The Berkley Manor — Attraction in Ocracoke

Our stay at the manor was a mixed bag. We travel to Ocracoke twice a year for rest, relaxation, and the fabulousness that is the island. The stay at the Manor was the more stressful than relaxing. We had attended a private wine dinner at Manor and also two events at the barn which shares the property on previous trips. This trip was to be the best, so we thought and we were wrong. We were met by Phoebe, the caretaker, who is also married to Rob, one of the owners of the land. She was generally friendly. She informed us that only one key is given and we can leave it under the pot by the door for all to use. Upon her departure we set up the house with our large group. The space and history of the house are GREAT! We knew the house came with a modest kitchen, though the kitchen was the pits! The one mixing bowl had a hole, the pantry/storage area was a mess with the Owners items and decor. The cheapest quality cookware, limited on every aspect. Though the state of the modest kitchen was nothing compared to the onslaught of people walking into the house, being disruptive, etc. why? I think the house is such a piece of Ocracoke history and that there were major ticketed events that would take place for Ocracoke festival, that was celebrating a huge anniversary. The owners offered no real help, except for signs written with pink highlighter(not effective), that stated private residence. I spoke with phoebe about the almost constant disturbance by people. I also spoke with phoebe about the horrible state of kitchen, nothing was done to remedy anything, except for the signs. The last night we were there, after our children went to sleep as did we, a woman with ldark hair let herself into the Manor and went through to the private professional kitchen and then left through the kitchen door that leads outside. All which should not have ever happened!!! I mentioned all of this to Phoebe and Rob, via email and text, to which I was told It wasn’t phoebe as she wasn’t on the property that night, which is false, as the whole party saw her at the other house on property. The early setup and late nights of the festival, the almost constant intrusion from members of the public letting themselves into the house, trying to gain access to the house, etc made its a very stressful time. We also heard from two separate locals that Phoebe stated we looked like troublemakers and rough. Which is absolutely ridiculous. We were a group of professionals with well behaved children. We had two enjoyable days without intrusion the remaining week was awful. Phoebe or Rob text locals that we were bothered with their polite requests to gain access to the house, which was false. Also, the bathroom off the TV room was used as a storage closet for Rob and Phoebe, with tons of boxes of glasses. Half of the beds were rock hard. Two beds comfortable. Overall this stay left us most unhappy. All of which could have been prevented if the Manor was under better management and ownership. The annual festival is wonderful and we were fortunate to enjoy from the Manor porch. With better signage much of the public intrusion would have been prevented. Though most importantly, don’t speak poorly about guests which is totally unprofessional and wrong on the part of Phoebe. We did text and email at the end with how unenjoyable our stay was. We were met with an aggressive and defensive email from Rob. With no accountability on their part. We responded to their email with zero response from...

A very poor stay for our family and friends. The property is improperly managed by Phoebe and Rob. Our trip was spoiled by intrusion from the general public, as no signs stating house is not open to general public. Rob and Phoebe did not take steps to secure property when very large public event is being held at the Barn, this caused many of people walking into the Manor or sitting on the porch, etc. the worst was a woman let herself in near midnight with key, then walking to the commercial kitchen that was locked and exiting from kitchen door to the outside. Our children were asleep, except one who woke to the woman, I also saw her as she walked into commercial kitchen. It seemed to be Phoebe. Rob via email, stated it wasn’t not as she was not on the property that night. Which isn’t true. Our whole party saw Phoebe that evening at the other house on property. She walked her dogs, etc. it may not have been phoebe, though don’t tell a tale. We also heard from locals that Phoebe said bad things about us, which was uncalled for and unprofessional. The house itself was large and excellent location. Some members of the party thought beds were extremely firm. The modest kitchen was ill equipped. The pantry a mess. The cheapest cookware and very poorly stocked with items to use. A main bathroom was used as a storage room with many boxes of glasses. I reached out to Phoebe to discuss the stay. I then heard from Rob via email. He was defensive and aggressive. He offered zero solution. Insisting we had not communicated to Phoebe about our issues and concerns, which is false. She did nothing to remedy the poorly stocked kitchen. She only offered one key and with a party of 16, one key doesn’t cut it. Also, with so many people setting up for the festival and so many people roaming around the property where could one hide the one and only key discreetly??? The only thing that happened were signs with pink highlighter that one could barely see stating it was a private residence. The owners packages were delivered to the house. Phoebe let herself in many times without asking us, etc. overall, a poor stay. The house has such potential and needs to find...

Our wedding was held at The Berkley in September, and we could not have been more pleased with our experience! We rented the Berkley Manor and the Berkley Suites, and both spaces were perfect for our needs. We hosted lots of friends and family throughout the week, and the spaces had everything we needed. The Manor is a gorgeous home that captures the history and charm of the Island. The Suites are beautifully decorated and offer ample privacy, modern conveniences, and stunning views of Silver Lake.

The Barn is a great space for any event. It comfortably fit 175 people for our dinner and dance party! The wooden interior is cozy and beautiful. The covered porch is very helpful in unpredictable coastal weather, too!

Phoebe Orr, the venue coordinator, is absolutely wonderful! She is kind, accommodating, and her attention to detail is phenomenal. Family emergencies and extenuating circumstances made planning our event a challenge, but Phoebe was so understanding, flexible, and helped us figure it all out! She helped bring calm to the chaos! She worked incredibly hard to be sure the space was perfect for our big day. She is the beating heart of this amazing venue, and it was a joy to work with her! We love...