First Colony Inn — Hotel in Nags Head

We stayed here from March 28- April 1 |After reading many reviews, we decided to stay at First Colony Inn as It offered something different to the chain hotels that we could have booked. It is on the national historic register. We got there after an 8 Hour car drive and were greeted warmly by Alma, who seemed to be doing everything by herself that weekend. Check in was quick and easy and we were led to our room on the ground floor. We did appreciate when Alma told us happy hour was just over but she could offer us a glass of wine, after a long ride this was very welcoming. |We got the Thomas Ellis. The room is small and cozy. We loved that the |bed and bath linens were very clean. |Pillows comfortable |There is a TV, Keurig coffee maker in the room and a mini fridge. The room is tastefully decorated , however the furniture needs an upgrade, it looks tired. The carpets could do with a deep clean. |Bathrooms were very clean, but untidy caulking and old grout is not attractive. We understand times are tough and staff are limited so we give props for everything being spotless. Hot water, pressure and AC all worked excellent. | The mattress desperately needs to be replaced. There is no support and the springs creak as you turn over. |We loved the library area. |The property is beautiful we enjoyed the wrap around decks just outside the rooms , whimsical garden areas for relaxation and cute art pieces all over. |I could tell that, although this was the spring that in the summer, the gardens would be flourishing and beautiful. Overall, the property is in need of some help, cobwebs cleaned, outside doors need painting and the general upkeep would certainly make it better. |This is understandable as it’s spring time low season and as a small business things are difficult to do year round. |The breakfast certainly was excellent on both the days that we were there. There was a German egg custard soufflé thing which was delicious. The quality of the pastries coffee and food was excellent and definitely better than a chain hotel could ever provide. Alma was amazing running about like a ninja, serving breakfast, cleaning tables, refilling coffee while checking in and out guests at the same time! |She was very accommodating to even pack us a snack when we had to go on an early morning tour and couldn't sit down for breakfast. |The dining area is small and works on a time basis which is not a problem and if that doesn’t work, you can always take your plate out to the beautiful decks that are around the building. In the early afternoon they provide wine and cheese which after a long day is a nice touch. |Beach chairs and bikes provided. The walk to the beach is less than 3 minutes , and you have a beautiful beach to yourself. Keep a lookout for all the artistic details around the garden, which are cool. |The hotel is conveniently right off the highway however, we did not get bothered by any sounds and once you’re on the property, you feel a world away. Good and safe parking. |We were able to meet the inn keeper on the last day we were leaving and she was pleasant as well. All in all, we were very comfortable and happy with our stay at First Colony Inn - it certainly needs some upkeep but we would definitely stay here again. The Location is very central, close to lovely restaurants, Wright brothers Museum, Dunes, Bodhi lighthouse and restaurants. The property has a special charm that will make us come...

All of the Amazingly Exceptional amenities that FCI offers, as a ‘laid back relaxing’, ‘take you back in time’, 1930s truly historic inn, ‘way way makes up for’ the few, mostly’ ridiculously petty or relatively minor problems (essentially considering the drastic hospitality industry labor shortage during & immediately following the pandemic, when most of the few problems were described) that “all 90+ year costal inns experience, as described by the very few nitpicking chronic complainers that belong in a cookie-cutter high rise Hilton Inn at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina!!! I am a managing part-owner of a 197 year old ‘National Historic Register’ home & personal know the immense challenges FCI faces in trying to satisfy ‘Perfectionist’ who totally unreasonably expect Hilton Garden Inn ‘perfection’!!! - -If you can’t roll with the punches- of staying in a 90 year old building that has had to endure a hostile beachfront environment all those years- Then you ‘truly do not Deserve & do not have the disposition to ‘earn’ the distinct enjoyment afforded by & comes with Experiencing the majestic historic Wayback, laid-back existence in this exceptional Inn!!! -I think that Hilton, Sheraton Inn, or some other high-rise has the “Perfect” room to satisfy your every whim, for you tonight! I can help make a reservation for you, if you’d like! Additionally, my stepmother‘s sister and brother-in-law owned and operated a prominent historic him in Pinehurst, North Carolina for 40 years. So I heard about the challenges of operating and satisfying every single last “perfect” customer to the nth degree !!! You complainers aren’t up to managing that task and neither is the most perfect facility or property manager on planet earth! Well, enough with all my comments, targeted to the ‘nay sayers’! First Colony Inn is an extreme gem, that anybody who appreciates the historic inn experience will relish! I have read a large percent of the five star and one and two star reviews posted herewith-in & agree 100% wholeheartedly with all of the hundreds of positive statements and description of all the great amenities that FC offers and therefore will not risk boring you by repeating them all! -‘Please Please read’ as many of the other reviews as you can, so that you will get even a better appreciation of how great a place this is! I’m 76 & spent a 38 year career recruiting Fortune 500 & huge international top corporate executives & purposely in a creative mode to overcome my competitors had top executives stay in uniquely homelike rooming accommodations similar to FCI in the respect, that they were quite unique nightly accommodations in which I hosted them, in many different locations! These experienced world travelers were the type that were extremely discerning & extremely hard to please, because they had experienced some of the best accommodations the world has to offer! And yet, they told me that I had a knack of finding accommodations for them that made them feel more comfortable then some of the very finest top cookie-cutter hotels that they had to endure time and time again in the US! -First Colony Inn would have great pleased most of of these greatly discerning world, travelers who know how to appreciate eight extremely unique and facility that has Hester have some characteristics that are not...

Online pictures and actual room features were deceiving. The elegance of colonial accommodations were fogged by outdated lack-of-appeal. Odors when entering the room, bathroom, and turning on any of the faucets were the least bit appealing. The mattresses (king, sleeper sofa, & twin trundle) were all heavy on the springs. Our daughter ended up sleeping on the two sitting chairs pushed together because they were more comfortable than the trundle. The cable on the small room tv wasn’t plugged in, which we figured out after dusting over the caked-on back of the tv, which was positioned in a broken armoire (which clearly was not noted in the advertised room pictures/features). Online booking would not work 2 days in a room, so when we did not receive a message back from our online inquiry, we called to book. It was assumed that there were only 2 adults in the room, so after receiving the e-mail confirmation, we had to call to add our 2 children. The advertised $10/adult (over 12 years of age) per night turned into $67 in additional charges for 2 nights. When questioning in person, the female manager stated “Our agency must not have updated the pricing, but it’s $15 extra per person per night, plus tax. I’ll make sure they fix it.” When later pointing out that their website also listed the incorrect pricing, we were told we wouldn’t heard anything back until Monday due to the manager being off for the weekend. Shortly after, Alma called us back to inform us of the $20 refund for the price difference yet never once apologized for the unprofessional misinformation on their behalf. As a connoisseur of bed and breakfast spots, The First Colony Inn will disappoint and should not be a destination for a peaceful, accommodating getaway. Also note that we were woken at 7:45am Sunday to the noise of two small children running around the balcony, which was anything...