Like this hotel,cleaning and good location. But i feel i was scammed with the pricing. I called the hotel itself. 3 months before. I was given a price.after making reservation and gave my card info to man at desk.Was even sent an email.When I check in i was charged 300 dollars more.They said because I didnt pay.well I gave the guy my info.But to make matters worse while I was in line at desk after after being here 3 days a women come in for a room,no reservation .staying 5 days like me and she paid what I was originally told I would pay.When we stayed here 2 times before years before this hotel felt family owned and operated. Not at all now,because its not.But its very clean and quiet. Just becareful of being scammed Barbara read more

Super clean and right on the beach with its own gazebo. They have a great outdoor shower so you don't bring all the sand into your room. Pool is open until 10. Best is the location, right on the ocean! Can't get better than that! Each room has a refrigerator, electric stove, coffee maker and ironing board and iron. I'd def come back and stay here and so should you!! Hands down a great stay! read more

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn - Room amenities - Hotels Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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I have stayed at this hotel before. New employee who was trying his best. It's too bad whoever trained him didn't care about his success. The room was nice for the price and the location is great. During stay there was construction near by, and that was a bummer. I could not sleep in. read more

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn - View from room - Hotels Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Always a great experience when we stay here! Wonderful staff, very clean and up to date rooms, delicious breakfast, and perfect location! You are right on the beach when yiu stay here! Highly recommend! read more

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This place has been our go to for 2 years in a row- we love it here! The rooms are always clean, the staff friendly, and the location is perfect. The beachfront access is perfect. read more

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn - Beachfront access - Hotels Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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When I checked into my room, the floor was dirty and there were multiple flies inside. I asked the front desk for another room, but the second room had the same issues -- dirty floors and flies. I even went to see the room together with the receptionist and swiped the floor with my hand to show her that it was dirty. When I mentioned the flies, I was first told that they had just flown in because the door was open. After I pointed out multiple flies already sitting on the window from the inside, I was told, "It's Mother Nature. It's natural." I explained that I did not feel comfortable staying in these conditions and asked for a refund. The staff refused and instead offered to mop the floor or suggested I pay extra for a "better" room. When I kept insisting that the flies were unacceptable, the front desk told me, "You are not working with us; we offered you plenty of options." This was dismissive because the "plenty of options" were essentially either staying between two dirty rooms with flies or paying an extra $50. I also asked to speak with a manager, but they refused to contact one or let me speak to them. During this time, I felt the staff were dismissive and disrespectful. I felt gaslighted and provoked, as they kept insisting the flies were "natural" while I repeatedly said this was unacceptable. Instead of providing a refund, an apology, or contacting the manager regarding the unsanitary conditions and the refund, the hotel called the police, and I was forced to leave the property in tears without any resolution. I was treated unfairly. They knew the problem was on their end and simply handled it in a way that suited only them. I am extremely disappointed with the cleanliness of the rooms and the way this situation was handled. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone. Anti sanitary with serious ethical issues. Called the police for no reason to just force me to leave. Police said that unfortunately it is legal for the hotel to refuse the refund and gave me a choice to leave or to accept one of the dirty rooms. I left and had to book another hotel. read more

Stumbled upon this hotel when planning my trip. Stayed here back in March. When calling to inquire about fees prior to reserving the front desk person that I spoke with over the phone wasn't able to answer my question about how much incidentals were. The room was spacious and pet-friendly. I do like that the hotel has pet-friendly rooms and areas. Breakfast was good. Parking can get crowded quickly. The pet area was convenient and we enjoyed the little boardwalk/gazebo area. The downside of the visit was the neighboring hotel room. They were VERY loud and inconsiderate of others between slamming doors, yelling, and being entirely too extra late at night. read more

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The AC in the room is leaking water and there was a puddle on the floor. So you know it is very old and not well maintained. The beach is very nice. They have a wooden sitting area, a daily breakfast. read more

Great room, great price, great location. Breakfast was ok. Small pool but spent all our time at the beach. Overall great stay.

I totally forgot to leave a review about my experience this time last year! I assume the best signal that someone has a good hotel experience is a return visit. Well I'm currently packing my bags for another visiting starting tomorrow. Super excited! The only hotel I could find that's truly "on the beach". Well maintained and clean rooms. I love the fact that I feel like I'm already lounging on the beach from my balcony. No complaints what so ever. After my upcoming trip I'll be sure to update with some pictures. read more

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We reserved a room with a kitchenette. They don't supply any dishes, bowls, cutlery, dish soap, or knives for prepping. The kitchenette was pretty useless. We couldn't clean anything that we used unless we bought dish soap. We couldn't prep anything. The rooms were not clean at all. Our feet and socks were black with dirt just from walking across the floor. The beds were never changed during our stay. The towels had black hairs and stains on them. There was a black handprint on the back of our restroom door. Would not recommend this property unless you're staying one night and don't care about cleanliness. read more

Although the room looked remodeled, there was many issues with the room and service. one of beds squeeked any time you touched it. We used it for our luggage as there is no room except the floor. No chair except a rolling desk chair to dress. Very small bathroom. No where to put anything. Toilet was loose. Clothes smelled after first night, we think from the air conditioner, as our luggage was nearby. Room service was Awful. Never fully cleaned our room or resupplied towels, cups or coffee. Had to go to front desk to get and complain. Morning of leaving, elevator broke. We were on 4th floor. That was fun! Poor breakfast, no choices. Lots of wear and tear on the buildings. First time and last read more

I absolutely recommend this spot! I went during the offseason and got a phenomenal deal so we came down here for a couple days this March. It seems like the majority of the one- and two-star reviews are from years ago before the hotel must've undergone a major renovation. There was an issue with the lock on our room. Custodian came to fix it and wasn't able to, but the nice woman running the front desk ended up upgrading us to a nicer room for no extra charge! The room was amazing, clean, updated, had a kitchenette, king bed, smart TV, and pullout couch. The bathroom was great too, came with tons of amenities like a hair dryer and body lotion. Only con I had this whole time was that the shower was a little short for me, but that's just a first world problem in my book. I enjoyed watching YouTube on the smart TV before I went to bed at night. As I'm writing this right after my stay in March 2025, continental breakfast IS included with your stay for no extra cost. They have a great free breakfast room called the Sunrise Cafe with muffins, pastries, toast, condiments, hard boiled eggs, juice, coffee, yogurt, fruit, and a waffle maker. It was nice to sit, relax, and enjoy my meal while I watched the news on a TV in the dining room. To top it off, you're right on the beach, you've got a sweet gazebo that looks out over it, and during the summer, there's an outdoor pool open. And the staff is really awesome, very friendly, down to earth people, shoutout to Mitchell (Bud) the maintenance man in particular, had a great time getting to chat for awhile at the front desk. And don't forget the free passes for the YMCA down the road included in your stay, my friend and I enjoyed getting to work out there. Overall, so happy this place seems to have turned around in the past few years. The charismatic staff at John Yancey all seem to have great work ethic and made my stay highly enjoyable. Looking forward to checking in here again sometime! read more

*clean rooms *cute retro appliances *nice staff *on the beach *free breakfast *affordable rooms read more

Always a five star review for John Yancey...we have been coming back for many years with our pups. We love it here! read more

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Very disappointed. This used to be a favorite spot. We probably travel here once a month for a quick getaway but lately always have issues. Booked a room - according to the pictures online this room had a table and a sink area on the counter. Specifically chose this room type for the table so I could play cards with my daughter. That is not the room I was given abs when I went back to the lobby to ask about it was told "that's picture is of the penthouse" - which it absolutely is not. I've stayed in this type of room half a dozen times this year. Would not move me. Room is older and run down. Very disappointed. read more

Wonderful stay and would definitely stay again. Staff were extremely friendly and accommodating. The room itself seemed to be recently updated and was clean and spacious. The view was awesome. The beach access was beautiful and convenient. The location is perfect as it is centered between many tourist attractions in the outer banks (only 30 minutes from Roanoke island). Many great restaurants nearby that are walking distance. Amazing find. read more

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn - View from the "partial ocean view" room - Hotels Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Been coming here for years. -always a great experience, great response with maintenance issues and very friendly. Just please fix the dam ice machine lol read more

Massive flooding in the Carolinas ruined our recent trip, every place we booked was reasonable in understanding our predicament, except this one. Yes, by the letter of the law they had every right to hold us to our reservation and not refund us, but if this is the level of understanding they displayed then not only am I glad we didn't stay there but we won't consider them next time, and there will be a next time. read more

Loved John Yancey. William and Courtney were great. Clean room, comfy bed and pillows. View was ocean and we loved it. Great weekend of knocking boots. Restaurants close by and dirty dicks crab house just down the road. Will def come back read more

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn - Hotels Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Just left from a fantastic stay. Staff & management are amazing. Rooms were so clean & such a great location. Breakfast room was a great plus. Very convenient to so many restaurants. We love coming here since it is pet friendly and we can bring our dog. Everyone working we encountered was very friendly. read more

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn - Hotels Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Stayed at John Yancey Inn for labor day weekend with my family. Our room was very clean when we checked in (we stayed in the separate building to the left of the main building). We booked a "quadruple deluxe room" and it was a renovated room. I could smell lysol/bleach in the room - which was reassuring lol The location is perfect- directly on the beach with easy beach access. We loved spending time at the pool which seemed to also be very clean. It was very convenient having the outdoor shower/bathroom for when you come in from the beach. Breakfast was appreciated- we had no issues with food being gone (we went for breakfast around 9-9:30). Standard breakfast you would expect at a hotel and there are plenty of food options nearby. The hotel fridge was big enough to store some food from the store. I would definitely book here again. read more

We just finished up an idyllic week at the John Yancey Oceanfront Inn and have nothing but good things to say! Absolutely perfect location with walk-on access to the beach, centrally located in Kill Devil Hills with great restaurants and grocery stores just a short drive away, and friendly staff. Check-in was in the late afternoon but the front desk staff happily let us into our room when we arrived (much) earlier, since it was ready. We stayed in a "easy beach access" upper level room, which was recently renovated. It was great! Honestly one of the nicer hotel bathrooms I've been in lately, extremely comfortable bed, super powerful AC (we were freezing, which we prefer- it was that great), convenient mini fridge/microwave, and smart tv. The button to access Netflix etc wasn't working on our remote, but we were too lazy to inquire about it- It's an us issue, not the hotel. We let them know at check out so it could be fixed for the next guest. They also had a continental breakfast, but we didn't take advantage of it. The pool was never too crowded and is open until 10pm. Extremely clean rooms and none of that humid mildewy feeling/smell that is common in smaller beach hotels. No daily housekeeping (standard practice due to COVID) but because we were here for a week, we were given the option to have housekeeping come in at least once. We were also able to request fresh towels, toilet paper, etc from the front desk as needed. The real kicker was the price- It was unbeatable when compared to other properties that we looked at from NJ all the way down the coast to OBX. Truly a great value and exceeded our expectations! All in all, it was the perfect property for our vacation! We're already talking about coming back next year!!! read more

For $350. a night...definitely not a bargain or even fair! No housekeeping...only by appointment which has to be made 24 hours in advance...Clean towels available at only at desk. No housekeeping on Sunday... definitely not for Seniors...no help up 2 flights of rustic stairs...On arrival Front Desk attendant was rude and unhelpful... Not even a minimal service...Not much good I can say about this place other than it is in Kill Devil Hills...check all websites before booking... read more

Great little hotel with direct access to the beaches. Family and pet friendly (too pet friendly). Time has stopped here but good return on cost. Definitely the direct access to beach is what got us here. read more

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn - Sea view - Hotels Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Walk out your room and touch the sand from bottom floor. Legit the beach is out your door. No joke. Forget the other hotels and balcony's. Walk out the door and touch down. Be achy vibe nice room. read more

Not a bad place with its free breakfast and had a beachfront room. 4 stars just cause it's a little pricey for the room size, small pillows and generic hard hotel beds. Room was clean and not falling apart like other older places. Another plus it has outside bathrooms to change while waiting for the room read more

We booked a weekend here in October to get out of town for a couple of days. The price was right and it is right on the beach. The problem was that when we checked in and got to the room, the bathroom hadn't been cleaned. Dirty towels on the floor, spit in the sink, and a q tip laying on the carpet. During the Covid pandemic this was a real problem. The good news is that they immediately loved us to a better room that had easy beach access, so I have to give them credit for fixing the problem. The room was fine and the grab and go breakfast was adequate. The staff was friendly and again, the location is very good. Just a little attention to detail would have been nice. read more

Oh boy...so where do I begin? Before I shit all over the room itself and the room service. I will say, this hotel is very close to the beach and is pet friendly which is super helpful when traveling with a dog. The location is wonderful and parking is great. Tons of spots and it's all very close. I will also mention that the room we stayed in was one of the known outdated models. Apparently this hotel has 3 buildings. 2 of which have been modernized and remodeled.....ours was clearly not one of them. All of that, deserved a star. But let's get real, what matters most is what? The room itself, right? Well as mentioned above, we got stuck with a not remodeled room. Probably because it was a pet friendly room and last on their list to remodel. I get that. However...there are some things I don't get. There were TONS of "little things" that started to add up fast. I'm realistic and understand not everything is perfect. But there were way too many imperfections here for me to want to stay again. For starters. Upon entering for our first time, we noticed a very gross circular stain on a very old IKEA looking bathroom vanity. Other sections were stained yellow and I'm pretty sure a Mr. Clean magic eraser could have taken care of this. If not, replace it! Cover it with new tile or paint or something! Do anything! It looks gross and turned me off immediately. The carpet is ripped in patches. One of our recessed lighting bulbs was burnt out. And just about every electrical outlet would not support any cords. They all just fell out of the wall. In addition to that, the drop ceiling above the shower was...idk how to describe it. Look at the pictures I'm posting. Also, i guess I should feel lucky in only 5'5". My head barely just fit underneath the shower. I feel sorry for any tall person who showers here. AND...that all that worked. The shower. The bathtub sure as hell didn't run any water out of the regular faucet. Believe me, we tried. Even the shower knob fell off halfway through our stay, exposing a metal rod sticking out of the wall. It's obvious none of this has been cared for or replaced in a LONG LONG time. Yes! This review keeps going! Next let's talk about bathroom amenities. Upon entering, we received 4 types of topicals. 1 "body bar" 1 " face bar" 1 "shampoo/conditioner" and 1 "hand lotion". No cups for toothbrushing. No hand soap. And since there's no room service (no refills). That being said, I'm sure if I asked the front desk I could have gotten some more. Yeahhhhh you read that right up there. No room service. Not one maid, not one changed sheet, not one vacuum ran through room during our 4 night stay.....on the beach.....with all that sand......with a dog.....yeah that was fun. So here's what you do. You have to ask for sheets and towels at the front desk. Sometimes they're handed right over. Other times, it took HOURS to receive clean linens. Covid or not. This is NOT OK IN ANY HOTEL. Guests expect a certain level of service and though I don't expect it to be crazy high at a place like this...some would have been better than none. Other hotels have masked maid service during these weird times, and there's no reason why it couldn't have been achieved here. While changing our sheets the first time around, we noticed a disgusting (more than likely piss stain) underneath the fitted sheet. Normally, a guest wouldn't see this. But doing our own linens here, we sure did. The bed was gross, mushy, and possibly not even a queen size as advertised. My wife and I sleep in a queen at home and this felt tight. Like a full size. Nobody even asked us "how was your stay" on the way out. I wanna keep going but this is getting lengthy. Horribly outdated (and cracked) fluorescent lighting ahhhhh there I go again. Ok I'll stop. SUMMARY: Don't stay here. Spend your money somewhere else. Room is gross and there's zero room service. Location and a friendly front desk staff can't save this place alone. read more

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This is an older motel where the rooms have been renovated. I love the beachy style in the rooms. The beds and pillows are very comfortable. The rooms were clean. The front desk staff was friendly. The property was decently quiet. We visited when the ocean was cold and the pool was not open yet, so I can't comment about them. However, they do have some rooms (that were all booked up when I reserved ours) that have balconies right on the beach, and that looks great. Free continental breakfast every morning consisting of coffees, teas, hard boiled eggs, pastries, cereals, waffles, etc. The water in the bathtub is very hot, be careful. Nice, deep tub and good shower. read more

We stayed here 8 years ago and the hotel was dated yet comfortable with awesome staff! Since then it alhas been updated and was clean, clean, clean. Staff is still awesome and very helpful. Hate to give such a string review because I don't want to ruin a good thing, but we will be back! read more

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn - Evening stroll on the beach! Great beach! - Hotels Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Male office staff was rude, aggressive and discourteous. Booked a 6 day stay & day 2 decided to change to a 5 day stay instead. No refund with early departure granted. John Yancey policies are uncommonly harsh for the hospitality industry. Below average. Go somewhere else. read more

We were pleasantly surprised with how nice the room was. We were offered an upgrade the day before we arrived. Breakfast is included. Simple, and OK. Not the greatest, but many places offer far less quality. Easy to get to. Good access to the beach. read more

If you plan on sleeping on your vacation and coming back home with no health issues , then stay away from this place ! You can literally see the hallway through the cracks between the door and a hallway , their personnel was using some broom to brooms carpet past 10 pm and it sounded like someone was using handsaw over our heads . Every single person walking by the room talking in regular voice sounds like they are next to your bed . When personnel moved us to "quiter" room and I tried sleeping , someone next door start smoking weed . And it was coming I to the room where me and my child was staying . I finally said screw it , we are leaving . Person at the front desk said he will ask manager to refund for the night we didnt stay at the hotel . Two weeks later , they refused to send a refund trying to make me a problem . They said weed is LEGAL and they can't do anything about it . Management is absolute joke , hotel is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in my life . And obviously customer service matching it perfectly . Don't waste your money and time , unless you're done enjoying your life and really like to suffer . To management who is 100% sure that it is legal to smoke weed in the hotel or in public place , maybe you should check what state you live in , because that's definitely not North Carolina laws read more

Amazing location, lots of places to eat within walking distance. The room was clean but the floors felt kind of sticky. The bed was very comfortable. Breakfast was good and convenient. The staff was very friendly. The air conditioner was very loud but drown out the other guests that talked very loudly outside our door. The WiFi is terrible and no phone service at all in the area. Overall not a bad stay, would probably stay here again. read more

The John Yancey is the best hotel on the OBX due to the personalized service from Tori and Bud! I've never felt more welcome and at home at an establishment. Rooms are always the cleanest and most comfortable not to mention the views! The staff goes above and beyond to make your stay the best on the beach! read more

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn - Tori and Bud have been the most amazing and hospitable hosts. - Hotels Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

We stayed here 7/15 - 7/17. Unfortunately, we were in the very dated motel building - think Rosebud in Schitt's Creek. Everything looked grimy and smelled mildewy. Neighbors hung out drinking and smoking in front of room until after midnight- I would have called front desk to complain but no phone in room. Also, pool had a film over it with many bugs. Not pleasant. Also, they tell you when they check on that they don't want to disturb the guests by coming into the room, meaning no room service. On the plus side, location near beach was good. Continental breakfast was great. Staff was nice. Giving 3 stars for the pluses - otherwise 2 stars. Wouldn't stay here again unless in newer building. read more

I've spent many weekends here, and it's my go to spot, even in the off season. They have great rates, their staff is always friendly, and their rooms and great. This time I stayed in one of the rooms with a direct view of the beach, it was beautiful and relaxing. Their rates changed after April 1st, which is fine, I still pick this spot. They have a pool and continental breakfast. Can't complain here. They're working on a four seasons section, I think those are a bit more upscale but they look very nice already. read more

We came here for the last week of August right before school starts. When we arrived a nice lady at the desk offered a room right by the beach which we loved even if it was in not renovated part of hotel. I actually prefer this part of hotel because it is closer to the beach and also reminds me all Nicholas Sparks novels. The hotel offers free breakfast, nice size pool, laundry, tv and your private microwave and little refrigerator. It is really a plus when you traveling with kids. Everything was a walking distance to stores and some local restaurant. The hotel was clean but I agree that the smell from the drawers could be fresher. Anyway we did have a wonderful time, the weather was perfect and nothing beats really the closeness to the beach. We will be back for sure. Thank you read more

Plan to book in again next summer :) This was a great find, friendly helpful staff, immaculately clean and fresh new rooms, location is perfect to enjoy the beautiful beaches in Kill Devil Hills. Having a room on the beach side of the newer building with a balcony allowing beauty views of sunrise and beaches. Beds were exceptionally comfortable . read more