Beach nearby, white sand

Reviews of Swell Motel

2 out of 5
Swell Motel
46854 NC-12, Buxton, NC

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 209 out of 330 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 94 out of 330 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 17 out of 330 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 7 out of 330 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 330 reviews" "

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Lou

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great place
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024
Response from Laura on 20 May,2024
Thanks, Lou, for the great review, we appreciate you staying with us and hope to see you soon.

10/10 Excellent

Lou

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I like everything about this motel bar none
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024
Response from Laura on 20 May,2024
Wow, so glad you liked our place so much. We're happy that you had a good time as we don't want to be just another place to lay your head. Thank you for taking the time to give us a wonderful review, it's much appreciated

10/10 Excellent

ISRAEL

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
What a pleasant stay at Swell. The rooms were very well kept and clean and the owner is a pleasure to deal with. First time here but definitely not my last!
Stayed 1 night in May 2024
Response from Laura on 14 May,2024
We are excited that you enjoyed your first stay with us so much that you want to come back and visit again. I'm glad that you liked your room and I want you to know that you were a pleasure also. Thank you so much for this wonderful review, my staff and I really appreciat it!

10/10 Excellent

Israel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great place to stay. Very laid back. Rooms are very well kept and super clean.
Stayed 1 night in May 2024
Response from Laura on 15 May,2024
We really appreciate your kind words and great review. We're glad that you noticed that we are laid back and try to have something for everyone. We also strive for clean rooms so we're grateful that you noticed. Thank you again

10/10 Excellent

Greg

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Property was safe and clean. The staff was top notch
Stayed 1 night in May 2024
Response from Laura on 4 May,2024
My staff and I thank you for the wonderful review. We're so glad that you appreciated our staff and how clean they keep the place. We hope you get a chance to visit us again in the future. Thanks again

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Swell may be the Best kept Buxton secret, Dana is great.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Laura on 27 Apr,2024
We are so happy that you enjoyed your stay with us so much. I'm sure that Dana will love your review and we do know that we found a gem of an employee! Thank you Daniel, for your Swell review!

10/10 Excellent

Shawn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very nice. Within walking distance to restaurant and the lighthouse
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Laura on 22 Apr,2024
So glad you liked our location and how close we are to restaurants, stores, the beach, and of course the Hatteras Lighthouse. We appreciate the wonderful review and thank you for taking the time to write it

10/10 Excellent

Emily

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property was so cute!! The art gallery was amazing. All the staff was so friendly! There are many amenities that you can use!! Would definitely stay here again!!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Laura on 2 Apr,2024
We are thrilled with your review and thank you for noticing that we have tried to make our motel more than just a place to lay your head. I'll let the staff know that you appreciated them being so friendly and hope that you get to come back and visit us soon. Thank you again for the great review.

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
An awesome stay as always!
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Laura on 31 Mar,2024
We're so happy that you had an awesome time with us! Thanks for the great review and we'll see you next time!

10/10 Excellent

Gregory

Travelled with pets, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Clean and bright- an excellent choice for an inexpensive stay
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024
Response from Laura on 23 Feb,2024
What a wonderful review, thank you. We're glad you enjoyed your room and thought our place was an excellent choice. We hope you get a chance to visit us again.

10/10 Excellent

Mrs. Kelly

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Laura on 7 Nov,2023
We're so glad that you stopped by to stay with us. Thank you for the wonderful review, we really appreciate it.

10/10 Excellent

Rachel

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Laura on 27 Nov,2023
Glad you enjoyed your stay with us! We hope you come back and visit soon. Have a great holiday season.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Disappointed
We dont mind vintage, but the exterior really needs some work around the property to be even close to the high price. Some remodeling has been done inside it seems, but we didnt think it felt clean due to the dirty baseboards in corner, gross black caulking in tub, holes in walls, etc. This was at best a $75/ night room.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Laura on 30 Oct,2023
This motel was closed down for a few years before we bought it and had bids to tear it down. My husband and I have been working on bringing it back for the past 5 years but it needed everything. You must have been in a pet room because those rooms have not been updated yet but we did take the carpet out and put down vinyl plank floors. It's the end of a busy season and spring cleaning will begin as soon as we close which is Nov 13th. I'm not sure what you mean by holes in the walls and the caulking in those old tubs does not adhere well to the concrete that they used when they were put in the 1950's. Our renovated rooms have new walk in showers to replace those old tubs. I'm sorry that you felt disappointed but we do offer a lot of amenities that the other places in our area do not and you may not have had time to enjoy them. Thank you for staying with us and we hope you get a chance to come back once all the rooms are completed.

8/10 Good

Barry

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Upgrades look nice and functional. Very clean. Nice bathroom. A/C fan a little noisy, but acceptable. Would stay again someday.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Laura on 26 Oct,2023
We tried to apply what we thought a guest would really want or need when designing the rooms so thank you for noticing. We also designed them to make them easier to clean. Thanks you for your review, we really appreciate it.

10/10 Excellent

Renee

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This was our family’s second time staying at the Swell Motel. They had just started renovating the rooms and pool when we stayed the first time, so we were super excited to see the results on our second stay. We were blown away by the renovations! So much nicer than we expected. The rooms are spacious and EXTREMELY CLEAN. The beach decor is charming. The bathroom was fully remodeled and much nicer than many hotels that I’ve stayed at. There was a microwave and fridge in the room - both worked great. The air conditioning kicked butt!! We were so grateful for that. Nice sized television with Netflix, too. The staff at the Swell Motel were very nice. I felt like they cared about our stay and would have helped with anything we needed. We did not use the pool, but it was cute and looked clean. Location is great. Walking distance to a very nice seafood restaurant (with seafood, sushi, and things that non-fish eaters could eat), a pizza place, ice cream shop and mini golf. There are plenty of other eating options and shopping within a 10-15 minute drive. Hatteras Lighthouse is a 5 minute drive. There are many close by public access beach entries. We loved staying here so much. We will absolutely be back again!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 7 Oct,2023
We are soooo pleased by your wonderful review! It was so nice hearing from someone who has seen the changes we've been making and appreciates the thought and hard work we have put into it. My staff and I want to say thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed review and we look forward to your next visit. We should have more completed by then!!

10/10 Excellent

Lance

Travelled with family, Travelled with pets, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We really enjoyed the Swell Motel
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 3 Oct,2023
We are so glad that you enjoyed your time with us, thank you for choosing the Swell. We appreciate the great review and hope to see you soon!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 1 Oct,2023
Thank you, we appreciate the Swell review! We're happy that you enjoyed your stay with us!

10/10 Excellent

Kristine

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 21 Oct,2023
We're excited that you enjoyed your time with us. Thank you for the wonderful review!

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The room was recently remodeled and was very clean. The front desk person was polite and friendly. We would stay here again.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 24 Sept,2023
Thank you for your kind review. We are so happy that you noticed our newly remodled rooms were clean and I'll be sure to let our staff know how much you appreciated their hard work. Thank you for staying with us and we hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

John, Wilmington

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 15 Oct,2023
Nice of you to leave us such a great review. We're excited that you enjoyed your stay with us.

8/10 Good

Robert, Defuniak Springs

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 1 Nov,2023
Thank you, we appreciate your review score. We hope you get a chance to come back and watch our progress.

10/10 Excellent

Steve

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 15 Oct,2023
We're so happy that you enjoyed our place. Thanks for the great review!

10/10 Excellent

Eugene

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 19 Sept,2023
WOW! Thank you so much, we really appreciate the wondeful review!

8/10 Good

Nancy

Travelled with pets, Travelled with partner
Liked: Amenities
We would stay there again. Had live music in evening clean room
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 17 Sept,2023
We are so glad you enjoyed the music and your room. Thanks Nancy, for the great review, we all appreciate it.

10/10 Excellent

Cengiz

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Cute little beach motel for families. Great service.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 14 Sept,2023
My staff and I are so happy that you think we're a "cute little beach motel" and really appreciate the great reviw. Thank you for writing it for us!

10/10 Excellent

roy

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everything was great
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 14 Sept,2023
Thanks Roy, we appreciate you!

6/10 Okay

Kristen

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Overall the stay was okay. The bathroom was very old and run down, there was mold in the tub and a portion of the floor was sunken in due to rot. I think if the bathroom were in better condition the stay would have been a lot better.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 11 Sept,2023
Thank you for spending 1 evening with us. The building you were booked into has a total of 12 rooms and 6 of those rooms have been completely remodeled including new bathrooms. The other 6 are currently being used as the pet freindly rooms. The previous owners really let the place run down and when it closed in 2015, there were actually bids to tear it down. My husband and I have been working on the inside and outside but it needed EVERYTHING. The floor is weak, not because of rot, but because there are not enough floor joists to hold the weight and when they repaired loose tile in the bathrooms, they used a dark gray mortar instead of grout. We have tried to cover it with white caulking but it does not stick. We do scrub the grout and bleach it but there's not much we can do until we get the other 6 rooms completed. We hope you get a chance to stay with us again after we have completed all the rooms and buildings on the property..

8/10 Good

Savannah

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 12 Sept,2023
Looks like you enjoyed your stay with us. Thank you for taking the time to give us a nice review, we appreciate it so much.

4/10 Poor

Olivia

Travelled with family, Travelled with pets
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Should have done more research before choosing to stay here. Much better options around the area.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 8 Sept,2023
Not sure what you mean but there are not many pet friendly options in the area and we have large grassy areas to walk your pets in with provided doggie bags. We even have a "pet playpen" fenced in area for smaller dogs to run around in. We have picnic tables and grilling islands, free ice, etc. I hope you enjoyed your visit to Hatteras Island though.

10/10 Excellent

Meade Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great host....very friendly. Very nice accommodations...especially for the beach area.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 7 Sept,2023
So happy that you enjoyed your time with us! Thank you this giving us a great review, it is really appreciated

10/10 Excellent

John

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Laura on 7 Sept,2023
My staff and I are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us. Thank you so much for the Swell review, we really appreciate it!

10/10 Excellent

Deron

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We had a very good stay at the swell motel. Service was great. Lots of amenities within walking distance. Would definitely stay there again.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Laura on 5 Sept,2023
Thank you so much for the great review, we really appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed your stay and our amenities. We're pleased that you are thinking of staying with us again in the future. Thanks again

2/10 Terrible

Melissa

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The place was just not good. The rooms look redone, however not very well constructed. The flooring had air pockets underneath it. The pillows were the cheapest pillow you could possibly get.. and there were COCKROACHES outside the building.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Laura on 30 Aug,2023
We feel terrible that you did not enjoy your one night stay with us. We did just re-do the room your were booked in and those rooms now have all new electric, plumbing, bathrooms, wall soundproofing, fire block, wall coverings, ceilings, lighting, shelving, etc. installed into them. We still need to complete patching the brick that was cut so we could install all new windows and doors but that is hard to do when the rooms are occupied. Each room has a variety of pillows due to different types of sleeping positions. Some guests sleep on their stomachs and prefer softer pillows so we try to keep all different pillow types available. The bugs you saw outside are Palmetto bugs and they are present in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. They nest in palmetto bushes and palm trees and prefer to stay outside in moist areas. Since they will try to enter to find food, we do get quarterly treatments to keep them outside but we cannot control them coming up from the marsh along the Pamlico Sound which is directly behind us to check for food. We also get monthly mosquito treatments to try to keep their numbers down. I do hope that you enjoyed Hatteras Island though

10/10 Excellent

Heather

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Laura on 29 Aug,2023
We're happy that you enjoyed your stay with us and hope to see you again one day. Thank you for the great review.

8/10 Good

Robert

Travelled with pets, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Admiration for the husband and wife team who rescued this treasure!
Response from Laura on 31 Aug,2023
Thank you so much! We knew it needed to be saved and brought to life again and we appreciate you noticing.

10/10 Excellent

Ashleigh

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff was amazing and so sweet. We only stayed a night but there were clean and tidy rooms, plenty of parking, nice facilities and great live music! I will be coming back again as soon as I can!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Laura on 21 Aug,2023
What a great review, thank you! We're excited that you enjoyed our amazing staff, facilities and the live music and love that you want to come back. We look forward to your next stay with us!

10/10 Excellent

Sherri

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Laura on 15 Aug,2023
We're so glad that you enjoyed your stay with us. Please come back and visit us again soon.

8/10 Good

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Laura on 9 Aug,2023
Looks like you enjoyed your stay with us! My staff and I are so glad that you did and we hope to see you next time you visit Hatteras Island .

10/10 Excellent

Katharine T

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Swell Motel was very clean. Check in was easy and the staff was accommodating. Great restaurants nearby and across the street. Pool was beautiful. Highly recommended and we will be back!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Laura on 7 Aug,2023
Glad you enjoyed our pool and how close we are to restaurants and stores. We do work hard on keeping up with cleanliness so we appreciate that you noticed. Thank you for taking the time to write this great review for us and we look forward to your next visit.

10/10 Excellent

Kaitlin

Travelled with family and small children, Travelled with pets
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We found this gem on here after years of vacations to Buxton. This motel has been completely renovated and is super clean. Pet friendly and with a pool. Air filling stations and 2 ice machines. We really enjoyed our stay here and will definitely be back!!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Laura on 5 Aug,2023
We love to hear when someone enjoys their stay with us, it makes us feel like we're on the right path. We're glad you liked our amenities and I'll definetly tell my staff they are doing a great job cleaning. Thank you for writing this wonderful review, it is really appreciated. We'll see you next time!

10/10 Excellent

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very warm and welcoming motel. Out room was newly renovated, comfortable and clean. There was attention to detail to make the room more comfortable.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Laura on 4 Aug,2023
We are so pleased that you enjoyed our renovated rooms. We did put some thought into what guests would like so I appreciate you noticing our efforts. Thank you for the Swell review, we really appreciate it.

10/10 Excellent

Alexis

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Laura on 2 Sept,2023
So glad you enjoyed your stay with us!

10/10 Excellent

Dan

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Diamond in the rough, would definitely stay again!
Nearly judged this book by it's cover, but glad we didn't. Rooms were great, property is undergoing some renovations, but nothing that affected our stay at all. Manager was very helpful and we'd definitely stay again if we can, but I'd imagine rooms will get harder to come by once everything is complete.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Laura on 30 Jul,2023
My staff and I thank you for taking the time to write such a Swell review. We are still working hard on updating the rooms and property so it's nice to hear that you really liked your room and enjoyed your stay with us. Thanks again, we really appreciate all your kind words.

8/10 Good

vickie

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I love it there!
Stayed 13 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Laura on 28 Jul,2023
We're so happy that you "love it" here. Thanks for the great review!

10/10 Excellent

sara

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property and staff made me feel instantly like I was on island time. Very relaxed, friendly, and full of character. Will definitely be staying there again next time.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Laura on 27 Jul,2023
My staff and I are delighted by your review. We're so glad that you felt relaxed and enjoyed your stay with us. Thank you for taking the time to write those kind words and we look forward to your next visit!

10/10 Excellent

SUNIL, Morrisville

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Would love to stay again
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Laura on 26 Jul,2023
We are delighted that you enjoyed your stay and hope that you can come and spend more time with us. Thank you for the wonderful review!

6/10 Okay

Pranusha

Travelled with group
It's old and felt scary
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Laura on 25 Jul,2023
I'm so sorry that you did not enjoy your one night stay with us. We have been updating the rooms and the property since 2019 but we have not yet completed all 32 rooms. It is difficult working on rooms while renting others and you were booked into a room that still has the older style bathrooms and furniture. We were working on the last 6 rooms of that same building though and maybe you saw those rooms temporarily closed. I do hope that you enjoyed your visit to Hatteras Island though and we welcome you to come back when the rest of the rooms are completed.

10/10 Excellent

Russie

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I loved the whole vibe about this place. The little extras are endless, broom,dust pan, fly swatter, clothes line, full sized coffee pot, outside place to wash sand off, etc etc. I loved the fact they are saving a old motel and breathing new life into it. The art store on the property is very cool. The lady who owns it, couldn't be more welcoming!! I have recommended it to several and cant wait to go back!!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Laura on 24 Jul,2023
We really do want our guests to enjoy their stay so I guess we are on the right path! Thank you so much for this wonderful review, we really appreciate you taking the time to write it for us. I'll let April know that you enjoyed her art gallery. We hope you get a chance to stay longer next time. Thanks again

10/10 Excellent

Neva

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Swell Motel was amazing ! We had a newly remodeled room, Room had a bar ledge , refrigerator, Big TV . Great comforts of home Staff was outstanding . Had live entertainment and food for guest , horse shoe pits, corn hole , fire pit , nice pool . was within walking distance for shopping , Diamond Sholes across the street for Breakfast also fantastic . Already looking forward to next year to book .
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Laura on 16 Jul,2023
My staff and I think you're Swell for saying so!! We are delighted that you enjoyed our entertainment and all the amenities that we offer our guests. Diamond Shoals is really convenient and they offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We're aleady looking forward to your next visit!!

10/10 Excellent

Susan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing motel
What an amazing motel I have found! I will definitely go back. Service was wonderful and friendly, room was clean, and the pool and property were clean. There are free bikes to use, several grilling areas, and play areas for the children along with fire pits.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Laura on 14 Jul,2023
We are very excited by your review, thank you so much. We love that you found your room and property really clean and that you enjoyed our staff. Hope you get a chance to come back and enjoy our amenities. Thank you again for taking the time to write this review.