Best Boutique Hotels on the North Carolina Coast

From the outside, this upscale and picturesque hotel looks more like a private home than a hotel. It's covered in brown weatherboard siding with white framed windows and white balconies, and yellow Adirondack chairs dot the grassy lawn, looking toward the sound and waterside dock. The 16 charming suites are equally homey, with private master bedrooms, kitchenettes (the hotel will stock pantries with groceries for a fee), leather couches, and cathedral ceilings in the top-floor rooms. There’s no beach access, but there is a wooden walkway with a big gazebo on the waterfront as well as an outdoor pool and hot tub with a separate children’s pool. Free coffee and pastries are offered in the lobby and portrait sessions can be arranged for an additional fee -- a fun and unexpected feature.

Though the Blockade Runner’s exterior is average at best, its interiors are eye-catching. The lobby ceiling is reminiscent of the waves of the ocean and the bright patterns -- think sea-blue tiled walls adorned with a school of silver fish, purple chairs, and a zebra rug -- are definitely conversation starters, if not to every travelers' taste. The rooms are comfortable with varying decor -- from standard tile floors and white bedding all the way to electric-blue wallpaper and zebra rugs. The bathrooms, while modern and stocked with toiletries, are small. The grounds are quite pretty, featuring a large lawn and a lovely, picturesque white walkway to the wide, sandy beach with nautical flags. 

Across the street from the ocean and Crystal Pier in Wrightsville Beach, Sandpeddler Inn & Suites is a quaint property with privately owned condos. Though the 21 one-bedroom condos are individually owned and decorated, all have a full kitchen or kitchenette and a furnished balcony or terrace with ocean views, plus free Wi-Fi and daily housekeeping. There's a small outdoor pool on-site, and a free continental breakfast is served, but there is no on-site restaurant.