Blockade Runner Beach Resort

We’ve stayed in many places, and this hotel was definitely overpriced for the experience we had. The bathroom sink was clogged with hair that wasn’t ours, making it almost unusable. The outdoor area was poorly maintained, and the food was inedible because of the overwhelming number of flies and garbage nearby. Drinks took 15–20 minutes to arrive, even though the bar wasn’t busy. The pool area was dirty, with leftover food and bugs everywhere. Overall, very disappointing.

Having been to this property in the past, I was a bit taken back on how much the place has changed…and not for the better. During our stay, our room was only cleaned once, which is a problem because we were constantly walking on sandy floors. The gym is filthy and there are not wipes to clean the equipment. The towel availability seems to be a problem because they require guest to go to the front desk to get them and they are not always available. The grounds use to be beautiful and well manicured but again that standard has been lowered. It’s obvious that the property has changed owners and under new management, unfortunately there seems to be a lack of leadership in basic hospitality management. Just be aware, if you’re going there with high expectations of a “exclusive “ resort, you’ll probably be sadly disappointed.

Parking lot can be difficult to navigate with full size SUV or truck.

Property was celebrated its 60th year…and it shows. The rooms, especially the baths, need some updating. The grounds are nice and well-maintained. The hot tub was yucky and needs more frequent cleaning. Beach access is a breeze and that’s what gives the property its greatest value. Excellent staff, very accommodating.

Great property and we will stay again. The pool water was not well maintained but deck and pool bar were nice. I have hope the pool will be seen to as well as the rest of the grounds.

First the good: the view from the "Surf" side of the hotel is amazing, the decor is nice (70s Surf Vibes), and the pool / outdoor bar / fire pit / beach chairs + umbrellas are lovely. The flipside/ reality: This is an old, 60s-era hotel building that has had a decorating make-over. It appears the systems/ mechanics were overlooked. For starters, the elevators were down for our entire 3-day stay. They texted us this FYI about 2-3 hours before check in. (I'm wondering if the elevators had been down for days prior to our visit--and they were/ are just letting guests know about it when it's too late to cancel.) While the elevators being down wouldn't be a big deal for guests staying on the second floor, we were on the 4th and were told "This is the lowest floor we can get you on." (Is this part of the $47 daily resort fee?) We're in our 60s (osteo-arthritis), so 8 sets of stairs quickly became a challenge. We noticed a couple of young moms with toddlers trying to navigate this (while carrying all the beach gear one needs for little ones.) When the room A/C comes on, it sounds like a 747 taking off (making sleeping difficult). Other things: The bathroom door didn't close, there are no ice machines + the pool was VERY cloudy/murky. Prepare to be nickled-and-dimed for every little thing. In short, if you are a young rich + fit hiking / surf dude who travels w/ all your stuff in a lightweight backpack, loves to scale steps and spend money--this is probably a good fit for you.

The property is ok. We were expecting them to do more after acquiring the Blockade Runner. The pool looked awful our three days there. The water was murky. We wouldn’t even go in it. Pool space is also hard to find. I am not a fan of hotels that charge a daily activity fee. I’d prefer you just charge for parking. Wine at the bar was very overpriced, $16 for a below average small glass of Pinot Noir. Additionally, I was taking the glass to the room and the bartender asked if plastic was ok and made it seem like they were afraid we would steal the glass. I’ve never had a hotel bar question taking a glass to the room. She did allow me to take it in a glass in the end. The mixed drinks were more reasonable. Any time you want ice you have to ask the front desk. I waited 15 minutes on one occasion for someone to bring a bag. The view over the sound from our room was very nice, especially during sunsets. The staff working to put out beach chairs and umbrellas were great. Overall for the price we would not stay here again. We enjoyed our stay at the Lumina Holiday Inn much more.

Not sure I’d stay here again. The really awesome thing is proximity to the beach. The place needs some work and renovation: bathroom in the room has rusty and unleveled tub, AC is hit or miss in the room, hot sauna was broken, and hot tub needed cleaning. And an elevator wasn’t working. Room wasn’t ready upon arrival and it’d be hours until ready. Kids had a blast in the pool and beach but we might go elsewhere next time.

I loved the location. The grounds were well kept and very beautiful. The yard games and hammocks were fun and relaxing. Plus the quick access to the beach was the best part.

This hotel was so great. Great vibe, comfortable spacious room, fantastic pool and beach area!

First and foremost the rooms have quirky decor which is interesting, but they STINK from the humidity. It’s REALLY unbearable. In fact, it made my clothes stink and I didn’t realize it until I pulled out a sweatshirt from my carry on while on the plane. It smelled like mildew from two days there.Every single thing in my suitcase stinks. Gross. The beds are squeaky and very uncomfortable. No balcony or ability to open window, at least on the harbor side. The pool was cloudy and so dirty. Tons of grime floating around. I also felt invisible trying to order a drink at the pool and at the bar. I wasn’t even acknowledged at the bar. The shower didn’t work right at all. It has two shower heads and no doors, so it was a wet mess, and I couldn’t get only ONE shower head to work or a consistent temp. It was so hard to shower. Lastly, the gym is disgusting. No air circulation or fans, so it’s even more smelly and moist than the rooms. It’s so bad that their cable machine is rusted out and it’s difficult to use. The only redeeming quality is the location and outdoor area leading up to the beach. The bar and pool are cool (as long as you don’t get in it). I don’t insert why they don’t have umbrellas out at the pool. It’s really hot. Unless it’s a tactic to upsell a cabana. The property has a lot of potential but it needs a MAJOR overhaul. Really, they need to tear it down and rebuild. The amount of mold is probably out of control. Would NOT recommend.

We’ve stayed in many places, and this hotel was definitely overpriced for the experience we had. The bathroom sink was clogged with hair that wasn’t ours, making it almost unusable. The outdoor area was poorly maintained, and the food was inedible because of the overwhelming number of flies and garbage nearby. Drinks took 15–20 minutes to arrive, even though the bar wasn’t busy. The pool area was dirty, with leftover food and bugs everywhere. Overall, very disappointing.

Check in and out was easy. Staff was nice. Room had great ocean front views and was super clean. Will definitely stay again .

The beach was beautiful. The hotel room was cleaned, and the staff was pleasant.

Drains were clogged, bathroom door didn’t close. Dead frog was in hallway the entire weekend.

There was hair stuck to the bathroom walls and door. The sheets were spotted with rust or blood - difficult to tell which. I placed a towel over the sheets. I did take pictures for the hotel, but I see no need to post them here.

The room smelled like garbage, the air conditioning was awful. The bathroom was moldy and the toilet was constantly broken. The window wells were covered spiders and webs. I was utterly disgusted!! The new owners need to return it to the way it used to be. Money was thrown away.

We will NOT stay at this "resort" again. It is a fantastic location, but that is one of the very few things they have going for them. The beds were absolutely horrible. I am not new to traveling and sleeping in many different levels and types of accommodations. I have never been so uncomfortable in a bed anywhere in my life. We also discovered multiple places in the shower with black mold. This is also a first experience anywhere I\'ve stayed. There was no resolve to either of these issues. When I reported the bed issue, the staff offered for us to move rooms, but quickly stated that all the beds were standard/same. When I reported the black mold, they sent someone up to "clean it" and it was not cleaned/taken care of after they sent someone. The consolation the manager offered was free parking during our stay and free chair rental. This all added up to $150 worth of charges comped, which we appreciated, but we spent $250 per night to stay here. We felt that was insufficient for the level of issues we had.

The location was great, very walkable. The pool, back area, access to the beach and sound were very nice. Staff was helpful and friendly. Overall it was decorated well, including the room. My only two complaints about the room I was in: please provide more places to put luggage, perhaps another rack or a shelf that can bear weight. The very small bathroom was in poor condition. The tub didn't drain, the sink dripped endlessly, the door would barely open, and the overall condition poor. Not dirty, just in bad shape (walls, fixtures, floor, etc).

The hotel was lovely. Unfortunately, there room had a strong odor. The hotel had maintenance spray a “deodorizer”, but it just added a strong floral smell into the mix. The hotel was at full capacity so we had to ask for a refund and move to another hotel.

Loved location, but rooms were outdated.

The property has nice decor, in both the rooms and the common spaces. The pool and grounds are attractive and well-maintained. However, we stayed for 3 nights, and maid service never came to our room even though we were out most of the day. We did not call management the first day and didn't bother after day 2 since we were leaving the following morning. Also, there was no microwave in the hotel room, which made it less appealing since we were traveling with children. There was a small fridge, but mostly it was for "mini-bar" items, so not useful for keeping bottled water or juice, etc., on hand. We ate one meal at the hotel, which was breakfast, and it was very nicely presented with a "gourmet" flair. Parking consisted of either one small self-park lot, uncovered, or valet parking. We were forced to valet park 2 of the 3 nights we stayed, and all the visible valet spots were full, so my vehicle was around the corner somewhere out of sight. It's a safe area, but I'd rather know where my vehicle is at all times. The 4 stars is due to it being an attractive property, but more suitable for business or conference attendees versus families.

Staff overall is very friendly. Restaurant food was good: pesto pasta was bland, sausage and biscuits were ok, brunch burger was very good, service for Sunday brunch was very slow and understaffed, calamari fries were great. Loved the live music. Room was nice but AC was very loud and a lot of humidity in the room. Had to turn the AC to 65 to keep the room cool. Beautiful view of the Sound and sunset. Lobby is very cute and quaint. Walkable to restaurants and shops. Very laid back. I would return because the location and staff are very nice.

Beautiful property and rooms! Excellent bay views, grounds, and access to the beach.

While this is an older hotel, it has been updated nicely. Outside areas great, lots of gathering spots. Only disappointment was that our room did not have balcony. It wasn’t clear that there were two types of ocean front rooms. Balcony (100$ more! ) or no balcony. Price already expensive. Staff excellent, very courteous and helpful.

The resort was good, not great. The bathrooms were very small. The resort seemed short staffed. Daily room cleaning and new towel service was not provided, we had to go get new towels every day ourselves. Even when we requested it, we were told they would see what they could do. Beach was good, and beach personnel were good. Enjoyed the area restaurants. Enjoyed the Sunset boat cruise associated with the resort.

The walls must be as thin as a single sheet of drywall- you can hear absolutely every work either of your neighbors are saying. I’ve been in a lot of hotel rooms, this by far was the worst, most awkward and uncomfortable.

Wish we could have stayed longer! Such a beautiful property. Highly recommend getting a balcony. You can’t beat the view. We watched the sunrise every morning from there and hung out there before we went to bed at night.

The bed was terrible, the air conditioner was TERRIBLE, we waited since 3:55 pm until 4:35 pm when we arrived Really I don’t recommend

The location is perfect and the area in the back by the ocean is nice. However, the beds were terrible. After two nights of bad sleep and back/neck pain, we left a night early because I couldn't bear another night on the beds provided. The hotel still needs a lot of updates. The lobby is fine, but the rooms are outdated and dirty. Everyone was nice and welcoming. Its a shame because it's the perfect location within walking distance to lots in Wrightsville Beach.

Fantastic Property. Fantastic Staff. I will be back. And Thank you Robert for retrieving my forgotten article from my room.

Staff was so attentive and friendly. Parking was quick and easy, the restaurant was great for breakfast and convenience to the beach was the main reason we stayed. Will be back!

Check-in. Check-out went smoothly. Restaurant has good food but slow service - seems understaffed. Can’t beat the beach access!

The resort was good, not great. The bathrooms were very small. The resort seemed short staffed. Daily room cleaning and new towel service was not provided, we had to go get new towels every day ourselves. Even when we requested it, we were told they would see what they could do. Beach was good, and beach personnel were good. Enjoyed the area restaurants. Enjoyed the Sunset boat cruise associated with the resort.

Had a wonderful time. All of the staff was absolutely great! We are already planning to return next year.

Lovely facility but blown away by the staff interactions- friendly reliable attentive - not what I usually expect from young people these days - excellent service and nice renovations- loved gearing grateful dead on the sound system...

The customer service really needs work at the restaurant and also the last two times we have visited the pool area was closed, for the price, you really need to get that fixed when that is a main attraction!! Being kind goes a long way!! That needs to be taught! Otherwise place is beautiful, clean, beautiful views, great location, great food, friendly staff at front desk but restaurants needs improvement with service had to wait 30 mins before they took our drink order

Great experience. Staff was constantly over and above.

It was our second time staying here. While the majority of the room was clean, behind the bed there was hair and some debris. It took over 2 hours for us to check in. Rooms were not ready and it was well past check in time. Great location and good restaurant.

Customer service is awful. The pool was dirty and pool bar was an hour late opening up. They don’t sell water in their lobby. Also, we made a reservation while we were there to come another time and they messed it up three times. They were also using my email address for other clients and they aren’t sure how it happened. I was getting notifications for different clients all under my email. They still can’t explain how it happened.

Love the location and views from this property! Very clean and open, airy, and modern. We stayed here very off season and still loved the beachy atmosphere!

It is a nice property. The room was clean and tge location is excellent. Lots of dining options nearby. Good outdoor areas including beach and pool.

Fantastic property. Will be back again soon! Easy walking distance to places and great open facility with tons of stuff to enjoy during your stay.

Great location. Clean. Friendly staff.

Nice location right on the beach. An old property they have put some money into maintaining. Not luxury but good value for money.

On beautiful Wrightsville Beach, walking distance between the two piers and several restaurants, this iconic hotel has been well maintained. There couldn’t be a more pleasant place to enjoy the beautiful beach which has been widened and cleaned in a successful reclamation project.

Beachfront, quiet, great location!

The location between the ocean and the intercoastal is amazing

The Blockade Runner is a good safe bet on WB. You can’t beat its location and they’ll likely never be any more hotels permitted on WB so they have a bit of a captive market. That said their guest services are top notch, the front lawn and beachfront access can’t be beaten. Parking and valet guys are great. Servers at the bar and pool are great. The sailboats, kayaks and access to the harbor side activities is fantastic. It’s so close to the shops, and restaurants down near South Beach too. The property itself….rooms, elevators, etc need a facelift but it’s always kinda been that way. It could use a total gut reno inside but there’s no real incentive to do so because there’s just one other hotel in the island.

Amazing location and beautiful property!

We’ve stayed in many places, and this hotel was definitely overpriced for the experience we had. The bathroom sink was clogged with hair that wasn’t ours, making it almost unusable. The outdoor area was poorly maintained, and the food was inedible because of the overwhelming number of flies and garbage nearby. Drinks took 15–20 minutes to arrive, even though the bar wasn’t busy. The pool area was dirty, with leftover food and bugs everywhere. Overall, very disappointing.

A great location right on the beach. Rooms and property condition were nice. Food when it finally came was very acceptable but…. Couldn’t get any food on Father’s Day even as late as 8pm because the kitchen was unable to take any more orders. There were only 3 tables in use in the dining room at this time! Food delivery at the restaurants was terribly slow, breakfast took 40-45 mins one day, pool service was pleasant and friendly but they just kept apologizing for the long wait times. They ran out of Breakfast tea so we provided our own. Parking was difficult in the evenings with no spaces available. They could and should do better than this for the money!

Food was good. Food service lacking. Cold coffee.

The food was not good. Grilled cheese was premade that morning. Room service breakfast arrived cold. Everything else about the property was on point.

Our bathroom sink was clogged and the food at room service was awful! Our breakfast room service was cold, no butter no syrup, no plates, the coffee was awful.

Staff was attentive. Beach staff was excellent. Food was great.

Perfect location on the beach, wonderful outdoor facilities. Limited dining options; Sunday breakfast closed too early. Bar had too limited selections....e.g., no Cognacs!

The hotel was in the perfect location and beach access is right out the back door. Great pool and pool bar. No microwave but staff accommodated us by heating up our daughter’s food in the staff lounge. That was so nice. The restaurant is fantastic and the food was delicious.

We usually love staying here and have multiple times over the last few years. Live in the area and come for brunch not infrequently. They have a new chef and we stayed this weekend- huge downgrade in the food quality! $14 for a small cup of yogurt with three blueberries, four slivers of strawberry and a dusting of generic granola is now their “hemp seed granola.” Similarly priced Belgian waffle is literally one waffle from a waffle maker with a glob of butter. No fruit, no powdered sugar- no attention to detail or thought put into presentation. Very disappointing based on the price of food there and based on previous stays. We won’t be back to the restaurant.

Frozen drinks were good. Margaritas were not.