On April 11th we checked into The O'Neal. We were expecting a boutique hotel experience. While our…read moreroom was nice our experience was very different. We left the hotel at 6:30 for dinner. When we came back the door was locked. No one answered the doorbell. We called for assistance and were told to enter our room code. Three times that didn't work and neither did the other code we were given. We were told to drive to a sister hotel but our car keys were in the room. We were told someone would be there in 15 minutes. My husband tried entering the last 3 digits of our code and the door opened. We went to our room and packed. As we were leaving a woman opened the outside door explaining that the code worked and that we were being charged for the night. Never once did she apologize. The following Monday I called and asked for the owner's name and contact information. I emailed him about the experience and as of today I haven't heard from him. Very disappointing experience both Amanda Everett, the manager, and Stephen Hill, the owner do not know how to handle customer situations. We also were told that the hotel had problems with the door not opening. Had my husband not figured out how to open the door with only 3 digits we would have been standing on the sidewalk, on a Friday night for 45 minutes.

What a cool place to stay! The hotel was stunning, the room was very clean, and probably the most…read morecomfortable bed I've ever slept in. The decor is unbelievable. We had a fantastic stay!

Absolutely a gem. In town for a dinner , stayed the night. Couldn't ask for a better and unique…read moreplace to spend the night. Very large and clean room. Excellent price for what was provided.

This year my plan is to experience things that are out of my comfort zone. Staying at a motor lodge…read moredid just that!! On a trip back home to NC I decided to see what the hype was all about at Mother Earth Motor Lodge. When we arrived my daughter had a look of concern because it didn't look like our usual hotel choice. Check-in was super easy and the front desk person (can't recall his name) was very friendly...love Southern hospitality. I reserved a double-double suite. The suite was so cute with the 1960s vibe. We had a view of the pool which was surrounded by palm trees...in NC The room was super clean and the beds were quite comfortable. We had a great experience and the hotel is located in the downtown area so we were close to restaurants. We will surely stay again especially when the weather is warmer and we can take advantage of the pool and other outdoor amenities. Moral to this review....NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.

Room needs a real cleansing, better yet, a renovation! Carpet worn down to nothing and stunk…read more Actually the room smelled bad. Dust everywhere and rust throughout the bathroom. Comfortor showed signs of previous blood stains. I didn't complain like I should have because anytime I went pass the front desk no one was there! Saving grace was the 2 awesome women taking care of the breakfast area! Good selection but items were really hot, barely warm. Chef Mic to the rescue. (Microwave) Come on Hilton!

So many issues. The bathroom door is falling apart. The wood under the sink has peeling veneer. The…read morewindow to outside is not transparent. The shower curtain rod was loose. Etc. Drive to Greenville.

The Fairfield Inn & Suites was a decent stay - clean, comfortable, and just what we needed. A solid…read moreoption for a reliable and restful night.

The Fairfield Inn and Suites in Kinston is a newer hotel but it is dirty…read more Housekeeping is either slacking or not properly trained. I found it comical that there was a card in the room claiming what had been cleaned with the enhanced sanitation but the door was obviously missed everyday with all the fingerprints on it. The bathroom floor was dirty and the outlets were covered in something. This is what I could see but what wasn't cleaned that I couldn't see. The hotel lacks signage from the road and isn't close to the other hotels and is outside of town. It is across the street from a Walmart if you have trouble finding it. Breakfast was to start at 6:30am. I went down at 6:40am and it was not ready yet. I would not stay at this hotel again.

We decided to take a small weekend getaway to check out the local hidden gems in the small country…read moretown of Kinston NC. Home to Mother Earth Brewery and The Chef and the Farmer, Kinston is a growing town with a bright future ahead! I'll be honest, lodging is not something Kinston has much of. Outside of a pretty ritzy boutique hotel, there isn't much else. When we called to make reservations at aforementioned boutique hotel, we were so bummed to find it was booked. However, we were informed that the hotel owners had partnered with Mother Earth Brewery to renovate an old hotel in the area within walking distance of the brewery and it would be open for business April 2017. As if that wasn't exciting enough, it would be 1970s themed! Shut up and take my money! Upon arrival, you may be alarmed to find that the room doors open to the outside. DONT PANIC! Most of the rooms are not accessible from the outside. You have to enter from the interior perimeter of the building. The outside doors have been sealed shut but we're left to maintain the original charm of the building. For additional security, there are gates keeping unwanted guests on the exterior perimeter of the motel. You must use your room key to get through the gate. They do have a few rooms on the first floor, outside corners, that do open into the parking lot. They also have a few rooms that are pet friendly! The room is decorated in bright orange, red, and green true to 70s fashion. It was spotless upon arrival and smelled clean. We opted for the larger room with a living area. They did a great job with the 70s decor. True to the 70s but not gaudy or silly. The king size bed is a little firm, but I indeed slept like a baby. Our room also has painted pictures of local landmarks. So far so good in this groovy hotel!

Great in every way. Super fun. We came down from the triangle for just one night and had a blast…read more Super cool and funky. The retro 70s feel was awesome. The pool was great and the staff was so good. We really only came down to eat at The boiler room (my daughters love oysters) and to swim so it was perfect. You have to love a place that has popcorn in the lobby when you check in.

My fiance surprised me with a weekend getaway to Kinston for Chef and the Farmer and we stayed…read morehere. It was incredible driving up the windy hill to this beautiful mansion, and even more exciting when walking inside. The hundred year-old house feels as if everyone just had a huge party and then immediately left - books and furniture are crammed everywhere, decorations aplenty, and, because of the holidays, lots of Christmas trees. We stayed in the Charleston room and I loved the incredible original bathtub and the tall four post queen bed. I enjoyed the wine with Linda and Ward, the owners, chatting with them and the other guests, and the ease of getting downtown. In the morning, after a very comfortable sleep, the stay was made even better with orange juice, coffee, and a HUGE breakfast prepared by Linda of eggs, fruit, bacon, and potatoes. I didn't finish and I wasn't hungry for the rest of the day! Linda and Ward are extremely hospitable hosts and it was such a pleasure staying at their bed and breakfast. It's an excellent place to stay in Kinston.

In discussing Kinston, locals informed us that Bentley is a historic, exquisite property and is…read moreoften used for weddings (because it's so picturesque). Supposedly, the owners travel and subsequently close the inn at random times for random periods. Because our calls were not returned, my party booked at The O'Neil (see my 5 star review of 7/26/15) and could not have had a lovelier experience. I hope in the future the Bentley consider returning inquiries, updating their website or including an outgoing phone message as a courtesy to future travelers.

Little did I expect a PBS TV series to make such an indelible impact on my life, but "A Chef's…read moreLife" has made palpable not only the inner workings of Vivian Howard's Chef and the Farmer, an upscale restaurant in the small North Carolina town of Kinston, but also the key local people who supply the high quality of the food being prepared. Prominent on the show is the congenial farmer Warren Brothers who along with his wife Jane decided to turn their charming home in pastoral La Grange into a B&B. Once I got wind of this, I made a reservation for a private room for my partner and myself in April, so we could frankly meet Warren and see where several of the key scenes on the series took place. What I didn't expect was the overwhelming generosity of our hosts in providing an experience that will remain parked comfortably in my memory. First, Jane was extraordinarily kind in ensuring we had a good time that she connected me with Vivian's wondrous assistant Holley. Holley took us to several places of interest in Kinston like Mother Earth Brewing, the Buy Local art gallery, and the newly refurbished O'Neil Hotel. As Jane was unfortunately out of town when we arrived, Warren took over and immediately made us feel at home. He not only took the time to stay up and chat with us after our marathon feast at Chef and The Farmer, but he asked Lillie to come over early in the morning to make her famous biscuits (photo: http://bit.ly/1G870iS). We already adored her from the series, and as it turned out, she is even funnier and warmer in person. What a treat to shoot the breeze with Warren, Lillie and Holley over those incredible biscuits and fresh over-easy eggs that came straight from the chickens at his nearby farm (photo: http://bit.ly/1aIk3w5). After breakfast, Warren guided us to his two-acre farm down the road where we watched him feed chickens and pigs and started to wash the turnips for transport (photo: http://bit.ly/1G91nnc). As for our accommodations, the 1853-restored farmhouse just felt comfortable the moment we stepped through the back porch door. Our bedroom was warm and spacious, an ideal setting for the claps of thunder we heard through the night. They certainly made sure to stock the bathroom with every amenity. We loved all the family photos and paintings on almost every wall because you really felt the love in their family. I even thought it was heartwarming to see a huge "Breakfast at Tiffany's" movie poster on the wall since I am such an Audrey Hepburn fan. How did they know (photo: http://bit.ly/1bc4k92)? Oh well, I guess that's what family is all about, and that's what Warren and Jane are genuinely all about, making their guests feel like they are part of their family. I could not recommend staying in their home highly enough if you plan to create your own "A Chef's Life" adventure or even if you simply want to take in the beauty of Eastern North Carolina. It's an experience you will never forget.

Really enjoyed our stay. Warren and Jane were very hospitable hosts. Entertaining, knowledgeable…read moreof the area. Very comfy beds. Great breakfast. Would definitely stay again.

I decided to stay at the Quality Inn Kinston again, because of my great experience here last time…read more I was welcomed warmly at the front desk. The room is extraordinarily clean, and the mattress is very comfortable. The next time I'm here, I plan to take advantage of the swimming pool. It's not a large pool, but it's obviously very well maintained. Keep up the good work!

While driving from Virginia to Florida, we took a detour to Kinston. We should have kept going…read more The price was OK; but, during the night the heater/air conditioner seemed to have a mind of its own. Sleeping was difficult. And, the next day, I had a cough which turned into bronchitis, which resulted in us being denied boarding on a cruise. All in all, this was an inexpensive night that ultimately cost us a lot more money in other ways, including the loss of the price of a cruise. Next time, we will skip Kinston and just keep going!

Poor Communication, Rude Management, and No Housekeeping. I travel monthly for work and can…read morehonestly say this was one of the worst and most unprofessional hotel experiences I've ever had. Prior to the cancellation deadline, I called the hotel to adjust my reservation from Thursday-Sunday to Friday-Sunday because my daughter had exams and we would miss the first game of the tournament we were attending. When I called, the front office staff stated there was a system issue and told me to contact reservations because they were "too busy" to assist. The reservations representative was very kind and helpful. They documented my account showing that I called before the deadline and advised me to contact the manager the next day because they were also unable to make the change due to an issue involving the Apple Pay payment selection. When I called the manager the next day and attempted to explain that reservations had documented my prior call, I was immediately interrupted and told, "Can you let me talk please? I was here and you did not call." Basically, I was treated as if I was lying and told I would be charged anyway. Ironically, when I arrived later that evening (since I was being charged regardless), the front desk staff apologized and confirmed they remembered me calling. The manager's attitude and lack of professionalism were completely unacceptable. Customer service, communication, and basic professionalism clearly need improvement. To make matters worse, there was no housekeeping during the stay. Guests had to bring their dirty towels downstairs just to receive replacements. After doing so, we were only given one towel and one hand towel -- no washcloths at all. Needless to say, I checked out early on Saturday and will not be returning. There are far too many hotels that value their guests and provide professional customer service to waste time and money on an experience like this.

We have a really nice size tv in the room with no tv controller. Lol... that's funny... but it's…read moreokay... we had iPads and our phones... but I didn't like that. There were stains on the bathroom counter which means it wasn't cleaned properly. One of the pillows had something on it. Idk what that was or what that was about. We were here for a friends wedding and I was not a fan. I normally love a Holiday Inn... but not here. The breakfast was decent. No complaints there. The girl at night working the desk was soooo friendly but those two women in the morning.... Not so much... We had one towel and 3 hand towels and one wash cloth at check in. It was nice that we had the do not disturb hang tag on the door and they left a little bag with towels and toilet paper at the door in case we needed it.

(Note: Previous reviewer Callie stayed before major flood in Kinston.) Furniture looked like…read moreGoodwill rejects, was old, mismatched and tired looking. Chair had large holes all the way thru chair. Footstool did not match chair and looked like a dog got hold of it. Lampshade looked like it had been in gunfight. A/C took forever to cool room, finally fell asleep about midnight. I had a two night reservation, but only stayed one night. Room smelled very musty, like mold. Woke up very congested. Floor was warped and creaky. (Apparently owners pocketed flood insurance $$$ and never repaired floor after last flood, just recarpeted.)

Today, I booked a room through Orbitz for my mother (who is in Wayne Co. North Carolina, directly…read morein the eye path of Hurricane Florence). I received my confirmation, spoke to the hotel to let them know I would not be there, but it was reserved for my mother. In the midst of letting them know to change the room name from mine to hers, the hotel manager decided to cancel the reservation. I then called Orbitz, who confirmed that the room was cancelled. Orbitz was told they would be closing the hotel until after the hurricane as the hotel was in the path of it (which, unless it changes course is a lie). It did not ring true to me, so I called the main reservation line for the chain. In accounting to the rep what had occurred, the rep was in the process of reserving a room for me (the hotel still had rooms and was still open). The rep decided to call the hotel directly to verify the acceptance of the reservation and the rep was told that yes, they are cancelling all third party reservations (price gauging on the cheaper rates) because they wanted folks to call the hotel directly in order to book (at a higher rate) and because the manager had implemented a NO REFUND policy because (and I quote) "We're not giving out refunds if we lose power". People are fleeing for their lives and quite honestly, I don't think anyone would care about loss of power as long as they were safe. That is what I told the phone rep....and then I asked, well, don't they have a generator? Well, evidently they have a small generator that is only big enough to supply power to the manager's space. First, its a hotel in eastern North Carolina. There are hurricanes often.....you aren't better prepared than that? Second, you literally cancelled all third party hotel rooms......BREACH OF CONTRACT.... and lastly, you want people to only book with you for the higher room rates.....PRICE GOUGING. You're disgusting and once I find out what agency to report your gouging to in NC, it will be carried out.