rooms also feature sliding glass doors and private balconies or patios. Four Seasons Building rooms have private balconies or patios -- upper rooms have ocean views, and ground-floor rooms have direct beach access. Upper Level Building rooms feature partial ocean views from some rooms. Main Building room doors directly access the parking lot, with Adirondack chairs outside rooms. Rooms all come with coffee/tea makers, microwaves, refrigerators, free Wi-Fi, and 32-inch flat-screen TVs with HD channels. Bathrooms are clean, well-lit, and spacious, with ample counter space and shower tub combos. Some rooms have sofa beds, and efficiency rooms with kitchens are available. A Penthouse Suite has two full bathrooms, a living area, dining room, large full kitchen, and two private balconies. Some rooms allow smoking, and some allow up to two pets for a nightly per-pet fee. 

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn is directly on the beach -- sunbathing, volleyball, swimming, surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, and other activities are just outside the hotel. Beach chairs are available for rent. The hotel's freeform outdoor swimming pool is open in the summer, and heated as needed. A seasonal children's pool is adjacent. The hotel provides free passes to the Outer Banks YMCA, located a few minutes' drive away and featuring an indoor pool, seasonal outdoor pool and water park, fitness center, racquetball and basketball courts, exercise classes, a skate park, and free child care. The John Yancey serves a free, fairly simple continental breakfast of toast, bagels, muffins, cereal, hard-boiled eggs, fruit, yogurt, coffee, tea, milk, and juice, with hot waffles only in the summer season. A restaurant for lunch and dinner is across the street, with several others a short walk away. The inn also has a playground, picnic tables, barbecue grills, gazebo, coin-op laundry, public computer, and free parking. The front desk is open around the clock most of the year, with limited front desk service in low season. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and the property is pet friendly. Pets are not allowed around the hotel pool, lobby or breakfast room, or on Kill Devil Hills' beach in summer high season.