Sanderling Resort

Not remotely a good value.Our room was not as advertised in photos - far smaller and we all had to squeeze on our Spring Break trip.Our first evening we were graced with loud drunk gospel singing at the bonfire outside our room.The next night, a load of drunk wedding guests.Every day, our room wasn't cleaned - after several requests. I finally got them to clean by 5pm.The room had NO:- soundproofing- blackout curtains- microwave- bottled water- cups, glasses...plastic or paperThe resort itself had NO:- heating in the pool- laundry facilities! or services! forcing me to spend our vacation driving back and forth to Kitty Hawk to a Wash 'n' Fold.- continental breakfast- creamers for the drip coffeeThe snack shack, outdoor restaurant, and even the espresso machines at the bar off the foyer were all shut down.Even the vending machines took our $ without giving us anything in return. LOL.Serious regrets about staying there and embarrassed for the guest we brought with us.Never again.

I was looking for a relaxing facial treatment in the OBX, and I got exactly what I was looking for. My esthetician was lovely. In the beginning, she told me that she doesn't generally talk much as she wants me to be able to relax, and it made the experience so lovely. She did a great job with my skin (which honestly is really smooth, nice skin), and I left feeling refreshed. My partner got a massage, and he said that he would not recommend his massage as it was more of an older masseuse just rocking his body back and forth. But, the facial & enjoying the atmosphere afterwards were great!

I had a really great time at this resort. The room was clean and up-to-date and I could see the beach from the window and the balcony. The resort did have pools onsite but the beach was quick and easy to access from the resort. I also liked using the fire pits at night. All the bars/restaurants onsite were great. Sandbar made some amazing drinks and burgers. I liked being able to take my drinks over to the beach. The Lifesaving Station also made a great breakfast. Overall, my stay here was very relaxing and a nice break.

Our family absolutely loved it here at Sanderling, the food at the Lifesaving station is fantastic and all the staff around the entire property is really nice. Yes it is older but location location location people, walk from your room to pool and beach is 4 mins maybe, all chairs and umbrellas prepared daily. it is a wonderful relaxing experience can't wait to go back.

Came for a wedding and wow loved Sanderling Resort. Beautiful views, venue, and menus. The ceremony was on a beautiful raised platform overlooking the water, cocktail hour was on the grass, and the reception was located at kimball's kitchen. The views are spectacular, parking was very easy. The only thing is I wish there was better instruction with signage for on site weddings.

I did the day pass which gives you access to the pools, beach, bar/food and spa. Was $45 so pretty good deal. I'd never been here before but seen in magazines - definitely nice but more of original rustic look than is shown appropriately in pics. Super unfriendly if you're not fully abled- steep stairs to and from beach, no entry stairs in adult pool, chaise lounges completely low to ground and even wide multiple steps down from lobby to pool had nothing to hold onto. I was hoping to bring my parents next time but definitely couldn't. Ordered a kids meal that was 4 chicken tenders and a side of fruit for $20 so be prepared to spend if you're hungry or thirsty. Giving 3 stars for location and super friendly staff !

This was an absolutely beautiful stay! This resort has everything you need and want. The staff here are incredible and responsive. The rooms were extremely tidy and exceeded expectations. A special shout out to the operations manager William! He is SO personable, helpful and just an all around great guy to talk to! He was so excited for my fiancé and I when he found out about our engagement and went above and beyond to make our stay great!

I was majorly disappointed with my recent stay at this resort. The website was completely misleading, and the resort turned out to be nothing more than a large rundown old beach house. However, the staff (from the front desk to catering and housekeeping) were incredibly nice and helpful, and the food at the two restaurants, delicious. They get 5 stars. Despite this, the rooms were small, dirty and outdated. The prices were incredibly high for what was offered. One day the adult pool had children in it! Our dog friendly room had a dirty old smelly rug. This place has so much potential if the owners gave it some care. We made the best of our stay but we won't be returning as it really ruined our vacation.

There is a BIG difference between what you see on the web and what you get.Overall, the place is run down. The outside doesn't just look weathered, it looks like it needs repair. When we first drove up to the place we weren't sure it was the Sanderling, it looked so different from the web. And I am certain some of the roofs need re-shingling. It is not an enclosed resort. All amenities are overstated and over priced. The Lifesaver Restaurant was over priced but the food was good and the service was great. We didn't bother with Kimballs Kitchen. I was not able to get an appointment in the spa.If you get (and pay extra for) an ocean view room, be aware it is not ocean front. Unless you are in the South end, you'll have to peer over the sand dunes to see the ocean. And forget about leaving the sliding doors open to get a breeze, the screen is torn. The balcony could use some repair/refurbishing but at least the railing felt secure.The room itself smelled like mildew, it was the 1st thing I noticed when I opened the door. The carpet was wet (and dirty), the furniture was dirty, and the bedding and linens felt wet. I felt wet the entire time I was there. I ran the AC but it was so LOUD. The AC system never stops whining, and not just mine, the entire floor! I had to turn it off at night or I would not have been able to sleep. I have an audio clip of the AC but am unable to upload here.Light on the fan did not work. Coffee maker looked like something out of a Howard Johnsons ' (no offense to Ho-Jos, you don't charge $571 per night). Cabinet damaged and stained.Nothing is included. All this for a mere $571 per night. I stayed one night and left, refusing to pay for the second night. What a disappointment.

I rarely write reviews, but I hope this serves as a warning to families considering this "resort."My family and I were traveling to the Outer Banks for the first time for a special trip. We were calling it our "family moon" as it was going to be the last trip that my wife, toddler, and I took before welcoming our second child.We opted to stay at Sanderling Resort based on its 4-star status and splurged on a premium oceanside suite. After an all-day drive, we checked into the hotel. There was no one available to help us with our bags, no nearby elevator, and the check-in process was lengthy. Once we made it to our room we discovered that the room did not match the photos on the Sanderling's website nor the photos on the American Express Fine Hotel and Resort's site. We did extensive research before the trip to make sure that we were getting a great room and an ocean view.Instead, the suite we checked into was worn-down, unclean, and included absolutely no glimpse of the ocean. Vents were rusting, windows were dirty, weather stripping around the doors was ripping away, something was smeared on the side of the bathroom vanity, and the balcony was covered in cobwebs. (Please see attached images.)We called the front desk to see if there was a room in better shape with an actual oceanfront view. After a series of calls back and forth and waiting on hold, the front desk informed us that there was no better room in the hotel available but that we could move to one of the rental houses on property and that it would not have an ocean view but it was newly renovated.When the engineers came to guide me to the rental houses they shared that the rooms at the Sanderling are being renovated and that our room was one of the few they still needed to renovate. That explained a lot.We moved all of our belongings and our toddler to one of the houses. I'm not sure what exactly had been renovated at this house besides perhaps some new furniture. The kitchen and bathrooms were incredibly dated. At this point it's about 7 p.m. and we are just attempting to get settled in and put our toddler to sleep. We are hoping to make the best of it.As the night continues, we discover there are ants every where. To the point where they're climbing up my arms as I'm trying to make dinner. We find spiders and cobwebs cover the windows and hang in the foyer area above the staircase. Finally, we discover the largest cockroaches I have ever seen. Looking under the vanity in one of the bathrooms, we notice there is a gaping hole where the bugs are coming and going from. (Please see images.)At this point it is about 10:30 p.m., our toddler is asleep, and we had been driving all day. We heavily debated leaving right then but decided it was safest to spend the night and leave first thing in the morning.We contacted American Express the next day to see if someone could assist us in finding an alternative hotel or rental to stay at but the person we spoke to was unable to recommend anything comparable to the 4-star experience we were hoping to find. We decided it was best to cut our trip short and head home.It was a nightmare start to finish. I feel duped based of the photos of the hotel online and I cannot imagine putting a family in a room or house that had been neglected to that extent. The lack of cleanliness was shocking to me. The dishonesty and lack of customer service from Sanderling is completely unacceptable. I do not know how this hotel has conned its way into a 4-star rating. Perhaps it was at one point but those days are long gone.Again, I rarely write reviews, but there was nothing redeeming about this place. Please stay far away from Sanderling "Resort."