The Tranquil House Inn - Manteo, NC — Hotel in Manteo

We were overall quite disappointed with our stay at the Tranquil House Inn. As other reviewers have written, it is advertised as being a cozy, unique property, though multiple issues left us feeling like something was missing for the price paid.

-Arrival - parking is on-site, easy. We were greeted by an employee in the parking lot to help us with our luggage. Only to realize later that he was doing this since the front desk had already closed (at 6pm!), and he was in a rush on his way out for the evening. Note: no elevator on the property, so if you stay on the 3rd floor, there are a lot of stairs to climb with luggage/stroller, etc.

-Reception: often no one at reception. Sometimes a few ladies were there simply chatting. No effort to be personal. Upon check-out, the lady seemed surprised that I was stopping by to check-out. Perhaps a leftover covid measure, but you do not even need to show your face upon leaving!

Internet - this barely worked for the duration of our stay. No functioning signal in our room. The IT came to fix it after day 1, and it worked at a slow speed with low signal for the rest of our time there. Not dependable.

No laundry service on site - for people coming to stay for a few days or more, especially in high season, we found this surprising. They send you to a laundromat down the road.

Breakfast - as other reviewers have mentioned, it consists of: -Orange juice bottles from concentrate -Hard boiled eggs -Yogurt parfait -Bowl of fresh fruit -Muffins (not homemade) -Coffee pot + tea (hot water was not even put out. You had to walk into their kitchen and take it directly from the industrial-sized machine)

…again for paying $400/night, you would expect to at least have a toaster with some slices of bread to eat with your egg! The breakfast attendant barely said hello.

-No room service unless you request at the reception.

-Cleanliness: this was a big one for us. Upon arrival, we questioned how well the room had been cleaned as there were sand/dust bits under the beds and in the corners. The stairs/hallways of public places were filthy. Someone had left a plastic container of their dessert from the night before on the stairs - after almost 24 hours, I picked it up myself as clearly no one else was bothered by it.

The positives: -nice location in Manteo with gorgeous setting on the bay -very walkable to local restaurants and coffee shops (and bars) - perhaps why this property seemed to cater to 50+ crowd, not families with young children. -bottles of plastic water put out in lobby -1587 restaurant - serves decent food and good drinks -close to historic sites and 10-15 min drive to Nags Head -nicely furnished, spacious bedroom -Beautiful 1st floor deck overlooking bay/marina

We would probably not stay here again as it simply was not worth...

I love the staff! They go above and beyond to serve and help your every need. Ashley has put up with our early arrival changes to last minute working us in on various occasions. Love you Ashley! You’re the bestest. Jackie, Marci and Chuck always greet us with a smile and are willing to share and answer every question we throw their way! We enjoy so much talking and spending time with ya’ll. They put people first before their own needs. They are constantly updating their rooms and the premises each time we visit! I can not say enough about the staff! They are exceptional. Gigi is so attentive to their breakfast spread and Frankie does a great job at keeping our rooms clean and providing extra supplies when needed. Location is perfect with easy access to local shops, eateries, bars, tearoom, etc. and plenty of reserved parking for guests. The only down fall which may not be helped is flooding on ground walkways and a portion of the parking lot with heavy rains but who doesn’t like stomping in a puddle anyways, right? Of note, flooding is an issue all around the OBX not just at Tranquil. The rooms are supplied with coffee makers, hair dryer, ironing boards and iron, night light and umbrella for the small amenities. Refrigerator, TV, table, desk, chairs for larger amenities. And I can’t go without talking about 1587! The BEST place to eat!! Chef Alex is the best! The food is cooked to perfection with a nice variety and exploding in flavor!! Thank you for appealing to my taste buds! Just awesomeness!! I have to mention those who assist like Kay who taught me how to cook the perfect scallop!! Thank you Kay and Shay who relayed what I couldn’t hear and who was the perfect waiter!! Nichole, Topanga, Caleb at the bar were just wonderful serving up service and drinks with ease. And the mastermind behind it all….Chris who went over the top to take good care of us and his staff. Thank you Chris and again congratulations on your new management position! So thank you one in all and I’m sorry if I left anyone’s name out who has been a blessing to me and my family. And of course, thank you to the heartbeat of it all, Mike and his lovely family! Thank you for providing a home...

My husband and I have been coming to the Tranquil House since we got married 6 years ago. We have been there about 4 time in the last 12 months. Despite how EXTREMELY outdated the place is we go anyway because we love how Jay, the lady who checks us in treats us when are there and we love the view! However, our last stay which was this past weekend 7/23/14-7/26/14 we decided to take our boys ages 13 and 16. We wanted to share with them our love for manteo and have them experience this place with us. We paid nearly $300 for our room as we needed a 2 Queen bed with a sleep sofa. When we got there everything was as expected. The tiniest of tv's..19 inch old school, tube style, bathroom door not closing all the way, the toilet not flushing and having to get the plunger, having to hold down the handle with each flush, only given one shampoo and never replenished had to keep asking for it, ice machine was still broken since our LAST visit, dresser drawers falling apart as we open them, deck furniture about to break apart, steps that are not equal height and cause tripping. Anyway, we go to pull out the sofa bed for one of my sons and he falls to the floor. Broken. I call and they have nowhere else to put us and only offer us 10% off our stay. We carry on and have a great time despite the occomodations..enjoy the beach, paddle boarding, etc. I noticed the night before we check out that my card was charged the full amount for our stay. I question the lady behind the desk (NOT JAY) she ever so CONDESCENDINGLY explains to me how the discout will not reflect until I check out. What I am about to say right now is why I rated this place 1 star and why my husband Bryan Aker and I, Lynette Aker will NEVER EVER return to TRANQUIL HOUSE INN. I called the morning of check out to ask for a late checkout and was told no. After ALL OF THAT! They could not afford me and my family ONE EXTRA HOUR!...