Dolphin Oceanfront Motel - Nags Head

Inn

We had the best vacation here! Pet friendly and some of the best behaved dogs ever! I say tht bc my little peanut meet two very big dogs and they never hurt her etc it was terrifying BUT there owners taught them well! Our room was great. Only down was paying for the ocean front room I wish y’all had # parking for those rooms. Other than tht the owner/employees are to sweet! I give it a 9 out of 10!

Just left today. The rooms were simple and very clean. Staff was always helpful and friendly. And the location walking out of your room right onto the beach was fabulous. I will definitely return.

Nice place clean and comfortable close to everything.

I HATE leaving bad reviews for businesses, I really do and most of the time I just don’t say anything but this was AWFUL! We decided to extend our OBX stay by a few days so we opted for the Dolphin. If all you want or need is four walls and a roof and as much sand in the room AND THE BED, on the supposed clean sheets, before you’ve ever had a chance to drag sand in, then you’ll be fine. I know it’s ocean front, I know sand is to be expected, but this was rediculous! And there were bugs! Gnats and flies, the biting kind! And there was a distinct smell of sweaty feet that I just kept trying to ignore, but it was def there! Also, I know it’s pet friendly. I even appreciate that as I love my pup, the pup next door was even super cute. But he yipped A LOT, and he might as well have been in our room you could hear it so clearly, (with our box fan and air conditioner on) as well as every time one of his humans tried to hush him or mover a chair. (Maybe consider not being pet friendly with such thin walls or even keeping pet friendly to just one side of the hotel). Still even with all that, I wouldn’t have said anything, but we respectably reported all these problems and asked for a refund so we could go find a nicer place and they adamantly refused to give back one penny. So we’re out somewhere around $600 and heading home. We just couldn’t do it more than one night.

The best feature is opening the sliding back door right onto the beach… only steps to the ocean. The amenities are satisfactory, ready for a few upgrades but overall enjoyable stay.

This was a nice place to stay if you are looking for a clean, affordable, pet friendly place with a friendly staff. It has a nostalgic feel which took me back to the motels my parents took us to on family beach trips. My dogs and I found it comfortable and laid back. If you're looking for luxury or spacious rooms, it's not for you. Parking can be a challenge, but there isn't much they can do about that.

This place is perfect! Priced great, fantastic atmosphere, perfect location, clean. Very relaxed and quiet feel to this place. The owners are super friendly and very helpful. I will definitely be back.

Overpriced for an old, rundown, and outdated motel. We had to stay here after our current hotel had a fire. It was clean, had a nice pool, and right on the beach but pics online are extremely deceiving. Those are pics of oceanfront rooms. We had adjoining room next to office right by the dumpster which smelled and the trash truck woke us up before sun came up from beeping and flashing lights. There were old A/C units stacked in parking space behind office right next to our room. The beds were not queens but fulls. The bathroom was small couldn’t open bathroom door all the way because it smacked the tiny sink and toilet was tiny too and I’m not overweight. There wasn’t even a toilet paper holder and toilet handle broke off and had to flush toilet by opening the tank the rest of the stay. Plug ins in bathroom didn’t work and mirror was rusted. They didn’t have an alarm clock or phone in the room. Payed 584 for two nights in this dump.

Super quaint! Room was clean. Full size fridge. Bed was comfy. The staff was super nice! You can walk right to the beach with a great view. We'll definitely be visiting here again. Pretty cool when you can sit outside and meet other people. So if you need a good place to stay and believe in supporting local, stop on in at the Dolphin! I posted some pics of the beach in front of the motel. The motel photos on the website are descriptive.

Small older Mom n Pop style motel but very clean and right on the ocean. Our room had 2 Queen beds and sliding glass doors looking out on the ocean. Pet-friendly. Great view of Jennettes Pier and it's within walking distance. Bring a flashlight at night and watch the ghost crabs! Staff was very friendly and helpful.

I didn't know what I was getting when I made the reservation while driving there. The motel is very simple, clean and comfortable. They had a refrigerator and coffee maker but that was all the amenities. The best part of the stay is walking to the beach which was right there. Also they accept pets and charge $10.

Super amazing people. The rooms are old. There were a few rollie pollies behind the chairs. Lol. But it was nice.

Super nice people. Easy beach access & great view of Jeanette's Pier! There has always been something going on around the pier when I've been at the Dolphin. Loved seeing all the beautiful dogs there too!

They have a Friendly staff with Beautiful beach front view of the ocean. And pet friendly as well.

What a SWEET SPOT so clean beach right out the back door. Friendly service can't ask for any more!

April 20-22, 2018.
Hubby's Birthday weekend away surprise.
Very enjoyable, perfect accommodations for us. Very clean and comfortable. I would recommend hanging the TV for better viewing and free up space on dresser.
Well designed for pets, (our 4 legged children).
Thank you all. We'll be back ;)

Great Hotel on the OBX. We always extend our vacation here.

This was right on the ocean, open back door and there's the sand. The view was the best. I give it a 5. The room itself could have been updated, water marks on wall where the ocean had flooded. The floor not level and bed wasn't very comfortable. I wouldn't want to be there in a bad storm. I give this a 3.

Rooms were a bit dated, but clean. Well worth the extra money for a room literally on the beach. Friendly staff that helped us find things around town, and suggested places.

Love this beachfront motel and the very accommodating innkeepers who run it. Literally steps from the beach. Beautiful clean pool. Sparkling clean rooms. Pet friendly too! Can't beat it.

Older motel no frills but on the beach and dog friendly. Our bathroom was newly remodeled, the beds were comfy, and there was a frig and coffee maker. Seemed overpriced for the season and the surrounding competition.

This motel isn't the newest — there's obvious wear and tear in places. It's reasonably clean, though (except for the air conditioners). Pets are allowed — which can be good or bad, depending on your tolerance for dogs barking. But the real reason to stay here is the location. The oceanfront rooms are the closest you can get. You walk out the back door and you're literally right on the beach.

Ocean front room are literally on the ocean room are clean and service is great. You are in walking distance yo pier, stores, and resturants. There is however no drink, snack or ice machines on site. But you have a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker in room you also can buy a bag of ice at the office. I will be back next year.

No hair dryer. No microwave. Stained pillow cases. Great location! Comfy bed.

Very disappointed. Not very clean, refrigerator dirty inside, pop dripping off racks inside. Broken tiles outside room on perimeter walkway. I would definitely not recommend this place. No designated parking places for rooms, could not park by room due to visitors taking all available parking. So uncomfortable, we left a day early. I'd rate this motel below acceptable standard. Conveniently located though.

We stayed in room 19 which is close to the office. Upon first inspection we thought the room would work and so we took it. Later in the evening we noticed sand between the sheets. The sheets also looked dingy. When walking on the tile floors barefoot, they had sand and were sticky. As I was getting ready to go to bed I saw a large spider and tried to kill it. It got away. That put me on the alert and so I started to look for others. In the bathroom I saw a large spider on the ceiling, and managed to kill it. I also saw a large spider on the bath mat on the floor and killed it. There was another spider by the air conditioner that was in the window. I still have these spiders and will contact better business bureau to let them know of my experience. The total charge on this room was $190. We have put a hold on our credit payment and this charge is in dispute. The hotel was not apologetic.

If you want to stay somewhere as nice as or more pleasant than your own home don't stay here. The pictures on the website make the rooms larger than they really are. The shower is so small you hit elbows and can't rinse the lower half of your body. I'm not overweight and could barely sit on the toilet. The floors are tile, get sandy quickly, but they provide an old broom and fly swatter.

It was outstanding, I had a great time meeting all the guests from all over the Southern United States. If you're a beach person then this is the place, it's pet friendly the caretakers were outstanding with the rooms. But remember it's an older place it's clean the rooms aren't updated but it's just plain damn fun. I can't wait to come back.

Relaxing and simple. Extremely family friendly environment. Within walking distance to everything you need without breaking the bank. You may wake up to an occasional dog barking in the next room but that only dragged my butt out of bed to enjoy the ocean. Being a coffee snob, I loved the coffee maker provided in the room. Didn't miss Starbucks at all.

I absolutely love this motel. It's humble, modest, on the beach, and working girl budget friendly. Need I say more? This is my second year coming with my elderly dog for a special trip and I wouldn't stay anywhere else. The staff is friendly, and the guests are all dog people — the best kinda people! No frills so don't come if your expecting the Four Seasons! I highly recommend staying here if your looking for a low key relaxing spot with your pooch!

Already giving this place five stars and I haven't even been there yet. Made a reservation for early September and spoke with Wanda who was a tremendous help (and lifesaver! ) to me. This place has great reviews, it's right on the beach and we get to bring our dog with us on vacation! I couldn't be more excited! I just know from the hospitality I received on the phone that this is going to be a great vacation!

Great location! Perfect little motel on the ocean! Loved it!

Few things were broken and there were a lot of flies but access to the beach is amazing.

Clean, pet friendly, oceanfront! Everyone was nice. The rooms are not huge, but they are comfortable & who really needs a huge room when you're at the beach? I would recommend adding pet waste disposals & a designated pet area to avoid accidents around the picnic tables. I would stay again.

Love this place, the only place we stay! The couple that runs it Jim & Wanda are so helpful and sweet, love them!

High price for low condition, you could find better for the same price. Wifi no connection. Uncomfortable bed. Next time we'll find better place to stay…

It's old school, cute and literally on the beach. You have to go across street for coffee in morning and the parking is tight. Shower is buikt for one. The bed was very firm. Good flatscreen, and next to a pier.

Room was clean, staff has been extremely nice towards my wife and i. The rooms have been recently updated I'm assuming because we had full HD cable and new ac units and all the floor is tile and looks to be in great condition. The location is away from the middle of everything but only by 2min so in my opinion its perfect. I would stay here again.

Mom and pop operation. Clean rooms but small. But no microwave or coffee pot. Pool was nice, close to beach. Very nice owners very helpful. But too expensive for what you get. I probably won't stay there again.