Owens' Motel

I would so love to be able to give Mia's a better review score, however, I don't want to mislead other travelers, either. I had pleasant conversations with everybody who was working there - even the cleaning crew who was from ?Central America? There was so much language barrier that I had to show the girl what we needed more of in our room. To her credit - she didn't hesitate to get us towels, or toilet paper. First things first. If you want a nicer room, you need to spend the $300+ per night and get the rooms in the little 3-story cottage. If you don't, you'll get the "courtyard" rooms, many of which are across the street - not good if you're packing chairs, etc., over to the beach - expect a fairly long walk. Bring a wagon if you're too cheap to book the most expensive rooms. The formerly "Owen's Motel" is a conglomeration of separate properties, from previous motels who have sold-out and retired. I can see that the properties are often split up, and different property owners bid on pieces of property, close-by, but not connected in any way. That's why Mia's is scattered over across the street, and the swimming pool is, what seems to be, at the neighbor's property. From the photos I saw, it does look like the (nine?) rooms in the "cottage" have been updated. They look pretty good from the photos, however, even those rooms get a few negative comments. In general, the entire place is run-down, from generations of owners making "improvements" to a property that has outlived it's heyday, and is begging to be torn-down and replaced with a modern facility. It's neither a "Boutique" nor a "Hotel". It's the old Owen's Motel - and that's all it is. True "maintenance" is probably contracted on the OBX - and it just doesn't happen. There are no amenities whatsoever. No breakfast, no clean rooms, nothing in the bathrooms, pretty much nothing in general. If somebody takes your parking spot, you may have to park at a public parking lot. There aren't even clothes hangers in the little closet. We had to go purchase anything that we may have needed for our stay. Nobody told us, either, at booking, that our room was in the "Courtyard" across the street from the beach. I suppose the other 3-6 rooms that actually have an ocean view (second and third floor) are perpetually booked, and therefore, they don't even tell you that you're not getting a true beach-front room. Is Mia's the ONLY place like this in Nags Head? Absolutely not! Pretty much the same story at most of the "budget" $200-a-night motel rooms in Nags Head. It's kind of like this - if you have the money to vacation at Whalebone Junction/Nags Head/Kitty Hawk then you should be prepared to spend $300-$400 per night on a decent hotel room. That's a fact - and that's just the way it is. If you want $89 a night, check out Iowa, or Nebraska. TIPS: Bring a wagon to haul stuff to the beach. Bring clothes hangers or a way to hang your beach towels to dry outside. Bring a dehumidifier for your room if you can fit it in - otherwise nothing will dry - not even the floors. Outback Steakhouse - by FoodLion grocery store had fresh-caught shrimp (huge) dinner for like $10! It was amazing! Hardly any wait time, either, in the later afternoon! Also, there are like 15 - yes, fifteen, Thrift Stores, in the area of Nags Head - that have amazing selections of beach attire, beach accessories, and other things that people leave behind after their stays on the OBX. Before you go buy NEW, go check out the Thrift Stores. Several of them are within walking distance!

We came from Hatteras, where the people are very, very friendly. In comparison, checking in was already a major disappointment. The hotel complex has little in common with a boutique hotel, but rather reminds one of a motel and is not very inviting. The rooms are simple, but at first glance, tidy. We had a room on the 2nd. Floor, with a sea view. There was mold on the shower wall. There was no hair dryer, no beach towels, and no safe. The bed, or rather the mattress, was terrible. But the worst part was that the ceiling and walls seem to be made of cardboard. We heard every word, every trip to the bathroom, every step, and even the snoring of the neighbors above, below, and next to us. That was by far the worst hotel night of my life!

This run-down motel is a complete bait-and-switch. Only the location of the oceanfront shack behind the dunes is acceptable. The main part is on the other side of the street, after all. The place is simply an outrage: The ceilings and walls are made of nothing more than cardboard, you can hear the neighbor snoring so loudly that not even earplugs help, the bathroom is moldy, the reception is unfriendly, the coffee machine has no coffee, no bathroom amenities, and so on and so forth. SO PLEASE DO NOT BOOK, I had forgotten to check beforehand here