I had been planning a fishing trip for my husband for months but luck was not on our side. Hurricane Irene left us with a cancelled trip to Buxton. We rescheduled for Nags Head with a local realty company only to drive 5.5 hours to a house that had electrical/cable wires wrapped around it. The realty office was extremely rude and disrepectful but fortunate for us I noticed the sign for the Beacon Motor Lodge on our way back to retrieve our refund and promptly called. The manager was able to secure us the last room available on Labor Day weekend and we could not have been more pleased!

The staff was top-rate and exceeded our expectations. They were extremely courtesy, professional and welcoming. Our room was extremely clean, well-maintained and had a full service kitchen that we took advantage of, along with very comfy beds and nice furniture. There is a new flat screen TV and a wide range of cable channels. The bathrooms were extremely clean and we had plenty of towels/wash cloths and then some. We never had to ask for hand soap or toilet paper and the dish towels/cloths were replaced daily as well. All pots, pans, dishes and silverware were furnished and in great condition (if not new).

The location cannot be beat. Located on the beach, it's a very short walk from any of the rooms to the beach and the common patio area is extremely nice with excellent views. Our only regret was that we did not have our son with us as the Beacon is truly geared for families. There is a huge play area and TWO kiddie pools. The area around the play area is partially fenced and that was important to us in that it steers kids away from the parking area when playing. The Beacon is also within walking distance to great restaurants including the Beach Road Grill and Red Drum. There is also some gift shops and ice cream shops within walking distance as well.

Overall, we look forward to going back as a family as soon as we can. The fishing was great and there just isn't a better place to stay for the value. The hospitality is over the top - they even assisted us when our car battery died! The cleaning staff was always present and in addition to being very efficient they were very personable as well. We truly hate that so many were affected by Hurricane Irene and that so many properties were unavailable but in the end it really worked out for the best for us as we have now found a place we look forward to making our permanent destination when heading to the Outer Banks!

My family ended up staying at this wonderful motel when we couldn't access the beach house we had rented for the week due to Hurricane Irene. Robin, the manager, was able to help us secure a last minute reservation, responding very quickly to a reservation request sent by me via email. This was all during the aftermath of the hurricane when all of the businesses in Nags Head were trying to reopen and repair any damage.
We stayed in one of the poolside rooms with a full kitchen. We had two queen beds, a table and chairs for 2 people in the sleeping area, and then a small "counter" type seating area with 4 chairs in the kitchen. The full kitchen was very nicely equipped, similar to what you would find in a beach rental house: plates, cups, lots of silverware, a variety of pots and pans and baking pans for the oven. There was a full size refrigerator, microwave, electric can opener, coffee maker and an apartment size electric stove/oven--no dishwasher though. Everything was very clean. The room was nicely sized for a family of four and we had two doors. One door opened to the pool area with grills and picnic tables and swing sets and outdoor play equipment for younger kids, and the other door opened to the parking lot. This is one of those places where you park right outside of your room, which was nice!
We had a short walk to the beach, just over the dune line, and we could hear the ocean at night. There is a nice concrete deck area overlooking the beach/ocean that is open to all Beacon guests, just not those staying in the oceanfront rooms. The motel was very quiet at night. The walls separating the rooms are cinder block, which probably helped to block some of the noise between rooms. There is an outdoor clothes line area for guests to use to hang wet towels and bathing suits and there is one on site coin operated washer and dryer. The Nags Head Fishing Pier is a mile away and there is a shaved ice/ice cream place called Booty Treats across the street from the motel. We had the most delicious shaved ices at Booty Treats! There is a great seafood restaurant about 1 1/2 miles down the road called Austin Seafood. They do mostly carry out, but there is seating outside on picnic tables if you want to eat there. They will steam/cook seafood for you and they also offer steamer buckets with a variety of seafood. There is a Food Lion about a block away as well, so the motel is centrally located in Nags Head.
It's obvious that the manager/owners take great pride in the motel. The pool had a lot of sand in it from the hurricane, which Robin told us about ahead of time. Robin said they were working on getting the pool reopened when I made the reservation. When we checked in, the pool was still not ready for use, but we observed an employee cleaning the pool. It seemed like he spent the entire day trying to get the pool cleaned and reopened. (The pool was open the following day, as promised.) We also saw the same employee using a broom to sweep off sand that had gotten blown on the outside walls of the motel, and then he and another employee were using shovels to remove sand that was blown into the parking lot during the hurricane. We would definitely stay here again!

I would like to say I loved it here, but it was just okay. The rooms are small and old. They were clean enough, but I was not impressed with the total cleanliness. Windows are small, linens are dated, bathroom is very small. The location is good, the staff is very friendly and nice. I have no complaints about the service. They actually went out of their way to host a 4th of July picnic for all of the guests, which I thought was great! The staff worked really hard to get everything ready. They had a keg of beer but it was in a tub of water, all the ice melted and it was too warm to drink. The patio facing the ocean is nice and all the guests share it, so even if your room is not oceanfront you have a nice place to sit and enjoy the view. Overall we had a nice time here, but I would probably stay somewhere else if I return to Nags Head.

My husband and I stayed here in August of 2010 and are about a week away from our next stay here. (Can't wait!) I think we'll be returning to the Beacon for many years to come, and we're even thinking about bringing some other family members with us next year. This is a wonderful place to stay...rooms are clean, pool is well maintained, and staff is friendly. Oh, and it is located right on the beach. What more could one want? :)