Outer Banks Motel

A no-frills motel stay on NC-12 in Buxton, close to the lighthouse and the island's ORV ramps

(469)

Buxton, NC

About

Outer Banks Motel sits directly on NC-12 in Buxton, the village that anchors the middle stretch of Hatteras Island. It's a straightforward, no-frills option — a place to sleep and stage a trip rather than a resort experience — which makes it a practical pick for anglers, surfers, and anyone planning to work the numbered ORV beach ramps that run up and down this part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Buxton's location puts guests close to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest brick lighthouse in the country, moved inland in 1999 to escape the encroaching shoreline. The lighthouse grounds are worth a stop, though the tower itself is currently closed for climbing while the National Park Service addresses a cast-iron bracket issue found during restoration. Avon and Frisco are a short drive north and south, and Hatteras village — departure point for the free ferry to Ocracoke — is close enough for an easy day trip.

As with anywhere on Hatteras Island, NC-12 is the only road in or out, and it does wash out during storms. That matters most in hurricane season, roughly June through November, with the highest risk in August through October — worth checking current road conditions before you head down.

Reviews (469)

See all on Google

4.3

469 reviews

Google Reviews

Write a review

Julie Wilson

a week ago

Ashley Tite

a week ago

The staff was amazing! Everyone was so friendly and helpful when we weren't sure which room to go with they even let us peak inside them to make our decision. They have everything from cabins down to a more basic hotel room setting but I think everything had a porch. When you here motel don't let it discourage you this place is amazing and who doesn't want their door leading straight out to the beach. It is super nice with multiple smaller buildings making up the property. The only downside is be prepared for the stairs so pack light there is no way around them when you are this closet to to the water. By far my favorite place to stay in Outer Banks!

Amy Earp

2 weeks ago

Keeleigh Sandlin

3 weeks ago

The stayed at the White House. The house was not a 1 min walk to the beach as stated on the listing. The “beach access” by the office looked like a hazard with all the construction debris everywhere. The pool was warm but had a green hint to it. The house was nasty and not at all what it looked liked on the listing. The floor made socks and feet black, there were ants, the house itself is not comfortable for anyone taller than 6’ or for anyone that doesn’t have a narrow body shape. As an average sized person I barely fit through the bathroom door. There is barely any water pressure in the shower and both sinks and the bathroom sink did not have hot water. The dishes were dirty when we arrived and the mattress toppers were also dirty. There are not many cooking utensils or pots and pans but for some reason there were 4 pie pans. There was only one baking sheet but it didn’t even fit in the oven. The stove and oven is only about half the size of a standard stove and oven. The kitchen sink kept moving around and was not actually attached to the countertop correctly. The bedroom blinds were also broken. The Roku remote also didn’t work and there were no paper towels or extra trash bags. I would not recommend especially for the price which was too high in my opinion for what we got.

Ally

4 weeks ago

The pictures are very deceiving. It looks as tho the beach house is right there on the beach with sand in front right off the deck. That is not how it is. The beach home is up on stilts, with water crashing in under it. So you feel the waves gently moving the house all night. For me that was unsettling. The view from the deck is not very pretty with a whole mess of sand bags in front. Then you have to walk past another hotel to get to a beach. The hotel construction workers at the neighboring hotel will make it a point to run over and tell you not to walk on their property. You have to walk thru the water behind the hotel or down the road and up over a sand dune for the beach. The place was clean and nice, but I feel the location in the pictures making it seem like you would have a nice beach access in front to walk out on was very misleading. Unfortunately we wont be returning.