My Favorite North Carolina Paradise: The Sea Ranch Resort

If you've never experienced the Atlantic Ocean, this is where you need to do it. Three weeks ago, my family made our third trip to this charming Outer Banks getaway.

​The Sea Ranch Resort is located in Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Although, don't let the name fool you, it's affordable, especially in a shoulder season. (I'll talk more about that in the price break down below)
​

How We Got There:

• Flew into Norfolk International Airport in Virginia
• Rented a car using Enterprise
• Drove 1 hour and 45 minutes to Kill Devil Hills, NC (which is on the banks)

A Quick Tour:
​The Sea Ranch has three different options for accommodation: Oceanfront guest rooms, main building guest rooms, and sea ranch condos. We've stayed in both oceanfront rooms and most recently, their condos. Here's a quick tour of what the condos look like...

• Living room: couch is a pull out bed and this space is right next to the balcony (so you can leave the door open and fall asleep to the waves!!) Plus, aren't these colors so fun? Light, rustic, and beachy. Love it.

​

• The master bedroom: ​​​YES, THAT'S RIGHT, THIS IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE BALCONY. So that makes two places to post up for sleeping RIGHT NEXT TO THE WATER. There's a tv in both the living room and the master, so if you're traveling with your fam this is good news!

• Kitchen: Guys, there's a full kitchen. Yeah yeah I know, with the word condo you can assume there's a kitchen. Only, this kitchen was stocked with dishes, glasses (and wine glasses), coffee mugs, pots/pans, silverware, AND coffee filters for the coffee maker. Can't get better than that right? IT CAN. There's also a washer and dryer in the pantry!! Like what? I seriously washed all my dirty clothes on our last day and didn't have to do an ounce of laundry when I got back. ;) Talk about convenient. 

​​

• ​Spare bedroom: Anyone else in love with that middle throw pillow? I wanted to take it home so bad. Besides this hella cute decor and accent wall, this room also has a BATHROOM! Two bathrooms. Which is suuuper nice if you have extra guests coming to stay. Along with that, this bed was by far the comfiest thing I've crashed on for awhile. 

​

Now that you know what this cozy condo looks like, let's break down the pricing...
​
Summer season: June-August (I wouldn't recommend visiting during this time unless you're okay with terrible traffic, high room rates, and crazy crowds.) Not even gonna throw out the price because I personally wouldn't spend money here during the summer months. 

*These prices are based on my search today using hotels.com. First, I selected Nov. 30th-Dec. 1st, 2017 to retrieve prices from a weekday standpoint. Then I selected Dec. 1st - 2nd, 2017 to find the weekend price change. (Keep in mind this is only one month prior to my stay.)

Weekday price-

• Main building guest rooms: $51 (non-refundable) and $64 (free cancellation)
• Oceanfront rooms: $84 (non-refundable) and $105 (free cancellation)

Weekend price-

• Main building guest rooms: $58 (non-refundable) and $72 (free cancellation)
• Oceanfront rooms: $84 (non-refundable) and $105 (free cancellation)

​

To my knowledge, the only way to book a condo is directly through their website. 

A weekday night-

• Using Nov. 30th-Dec. 1st as my date, a condo would cost $118 (non-refundable), $127 (a fall season discount), $169 (cancellation available, but comes with $150 fee)
• The price didn't change when I changed my reservation to a weekend night.

Lemme tell ya. These prices are SUPER reasonable. The view and beach access are phenomenal. It's the perfect spot to experience what the banks has to offer.
​

If you can't decide which option is for you, consider these factors...

• How many are you traveling with? As a couple, the oceanfront room gives you more than enough space. With four or more, I would consider the condo, to keep your family's sanity in tact. 
• Have you been to the banks before? If so, you may want to take the cheapest route and rent a room in the main building. The walk to the beach is still a breeze. If not, spend a little more to give yourself the full experience of falling asleep right next to the water, with either the oceanfront room or condo. 

Hotel Perks:

• Numerous restaurants, gift shops, and grocery stores nearby
• 20 minute drive from Duck (classy little town with a winding boardwalk and great places to eat on the water)
• 1.7 miles from Wright Brothers National Memorial
• 5.6 miles from Jockey's Ridge State Park
• 10 miles from Jennette's Pier
• Beachside Bistro (Which is on the ground level of your resort) I can't imagine anything better than ending a beach day with appetizers, drinks, and live music. *Coming soon: A post all about this cute lil' bistro! Click here to check out their schedule for live music. Looks like it slows down around December!

Book your visit now and have your first relaxing day without even leaving their property. 
​​

​Overall About the Hotel:

• ​Rooms were extremely clean
• It never felt unsafe (Doors from room lead straight outside)
• Staff is super friendly and helpful
• Elevator isn't very reliable, but hey I probably needed that extra trip up the stairs after dinner anyway. ;)

*No guys, they didn't pay me to write this. The Sea Ranch is just one of those places where you visit once and can't stop returning to. 

I hope you love it as much as I do. 

Wanna read more about North Carolina? Here's 10 Reasons Why I Adore OBX.

*Do you have a favorite hotel on the Outer Banks? Which one?

*What's your go-to vacation spot and why?
​