Loved my stay at yancey! The rooms are super cute, they offer free breakfast and coffee, and everyone is so friendly. You're right across from kill devil grill (walk over and order the wings, you can thank me later). The rooms are a really good price and super clean which is a hard combo to find when you're a total germ freak like me. I would definitely stay here again!!! read more

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

I got a chance to stay at the John Yancey Inn for two weeknights recently. After surfing the internet for good pricing in the area, I found this hotel to be the best value, particularly for being a direct oceanfront property, as most of the mainstream franchise hotels in the area held much higher rates, even in the off season. It was previously branded as a Quality Inn. The front desk staff was very friendly, and very helpful to answer any questions. I went with a standard two queen bed room in the main building, as it was the cheapest room offered, and everything was in great shape. Free wifi, refrigerator, microwave, clock radio, iron, ironing board, coffee pot, dresser, and full continental breakfast were included at no extra charge. The AC/heating unit was very modern with an accurate digital thermostat and touch controls - no cumbersome knobs that are so predominant at most Motel 6s and the like. I found the ceramic tile floors, berber carpeting, low lighting, wooden furniture/headboards, and high-backed wooden chairs outside all of the rooms to be very nice additions, truly adding to the beach atmosphere. There were a couple of other buildings directly facing the beach that held slightly higher rates, including absolute oceanfront rooms with balconies, in addition to a penthouse suite, which occupied the entire top floor. The pool was seasonal and unfortunately wasn't open, but the entire property appeared to be very well maintained. The paint on the outer walls and corridors held a bit of surface rust, but this is the beach - you'll get that anywhere. Although all corridors, stairwells, and breezeways were exterior, everything was carpeted. Huge sundeck at the back of the property directly at the beach entrance, great for showering off after a surf session. This property was also one of the very few in the area that allowed dogs of any size for a small additional nightly fee. A huge plus was that major shopping centers, bars, and restaurants were close enough to be within walking distance of the hotel. Definitely recommend. read more

See all

Perfect for what I needed for my family for a one night stay. Service desk was really helpful, and they checked us in early which was really great. Room was very clean, which is my top concern during this time. We were in room 325 with a perfect ocean view from the balcony. Just a quick walk to the beach. Plenty of restaurants in the area. I'll definitely visit again. I'm hoping to stay in one of the rooms that open straight to the sand! The only downside is the parking lot, it was pretty tight. read more

S*** hole! This place was by far the worst hotel room my husband or I have ever stayed in. Upon entering, we were greeted by a large stick on the bed, dead bugs on the floor and the stench of cigarette smoke (in a non-smoking room). I slept fully clothed head to toe so to not have any part of my flesh coming in contact with the linens. We were awoken at 6am by a screaming child in the next room... And then again at 10am... And then heard the spanking session at 11am. Apparently the walls and doors are made out of tissue paper. Luckily our stay consisted of one night... We got down there one night before we could check into our house rental. The regular room rate of $179 is absurd!! We got it on Priceline for $112 which is still absurd. read more

The John Yancey Inn is not as bad as many of the reviews online would make it seem. While it is a little run down, the location and price make up for it. This is the kind of place you come if all you care about is immediate beach access and a great view of the ocean. Pros: - They allow dogs, and since the beach in front of the hotel is owned by the property, dogs are allowed on it all day. - The ocean view rooms are right on the beach. - There is a killer restaurant right across the street, and many within walking distance or 5 minute drive. - The staff is mighty friendly. - Free breakfast. - Fridge and microwave in the rooms. - public charcoal grills outside. - quick and painless beach access. CONS: - The pet room carpets are maaaad dirty. - If you want to face the beach and have a pet, you can only get a room with 2 double beds, nothing bigger. It sucked especially cause me and the missus were on our first vacation in a long time. - The tv barely works, and forget hooking up an external device. Reception sucks, can't change the input channel. The set is a million years old, and no one who works at the hotel knows how to use it. - The wifi is shabby at best. i couldn't get wifi to work on my deck. - Pet rooms on ocean only have double beds, nothing bigger. - One of the outlets in the room we were in was buzzing, and the guy came in and "fixed" it, but it still kept buzzing, so we just stopped using it. At the end of the day, if you're on a budget, have a pet, and don't care about the actual hotel itself, JYI is the perfect place to stay. You get a relatively comfy bed, a shower, a tv, and almost always a deck (depending on the room you pick). There are tons of places to eat nearby, and the beach is literally right out the door for some rooms. read more

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

Our stay did not start off as planned. The day prior to our arrival we received an email to do check in prior to arrival. While doing that it gives you the option to upgrade your room. We chose the "indulge package" which was rose petals on the bed, swan towel, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. We arrive to the hotel to check in, guy at the desk stated he saw we had already done check in gave us our room keys and told us where the room was. We get to the room and notice out door is not shut. We go into the room and notice nothing that was supposed to be with the package was in the room. Then we notice water across the floor from the fridge. We call down to the front desk to make them aware of everything. They brought towels up to get the water off the floor. Next morning we were able to talk with the manager who apologized numerous of times. She made us aware that our room was set up the way it was supposed to but there was some mix up and someone else was put into the room that was set up for us. She did refund us back and gave us the champagne and strawberries along with some other merchandise. We understand mistakes happen. Biggest issue we had the entire stay was the walls are paper thin and the room next door to us we could hear every word they were saying and they were super loud and sounded as if they were tearing the place apart. read more

my dad and i are in kill devil hills for a few days. we are staying at the john yancey inn, our room is to small., and the heater doesnt work. my dad needs close captioning on the t.v. it took me a while to figure out how to get it, but i eventually did. once i did get it, you cant see it from the bed. you have to sit right in front of it. and in order to use the bathroom sink you have to bend way way way down. it was designed for a little person. they do offer a free breakfast, serial and oat meal. and one more thing our room doent have enough plugs. we are going to a different motel tomorrow. read more

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

Pros: For the price of being right on the beach, it's not bad. I stayed in one of the ocean front rooms and enjoyed my few. The staff was friendly and helpful. The wifi signal was strong in my room, and the tv was nice. The location is awesome, a stones throw from several restaurants/bars. Also a short 5min drive to local stores. Cons: The room stunk to high hell of cigarettes, no way of avoiding it. All the rooms have a sign that say NO SMOKING but dammed if stopped people because all you can smell is old stale cigarette smoke. The bed was a little stiff but the pillows were nice. Good size room for a solo traveler like myself. Found multiple mosquitoes in the room buzzing about. Don't know what was biting me at night but I would wake up in the middle of the night and have to scratch my arms and legs. I hope it's not what I think it is, BB. Needless to say I put all my clothes in a trash bag and took them directly to a cleaner when I got home, just to be safe. All in all the view,price and location to me were great. If I were unable to find another spot on the beach I would def come back and stay here. Despite the itchy legs and smoke smell. read more

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn - View from 506, beach front - Hotels Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

The pics on your website are very misleading and for the price, I wasn't expecting a run down low maintained room which was not very clean. I was a previous guest (did not remember rooms quite as bad) and should have been given a little consideration in room selection but got one of the worst rooms there. I requested a non pet room 3 times (due to allergies) with no response. Upon checking in I request again with no luck. We ended up staying in this dump only 1 night after paying for 3 with a non refundable rate but weather was bad too so decided to cut our losses and leave rather than sit in an old crappy room and watch the rain fall. Stay somewhere else. I wish I'd have gotten pics of rusted bath fixtures. read more

Don't pass this pass this place up because of the outside. The rooms are newly renovated and clean as a whistle. They may not have the amenities of a chain hotel but the service they do provide is professional and customer first. Make sure you book through them. We are already planning our next trip to OBX and John Yancey is surely in the itinerary. Thanks for a great trip and great customer service. read more

This was a very nice clean motel room. We were on the first floor in the annex. It was laid out very nicely. It even had a couch that could be used to sleep more people. We enjoyed our stay and look forward to staying there next year. read more

BED BUGS!!! I stayed in room 105 which was one of the old rooms that wasn't renovated and woke up with bed bug bites on my face!!! GROSS! I emailed someone to try and resolve the issue at reservations@johnyanceyinn.com and of course I never got a reply! Extremely gross and unprofessional service. If someone tells you that you have bed bugs, that is something to apologize for and not ignore! I can't believe I actually paid full price to stay in that nasty room. Disgusting. I posted a picture for proof. read more

John Yancey Oceanfront Inn - Bed Bugs!!!! Don't Stay here!!! - Hotels Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Nothing fancy and probably overpriced for the time of year, but it was exactly what we wanted. Staff shoveled snow so we could get to our beach front room. It was a weekend getaway for my wife and me and our dog, as my wife had just had scans done and we would either be celebrating the continued absence of activity from her stage 4 breast cancer or we would be refreshing our batteries for a resumed battle. The news was good and we really enjoyed our stay, even with 15-inches of snow. Our dog loved playing in the snow. The room was old, but clean, and the bed was comfortable -- even for two adults and a 70-pound Lab mix. We had no problems and everything was clean and comfortable. We will return to the John Yancey! read more

I know a lot of reviews say the hotel is outdated, but they are actively renovating the property in the off season. We got to stay in one of the newly done rooms, and it was gorgeous. Very large refrigerator, microwave, and a wet bar area. View was only a partial, but we were fine with it. If you are looking for a comfortable place to stay without breaking your bank account and a short walk to the beachfront, be sure to check out the John Yancey Oceanfront Inn. read more

I first found this place the very first time we visited OBX. We were eating at a wonderful restaurant across the street and later looked up more information about this place online. We love that it's close to the beach and that they allow dogs. We stayed here for three days after the quarantine/Stay at Home orders had been lifted. (Covid... what else? lol) The people at the front desk/lobby were very polite and so helpful. They know the area well and had suggested places to go. The people cleaning our rooms were very nice and gave us extra shampoo when we asked. Those teeny tiny bottles are not enough for our family. (My daughter and I have long hair.) The only things I didn't like was that our door would slam loudly when closing. We tried letting it go slowly and easing it shut, but it was heavy. I'm sure everyone around us knew every time we entered and exited. I do think they could update the room a little with fresh paint and maybe new carpeting and wall decor. There's so much potential being right on the beach to give these rooms a cheery and cozy island look. read more

A local motel that is pet friendly. Right on the beach and close to local restaurants. The staff is extremely friendly and is extremely accommodating. Each room has a fridge and kitchen area. It is a great motel to stay at. read more

We booked based off of other online reviews and pictures looked clean. We as a group had 7 rooms we booked, and we won't be back. All but one of our rooms was dirty, musty (expected with being on the beach), but the dirty shower curtains and bathrooms were a turn off. As was the smell of bug spray and the skunk smell filtering from the room behind us. Pillows were cut in half it appears we laughed for a good hour over where our pillows went. The other issue was we had found several dead roaches in our room. The door had about an inch of space to allow critters to venture in. I barely slept. Roaches!!! So grossed out. Ice is not free you must purchase ice. "Free breakfast" is continental and some eggs. Outlets need to be fixed! We'd plug in something and the plug would fall out! This happened to two of the outlets we had to fight over the one that worked and wasn't fill with lights or clocks, TVs. Room needs overhead lighting it's too dim and we had lights out. We called the front desk and was told there was not much could be done because they were booked. We stayed as little in the room as possible and thought about our week ahead in our rental home. I gave it one star the location was great. Pool was good. We have stayed in other motels that had more amenities and cleaner for the same price. read more

See all

Very disappointed with my stay here. We walked in to the room and it was dirty w water still in the tub. We went to report it but the man apologized and said we just needed to lift the drain? Next no room service during our week stay. Had to take out our own trash and towels. Beg for new towels, trash bags and toilet paper. And the lady at front desk said aren't y'all leaving tomorrow? Seriously how rude! I understand the Covid and why we couldn't get breakfast and safety issues but seriously. Then my daughter fell at the pool and broke 2 toes. An urgent care trip later I went to report this happening. So they would be aware and prevent others from slipping and getting injured. The lady could care less and said okay. The beds and floors were filthy. And don't lift the couch cushions if you have a week stomach. I'm so very disappointed in the service here and would not recommend to anyone. read more

See all

Stay away!! This is a very old, outdated hotel! The view is nice if you pay more for it, but our balcony was a disaster! Carpet was torn up and mostly non-existent, and the paint on the walls was horribly chipped...looked like mold was growing on the walls. Our sliding glass door to the balcony hardly opened and we had to pull and tug on it to squeeze outside. I spoke to the GM (Linda) who was more interested in telling me that she works there "24/7, 7 days a week" than listening to a guests very valid concerns. Upon checkout, I asked if the bill was adjusted since our room was not up to par. The unpleasant clerk said no so I asked for Linda. What a huge waste of my time!! She said she could not make any adjustments, only the owner can. She is the GM for goodness sake....without any say so??! She then proceeds to show me where I initialed no refunds when I checked in. Not asking for a refund,just adjust the bill to reflect the crappy room we were in. Asked for the owners name and she said she could it give it to me. No worries...I'll find it and deal with them directly and not their useless employee!!! read more

OK for authentic OBX feel be sure and stay at the John Yancey! When we come back we are definitely going to stay here again

We took a family trip and had two rooms. In one room our floor was sticky and gross. Our key stopped working to our door so if we all had to all leave at one time we had to ask the front desk to let us back in our room. In our other room there was a horrible smell upon arrival. When we said something to the front desk they gave us a plug in for the room. When we woke up the next day our outside door was covered in flies. We paid for an ocean front room and couldn't even open our door to go out on the beach. Don't waist your money. read more

Came here for the first time with my hubby. First, I refuse to pay $200 a night got an outdated two star hotel. I found best price on Priceline and reserved my night. I paid about $120 total with tax. On hotel website same room was $179 before tax. When I called to pick my preference lady named Michele was very abrupt and rude. Stating well since I see you reserved on third party you are stuck with pet friendly room, bla bla bla. When we arrived I see only about three cars in the whole parking lot I ask if we can have a non pet room she again rudely I might add comment your mistake for booking third party, u are stuck with pet friendly room and that I should have booked on their site. Our room was seemingly clean but I did have the weird feeling something crawling on me all night. Only redeeming quality for this room is it's directly across the street from one of our favorite restaurants call mother kill devil grill. Not thrilled they allow animals that are constantly paying right off the deck into the sand where you have to walk to get to the beach. Good luck walking off the back deck into the sand without getting dog pee on your feet. When we picked up our key William was at the front desk he seemed nice but Michele had attitude and needs to be replaced. She by no means has any customer service skills. I would have given zero stars, but I gave one star for convenience walking distance to a restaurant. Cannot comment on pool, we did not use. read more

This was a favorite of our family's fifty years ago; it's lost a lot over time. There used to be a deck with rocking chairs where you could sit and watch the ocean in the evenings. That's been replaced by more rooms to book. We stayed in one of the worst rooms in the motel - second floor, facing the back of the dunes. Plus, with the addition of "pet friendly", we got to listen to a yapper dog whenever the owners were out of the room. There's a complimentary breakfast consisting of bagels, mini-muffins, waffles, cereal, hard boiled eggs, coffee and juice. There's also a coffee maker, refrigerator and toaster oven in the room (along with Wifi and a tv). If you're going to stay here, make sure you get a room WITH a view and WITHOUT an obnoxious pet. (AND watch out for dog waste on the beach. The pet owners can't be bothered to clean up after their pets.) read more

So fun! Room was right on the beach, beds were comfortable, had a pool and swing set for kids. Two BBQ stations for cookouts. Very cool place on the beach read more

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

We chose this room because it was pet friendly and had easy access to the beach. Upon arriving to our room we were appalled at the state of the room - part of the curtain was hanging off of the window, there was peeling paint in the middle of the walls, the shower head was barely hanging on, the faucet in shower was coming off of the wall and moldy, there was old food left in the refrigerator, the carpet was stained and there was a huge crack between the floor and the front door which made it impossible to control the climate. We overlooked all of that but on the last day while getting breakfast we noticed that the breakfast attendant was talking to another woman - unmasked and hoarding around various parts of the breakfast line up with was not only unsanitary but also made it impossible to get to various things. Then I noticed that the breakfast attendant was touching her mouth and nose and not washing or sanitizing her hands before returning to work. Disgusting despite being in the midst of a pandemic. Not a completely terrible experience but one I very much regret paying for. read more

This was the first time we have stayed at the John Yancey. Reviews were a bit sketchy of the place. But we were surprised after we checked in. The room was clean beds were comfortable and it was pet friendly. The tv's are 32 inch flat screen & the the free wifi ain't much it is way to slow. But we couldn't have been happier with the place. I will be back. read more

My husband and I stayed here for two nights as a mini getaway. The location is perfect. You are literally steps away from the beach and one of the best restaurants in town, KDG. We were placed in the Four Seasons building and I believe we're in one of the renovated rooms. We loved how spacious the room was. The fridge was rather big which was nice. The breakfast wasn't anything special but definitely did the trick. Overall, the room was clean which was the most important to us. We booked through hotels.com and got the room for $53 a night which you can't really beat. Our biggest complaints were the paper thin walls and the beds. The bed might not bother some people but for us it was a little too firm and thin. As for the walls, you can hear people slamming their doors and talking in the hall as if they are in your room. I wouldn't recommend using the vending machine; it ate our $2 and never gave us a refund or a soda. The company won't call us back either who is in charge of the machine. Nevertheless, the staff was friendly and even offered us fresh coffee late one night when we came in the office. We would definitely stay here again at the rate we got. read more

See all

I had an unexpected stay at the Yancey over Memorial Day weekend and had a great experience. When I arrived the ladies at the front desk were very accommodating and booked me in an oceanfront room. The room itself was extremely clean and well kept. The king size bed was comfortable and had plenty of extra pillows. Best of all, the balcony, providing a great view of the ocean, was spacious and private; the walls are built so neighboring rooms can't see in. I only wish my stay had been longer and I'll definitely be looking for a room here during my next trip to the Outer Banks! read more

Nice clean room for the price - no complaints - Priceline 93 + tax! Would definitely stay again! read more

See all

If you like paper thin walls, no service whatsoever, and a joke of a breakfast, this place is for you. Only positives were the room was clean and the price was slightly less scandalous then the neighboring properties. Guess you get what you pay for. read more

First of all: the staff is wonderful. What is lacking with updates is made up for with wonderful service. Our room was clean enough - the beds were made nicely with down comforters. Adirondack chairs were on the balcony - the beach was not far at all. For what we got, I wish the rate had been lower, but being that this is the first weekend of summer, it could've been worse. We booked through orbitz and didn't have any problems. Would definitely go back but hopefully at a lower rate. read more

Soo.. I was taking a sh!t when I look up and see there was a gaping hole in the ceiling. Weird. Not to mention it smelled horrible in the room. read more

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

The John Yancey is a great space for the money, especially if you get an ocean view room. However, even if your room faces the parking lot, it's still worth the stay because you are in the beach within two minutes. The staff are kind and let us check in early and out late to accommodate our son's nap schedule. Breakfast is adequate but covers the bases, waffles, fruit, coffee, etc. read more

Loved the ocean front property! Great access to the beach and had an onsite pool as well. Jessica was amazing and helped us out! She was so informative and knowledgeable about the area and what we were looking for. We will definitely be back. read more

Absolutely atrocious. This place smells awful and the rooms are disgusting. The is mildew in the bathroom, broken tiles, and so much more wrong in this room. I would pay money to avoid stepping foot in this $#!+hole ever again. The woman in charge of the unappetizing "breakfast" was snacking from the "food" while standing there. I thought that was classy. The icing on the cake was paper thin walls and other guests partying to all hours of the night. Ridiculous. read more

Location...Location...Location!!! you will love it!! This place is amazing!!!. Clean rooms and excellent breakfast. The staff is great. Wendy the receptionist was so nice. It was my first time in the outer banks and i am so happy that i chose the John Yancey hotel for my experience!!!. I will definitely come back next year!!! read more

Found this room on Priceline. Not sure if I got any better of a deal than the regular rates, but I felt like I was because of it being oceanfront. If you don't care about having a fancy room, this location ON the beach and the proximity to shopping and restaurants is fantastic. They do offer a continental breakfast of fruit, waffles, and the usuual breakfast pastries. Great unless you are a low carb eater...I am. I expected it and came prepared. The rooms do have a microwave and a fridge which is nice for a multi-day stay. We are here mid week but there doesn't seem to be a problem with parking which I expected being this close to the beach on a holiday week. The rooms are mid-century old...there aren't enough outlets so you have to fear being electrecuted when constantly unplugging the coffee machine to plug in the lamp, etc. After getting remote from the front desk (weird????) had to have maintenence come and make the tv work. They did come immediately, in fact a second guy came, so they were double covered. You can also hear through the walls (thankfully kids go to bed early), and maybe we just got lucky but our neighbors sit outside on their balcony all day gabbing and smoking so we have to hear them and step around them through smoke clouds. Overall, the linens are clean and the pillows are plentiful, black out curtains make for good sleep. It'll do. read more

Be very careful. You pay full amount upfront. They will not refund any of your money for any reason. They do not tell you this and no mention is made when you leave a deposit.Paid for 3 days, had an emergency and only stayed 1 night. They just kept the balance. As far as the room, nothing special, thought it drabby, don't walk in bare feet on the rug, you'll stick to it. read more

Decided to stay spur of the moment and the staff couldn't of been more helpful. Even when I decided to extend my stay. The room was great and only steps from the beach. The breakfast hit the spot every morning. This is now my go to place on the outer banks. read more

Nice place for an overnight visit to see the place where man in flight began (The Wright brothers). The hotel was clean and comfortable. The bathroom was nice, bright and clean. The room had a fridge and microwave. They have a grab & go breakfast which has a good variety of items (continental: muffins, pastries, granola bars, cereal, yogurt, milk, instant oatmeal, hot water, frozen sausage biscuits, coffee, fresh fruit, orange juice- they were out of juice the morning we were there, but with the other options it was okay). The staff was very helpful and friendly. The only unusual thing was that the closet was not a regular closet in that you could not put a couple of peoples clothes in there for a week. Thankfully we didn't need it for that long as there was only room on the hangers for maybe eight items. Also there was no telephone in the room which I thought was very unusual as you use them for wake up calls and some people do not have cell phones. But we totally enjoyed our stay; we definitely recommend this read more