The Sanderling

Our family has spent well over a decade vacationing in Duck. This summer my husband and I wanted to spend a few additional days in the OBX that didn't merit renting a house, so we naturally booked an oceanfront studio king at the Sanderling. Upon arriving, we noticed that the front entrance planters had dead plants in them. Didn't provide the feeling of arriving to a luxury resort. As we were checking in, we noticed the loud, persistent barking of dogs. The reception area is two stories, and the upper rooms are off of reception - noise echoes. We inquired with reception if there was a dog floor specified and were told that the hotel permits dogs in all rooms throughout the resort, and that our room was directly adjacent to the barking one. We asked to move and were told that all floors were booked with dogs. This dog continued to bark, howl and scratch at our shared wall our entire vacation. Pros of hotel: centrally located. A/C worked well. Free coffee in the morning. Adults only pool. Bountiful towels available for beach and pool. Lots of beach chairs and umbrellas. Some of the renovations are lovely. Cons of hotel: Dogs, everywhere (and I love dogs, but mine was at home). What little green space available is used for dogs relieving themselves. As others have noted, the walls are super thin. I'm not sure the rooms have firewalls, instead just simple drywall. You not only hear your neighbors and their children, if there is a dog, you hear them too. Musky smell to rooms. The rooms smell like mold and wet dogs. Carpets in hallway are soiled with presumably, you guessed it, dog droppings. Housekeeping, they never came to our room while we stayed at the resort, so can't comment. Stairs. To enter the resort lobby, you must go upstairs, to get to your room, additional stairs, once inside your room, more stairs. No elevators, at least not in the main building. This may prove challenging for seniors and those needing ADA compliancy. Rooms: if you select and pay for ocean front, if you are on floors 1 and 2, you have no view. Instead, you will look at the bar, kids pool, firepit, grownup pool. But you won't see the ocean. We noticed those with oceanfront rooms on first, and second floors had to keep their blinds closed. Floors facing the sound will see the parking lot. My recommendation is that the Sanderling decide who they want to market to. If it's a home away from home for those who choose to travel with pets - terrific but clearly let other guests know this. If the Sanderling wants to market to all, perhaps follow the example of other fine hotels and make "dog friendly" specific rooms in perhaps one of the buildings, and let the other building be pet free. Wet pets on beds that others sleep on is just meh. All this to say, we went with high hopes and a strong desire to unwind and enjoy pampering. This is not the resort for that. We left early.

What a fantastic day! The Sanderling Resort is absolutely beautiful. We visited friends who were staying there, and from the moment we arrived, we loved the atmosphere and the setting. The kids had a wonderful time, and we enjoyed every minute as well. It was one of those places that makes you think, “Next time, we’re staying here!” Such a lovely experience, and definitely one we hope to repeat soon.

Such a beautiful resort! Right on the beach with unforgettable sunrises and sunsets. Service by the team was topnotch. From daily check in for cleaning services to just a simple request for extra waters and towels, the response time was speedy and courtesy. Beach chairs and umbrellas were readily available. Dont forget about the poolside service! The team was welcoming and warm. Couldn’t ask for a friendlier team. Truly enjoyed my stay. Cant want to be back!

Absolutely loved the Outer Banks! Everything was wonderful, from the beautiful location to the friendly service. Such a relaxing and enjoyable experience overall. Would definitely recommend staying here!

We were there the past few days and departed yesterday. We didn't want to leave! We stayed at one of the on-site houses and it was much larger than we anticipated. There were a total of 5 of us and the house could have accommodated a couple more people with no issues. Although we were at one of the houses, we didn't feel disconnected from the Resort itself. We needed a quiet vacation and this resort delivered. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We dined at the Lifesaving Station on the second day there and the staff was very nice as well. The food was delicious! I would go back in a heartbeat. The location is very close to limitless restaurants and activities if that is what you are in to.