Your "home away from home" awaits you at The Cavalier By The Sea. Friendly service is our hallmark. We believe at the end of your stay you will be satisfied and refreshed and not quite ready to leave.... and you will find yourself returning year after year as do hundreds of our previous and now regular guests.
Cavalier By The Sea offers a family atmosphere. For your enjoyment we have a large swimming pool for adults, a small one for the kiddies and a large play ground equipped with swings, slides, a giant ship for the kids, shuffleboard, volleyball and picnic tables.
We have comfortable rooms with queen and double beds, cable TV, microwaves and refrigerators. We also have efficiencies and two & three-bedroom cottages including living room, kitchen, and bath completely furnished for light housekeeping.
You will be right on the ocean and have only a few feet to walk to enjoy it to your heart's content whether it be swimming, wading, sun bathing or surfcasting. Or if you prefer not to walk at all, enjoy watching the ocean from your front porch in our very popular ocean front rooms which, unlike most "ocean front" rooms, sit right on the beach with no dunes to block your view.
We are located on the "Ocean Side" of Virginia Dare Trail (Hwy. 12) at the 8.5 mile post, diagonally across from Wright Memorial Monument and opposite the Port O'Call Restaurant. Located in the center of the Outer Banks beaches, we provide a convenient place to make your headquarters while taking short trips to other points of interest in the area, such as Roanoke Island, Hatteras and Ocracoke. Golf courses, fishing piers, deep sea, sound and inlet fishing centers, souvenir shopping, and recreational areas are readily accessible. We are open all year.
We love Cav By The Sea. We’ve stayed here numerous times and each stay was fine. A hotel/motel at the beach is used mostly to get a shower and get some sleep. How much are you willing to pay for that? If you’re into luxury then you’re out of luck. This motel is always clean. The staff are very friendly. Amy is the best. Family owners take pride in their motel. Staff are working to keep things nice. Is it dated? Considering it’s one of the original motels, of course. But it’s clean and comfy without breaking your budget. A lot of times I read negative reviews then look at the writer’s other reviews. In most cases the author posts all negative reviews. They’re just terminally unhappy I guess. Right on the beach. Walking distance to restaurants, stores, etc. Quiet location. Clean pool. You won’t find a better hotel at this price on the OBX.…
We rented a specific unit b/c it was at the end, covered parking, and close to the beach. We get here, pay, then they tell us that they changed the room. No call, no notice. They say “we have the right to” and “go complain on Facebook if you don’t like it.” Gave us the same type of room in a much worse location. No reason given, no apology, no consideration. They reserve the right to give you a different room than you paid for, and don’t care if you don’t like it. All of this after we paid, of course.
The Cavalier was a great, quaint place, literally right on the beach - almost unique in Kill Devil Hills, with its look, feel, and setting. No sand dunes are in between your room and the ocean. My wife and I had been vacationing there for the last 5 years, and we loved our little paradise nook at the OBX. We always went at the beginning of the quiet season - such a relaxing break from the over-commercialized and pricey hustle and bustle of the larger beaches. It was very much worth going there every year... ** UNTIL ** they jacked up their 2022 rates to unreasonable amounts -- more than DOUBLE the previous year! Since the Cavalier has insisted on increasing their prices to that of close to 4-star hotel, I feel that it is only appropriate to review them at that level of comparison now. The rooms are not in great shape, but that never mattered to us at all BEFORE the excessive price increase. Now, looking at the rooms through a different lens, as a result of these new price hikes: The rooms are VERY subpar and outdated, with a bare minimum of stocked items. The walls are quite thin. The hotel is still using metal, traditional keys for entry. The bathrooms are very small, with no fan. The shower is lacking both in design (too easy for water to escape), as well as in water pressure. Broken shelving on the bathroom walls. Overall cleanliness of the room when we arrive is just average. The cleaning devices in the “fully-furnished” rooms are outmoded and not very useful. The full kitchen in our room is operational, but leaves much to be desired for anyone who likes cooking their own meals while on vacation. The refrigerator is a good size, but other than that, it is also old, and it does not contain an ice maker. The curtains on the front window are old and dingy, and ours were held together with pins in places. The beds and furniture are acceptable but all need upgrading. The heating and A/C unit will suffice, but it is just that – a unit, and NOT an HVAC system fed by an air handler with vents in the unit to evenly distribute the air. In 2021, the following items were upgraded/replaced in our room: The door to the outside, the microwave, the refrigerator shelving. Everything else is old and outdated to varying degrees. The parking spaces are too close together. They do allow pets in certain rooms (not the ocean front rooms!) for an extra fee, which is a plus. They don’t offer the most broad selection of TV channels for the price. The staff are polite, and amenable. However, there is no overnight staff availability for assistance except in the case of emergencies. The front desk is completely closed all day on Saturdays, which can be inconvenient at times. If you need towels or linens, you generally have to set them out and wait until the next morning for the cleaning staff to exchange fresh items for the used ones. Again, none of this mattered to my wife and me at all during the previous 5 years. We WERE very happy. But now I have to say, thinking about the adage, "You get what you pay for,"… That is certainly and absolutely no longer the case at Cavalier by the Sea. We will be looking elsewhere going forward.…
Went down Tuesday after Christmas. Got a really good off season rate. Stayed three nights. The room was clean and the beds were comfortable. The only things I would change would be a taller toilet, a light on the ceiling fan and chairs and a table. If I go back to the OBX I would stay here again and plan ahead.
This is at least my fifth stay at Cavalier by the Sea since 1992. My family members and friends began joining and over time it has become our favorite of the old-school, family-run places to stay. This is NOT a place for everyone and the fantastic, very budget-friendly rates reflect that fact. The very aspects some complain about here are why we - and many others choose CBTS over other options: It is OLD SCHOOL - 50’s tiled baths, knotty pine walls, acoustic ceiling tiles, business-grade indoor/outdoor carpeting. Tiny closet for two - from the days when people didn’t feel the need to change clothes four times a day. The bathroom is small - the plumbing can be persnickety (a 3-5 min wait for hot water) no exhaust or intake fans but the windows open and are screened. The gorgeous tile may show some signs of repair or cracking, which is to be expected in a facility over seven decades old. The beds (two Queen) are NOT deep plush, custom, temp-pedic, Swedish boutique mattresses - but they are good quality, plain mattresses. Ditto the pillows - plain, business grade, standard size. I’m not happy with anyone’s pillows, so I always take my own. The bedding is simple but colorful, a quilted comforter and set of sheets. Again - I always bring a travel blanket. If pristine, bespoke interior decorator touches are important to your comfort- you will not be happy here. Simple, plain, serviceable. We find the rooms comfortable and love the “dated” look. Two comfortable armchairs on either side of a table placed by the large window, a fair-sized six-drawer dresser with mirror and a two-drawer night table between the beds comprise the furnishings. Our room and bath have always been spotless. The coffee maker, Microwave, fridge, AC/Heating Unit and flat screen TV worked flawlessly. Heavy-duty paper cups, coffee packets, creamer and sugar are provided, as are bathroom cups, towels, soaps and towels. Absolutely ADEQUATE and NO FRILLS. We love being able to budget our funds for local attractions, hang gliding, sports fishing, private tours and treks, knowing we will have a clean, comfortable place to sleep and a one of the best views of the ocean from our Adirondack chairs, provided by the hotel, if we stay in for a “chill out” day. The staff are OUTSTANDING- personable and friendly. They will go out of their way to assist you but understand- the office is NOT staffed after set times of day and on WEEKENDS! There is emergency staff available but again- for true emergencies. There are soda and snack vending machines but you must have correct change. The pool is sparkling clean and is located next to the children’s play-area - open until 11pm (and at least a month after Labor Day!) Sincerely - a 30-year fan and family…
Where do I begin...... there were no hairdryers, no Kleenex, no shampoo or conditioner. Spent my first hours shopping for necessities. There was no room service, claimed they didn’t have the staff. I don’t think they should rent out more rooms than they can take care of. We certainly didn’t get a discount for making our own bed, and leaving our dirty laundry and garbage on the chair outside the room each morning. Cleaning my own toilet and shower. That was one reason I wanted to get away. The floor in the room was so dirty, when I got in the shower, it made mud. I could continue but you get the idea. Run, run,run......
Our original reason for staying here was that it was pet friendly. It’s a very old style beach motel which we love. I’m Guessing it’s the same now as it was back in the day. We all enjoyed it so much we’ve now been back several times. Great location, close to everything. Clean , comfortable, and great staff. Best of the OBX!
Great location. On beach side with great access. Close to Publix, Kitty Hawk / Wright Brothers museum, etc. Friendly staff. Very clean. Small rooms. Parking is very convenient, right in front of your room! The place is a bit dated. No frills here but adequate. Good family spot for kids to include a playground & pool.
This was our second stay here. Last time we stayed in a pool view room. This time we stayed in an ocean front efficiency room. The rooms are old, but they are very clean. With covid going on we brought our own cleaner with us and found no dirt when we cleaned. Staff is very friendly and always asking if you need anything. We will definitely be back.
Great Stay As Always ! Oceanfront room with no dune obstruction. Best off season rates in town. Older motel but clean and friendly staff. always a great experience !! Can't wait until next trip !! Thanks !!
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