Second Wind by the Sea

With The Beach House Motel & Suites, North State Hospitality breathes new life into a longtime oceanfront accommodation on Oak Island.

Long before Oak Island’s east end found its current busy rhythm, a modest two-story motel at 500 Ocean Drive was already part of the scene, welcoming beachgoers and weathering storms. Today, that same footprint has been reimagined as The Beach House Motel & Suites, where a thoughtful renovation trades patchwork fixes for polished coastal style.

The old structure at 500 E. Ocean Drive on Oak Island has witnessed a lot since the early 1960s, when it was the Silver Sands Motel in what was then known as Yaupon Beach. In the 1980s the motel found new owners and a new name, The Island Resort & Inn. The motel survived hurricanes Bertha and Fran in 1996 and held its ground during Florence in 2018, when island residents evacuated.

Before

As Oak Island began to welcome more residents and visitors, the building expanded to 22 units.

In August 2020 North State Hospitality, formerly Carolina Resorts, purchased the old motel and saw its potential. They began a complete renovation, a makeover to fit Oak Island’s busy east end.

“The new owner had a certain way he wanted the place to look, like a boutique motel with a surf vibe,” says Kimberly Hash, operations manager of North State Hospitality. “It had been band-aided over the years. He bought it, and in January 2021 started remodeling the suites.”

After

Mike and Holly Harrington, owners of North State Hospitality, operate six properties, motels, restaurants and event venues among them, in Manteo, Surf City, Topsail Beach and Oak Island.

The Harringtons focus on creating bespoke properties with deep community connections.

North State Hospitality Chief of Staff Abby Carson explains, “The Harringtons acquire older, historic beach motels and renovate them in a way that honors their legacy. They give them new life.”

After

Now named The Beach House Motel & Suites, the Oak Island property is dressed up and modernized.

“There was copper piping, and they had to go back in and re-do all the plumbing,” Hash says. “And the electricity was so old it had to be replaced too. From the color of the walls to the outdoor coloring, everything was thought about and re-done.”

Before

North State Hospitality spent a year remodeling the suites, adding new furniture and repairing walls and part of the roof on the motel side. They repaired the fence around the pool, which has a shallow area and 7-foot-deep end, along with a pool area including private showers, lounge chairs and grills. They upgraded the outdoor lighting, and the driveway and parking lot have fresh gravel.

“Everything is brand new,” Hash says.

Before

The new logo, motel doors and beach-style tall Adirondack chairs on the patios are deep teal, an attractive coastal pairing with freshly painted sand-colored exterior walls.

“You see those pretty blues and sand tones throughout the motel,” Carson says. “Decorations are similar in the rooms, but with motifs of surfing or sunsets. You can walk to the beach, and we’re near two restaurants.”

Rooms have an updated walk-in shower or shower-tub combo, a sitting area, a kitchenette, a refrigerator, a microwave and a Keurig. Suites have sleeper sofas, and the décor is fresh and coastal.

After

“You walk in and think, ‘I’m definitely at the beach,’” Carson says. “Plus, you hear the waves all day.”

Dogs are welcome to vacation with their humans for an extra $25 per night, as long as they’re housebroken, up-to-date on vaccinations, flea-free and on a veterinarian-approved flea and tick medication and have a current rabies tag and ID tag. The motel staff is ready with names and addresses of Oak Island dog parks, should canine guests need an outing other than the beach.

The office at The Beach House Motel & Suites is a source for local recommendations. Staff gladly shares their favorite places around town.

Before

“The entire team loves to chat with our guests and tell them about the town, where to find a quiet spot on the beach, just share our love with them,” Carson says.

The North State Hospitality website also has a list of Oak Island-area experiences to give guests the full taste of the area: fishing spots, golf courses, shopping tips, local parks and restaurants, day trip suggestions, how to book a biplane tour at the local Cape Fear Regional Jetport, and places of interest such as the Oak Island lighthouse.

After

The team at the motel loves their jobs, and that rubs off on their guests.

“I love being here,” says Hash, whose office is in the building. “I get to hear the ocean every day. I love seeing everyone else enjoy it. It feels like a home away from home.”

“We love to take care of people,” Carson adds. “That’s the point of everything!”

FIND YOUR OCEANFRONT OASIS
The Beach House Motel & Suites
500 Ocean Drive, Oak Island
(910) 278-5644
stay@beachhouseoki.com
beachhouseoki.com