The Freebird Motor Lodge is AWESOME--15/10 Recommend! They did a fantastic job renovating an old motel and bringing it up to speed with the times. It has the standard motel layout, but it is FAR from standard. The vibe and decor is lively, fun, modern, unique, and an homage to the Rock Era and Lynyrd Skynyrd. You can tell the owners put a lot of thought into the details.
The layout has the lobby and amenities on the right front when you arrive; along the left and back right are the motel rooms with plenty of parking spaces. They are two stories tall, with stair access to the second floor. If you cannot do stairs, be sure to ask for a room on the bottom level. The amenities include: Pool/Hot Tub, Patio with the Dirty Birdie (Drinks + Flatbreads), Fire Pits, Corn Hole, and Free Bike Rentals.
The pool is a show-stopper! It is in a perfect spot with direct sunlight all day, weather permitting. The hours are from 9AM - 10PM, which is a nice change from many others that close a little too early. The setup was so clever and fun - partial indoor/outdoor via garage (door) style. It was very clean and had an actual deep-end (8 ft). The seating was mixed with tables and chairs, three cabanas (for rent $), and lounge chairs. The number of lounge chairs is one of the only issues I can foresee on a busy day if you want to layout; there were maybe 10-12, which can fill up quickly. They are also a little hard and not really meant for laying on your stomach. They provide pool towels; however, they are on the teeny tiny side. They did have music playing around the pool area, which was a nice, lively touch. On the Saturday we were there, they did have a musician come - not sure if that is a regular occurrence, but it was a nice surprise! The corn-hole is at the back end of the campus, along with two other cabana-style seating areas - those do not cost extra... but do not be fooled when they tell you there are free cabanas in the back; they do not mean the back of the pool.
We stayed in the Standard King. It was much roomier than I expected from the pictures on Expedia. It is built to be efficient yet spacious and not cramped, and again, the details and decor were on point! There is a table with bench seating, bedside tables, an entertainment center, and an open-concept closet/shelving. They provided a few hangers, regular and with pant clips. The drawers were a little on the small side, and the hanging rack was a little low (due to the AC unit), but they both did the job and really were not a problem; plus, there are built-in shelves for extra storage.
The room had an AC unit (+ heat, not that you need that in the summer), a Keurig single-brew machine, and a mini fridge. Note: there is a microwave in the lobby that is available for use and the ice machine is next to the pool entrance. The TV had screencasting/sharing capabilities with very easy instructions on how to connect your devices. There was also a safe, clothes steamer, and hairdryer. There were plenty of charging ports in the room, mixed between regular wall ports and built-in stations in the furniture with both wall and direct cord plugins. The phone was old-fashioned, a cool touch, and the bedside clock had built-in Bluetooth, a sound machine, and the best part- a mag charger plate for your phone! The bed and pillows were super comfortable. There was also a full-sized mirror.
The bathroom was cute (well, for a bathroom). The sink area was separate from the toilet and shower. The toilet/shower room was a little on the small side, like you can't really close the door easily when you're sitting there, haha, but how much room do you really need in there? They had a shelving unit in the sink area with space for your toiletries. For two people, I thought there were enough towels; they were a little bigger than the pool towels, thankfully, but still your standard hotel-sized towel. Personally, I did find the shower pressure/head to be a little light, which was really one of my only bummers - but the soaps smell SO good! It does have a light "man" smell, so if you prefer girly scents only you may not like it as much as I do, but it was not overly manly - just a nice warm oak scent.
Everything was very clean, well-maintained, well-lit, and safe. The staff was also very friendly and helpful. They offered us champagne as we checked in and were accommodating when we asked to extend our stay an extra night. The price I thought was reasonable and affordable, especially for the quality and experience you get. It is a little more expensive on the weekend than the weeknight, but it is in line with the other places around the cape, and some are not as nice, clean, or fun as this one. It was in a good location that was easy to get to and easy to travel to other areas of the cape. I definitely plan on coming back here - I think they have upped the motel game on the cape and did a great job brining an older place back to life with a modern-yet nostalgic style. read more