Sand Dollar Motel

6/10

Pleasant

31 May 2026

Jim

No place to hang clothing. No ice availability.

Partner

2/10

Poor

27 May 2026

Robin

The management was unbelievable rude from time we checked into the time we left to point he had my mom upset so I don’t recommend this place not even for temporary reasons

Family

8/10

Excellent

23 May 2026

Bethany

Excellent beach front hotel to stay at. Spacious clean rooms and straightforward check in and check out process.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

17 May 2026

Michelle

We stayed in room 7. The AC is plugged into a converter which gets so hot, it trips. So the AC turns off, the the converter turns back on so the AC turns back on and makes a beep. That goes on every 10 mins or so u til the converter completely overheats and shuts everything down for an undetermined amount of time. After leaving the AC on all day while we were gone, we came back to a room that was hotter than the outside temperature and it smelled so bad. At this point it was too late to do anything so we suffered and sweat all night. I went down to the beach in the morning, came back to get stuff together and check out, and again the room was hotter than outside. The only good thing I can say about this room is the beds are comfortable. The towels are the standard child sized super scratchy ones.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 May 2026

Skylar

We stayed in a smaller room with no kitchen access, we had a mini fridge and coffee maker. We were shocked by no hair dryer available due to previous theft of items. We enjoyed the staff as he helped us with getting access into our room even after obtaining a key card the door would still not open for us. Clean and beds were fairly comfortable, we stayed for a minimal time and it was fair for price.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

14 May 2026

Amber

Overall great experience. Owner was helpful when we had issues or questions. Seemed clean for the most part but some handles were sticky. Beds were comfortable and there were no bad smells that you typically find in motels. We have to mention the owner again, because he’s really a nice and pleasant person!

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

03 May 2026

Sandra

Good location for beach. Great room for families. Comfortable beds

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 May 2026

JESSIE

All good very clean easy admission

Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 May 2026

Amy

This is definitely going to be a regular go to for me and my husband. Billy was an amazing host. See us spending a lot of the summer here.

Partner

4/10

Poor

24 Apr 2026

Katherine

The rooms are clean and the grounds seem to be well kept...other then that my stay was horrible. The location is weird and the property owner is not at all professional or customer service friendly. I should have left when I first got to the place because while I was checking in the property owner was reading off a clipboard full of his personal rules while staying at the property... It was overwhelming and very unrealistic and so uncomfortableb but I understand that was his place and he had rules he wanted followed . I

10/10

Exceptional

20 Apr 2026

Cynthia

Clean room with everything you need, and Billy the property manager was wonderful. This is a small, no-frills hotel, but it was just what we needed. We weren’t there for a resort; we needed a nice, clean, safe place to stay in Atlantic Beach. We will be back!

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

18 Apr 2026

Elizabeth

Clean room, kind staff, worthwhile stay

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Apr 2026

Ronald

The owner was very helpful and I enjoyed talking with him.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

13 Apr 2026

Adiel

Friendly staff, rooms were very clean

Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2026

Donald

The room was clean the staff were friendly

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2026

Donna

The staff was very nice and helpful
The room was great and clean.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2026

Charles

Perfect for a simple stay in a Clean property.

Self

2/10

Poor

10 Apr 2026

Jared

Billy was a rude awful human being.

10/10

Exceptional

16 Mar 2026

Donald

Great Location

6/10

Pleasant

15 Mar 2026

Debbie

For the money it was fine and served our needs! Close to the public beach which was our number one priority!!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2026

Timmy

Room was easy accessible and very clean and comfortable. Staff went above and beyond to make sure we had a great stay at the beach.

Partner

2/10

Poor

08 Mar 2026

Manuela

N/A

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

01 Mar 2026

Joseph

first the negatives..it was clear the floors weren’t cleaned. many piles of dirt including hair and fingernail clippings. Black mold on bathroom ceiling. The pictures we saw when choosing our room was nothing close to what we received especially the kitchen which had pictures of a full size kitchen when choosing. false advertising. Stove was nasty. fridge not plugged in. older building but could still be clean! some positives….. good location, good price, nice staff.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

22 Feb 2026

Justine

The room was clean and the manger was friendly. My first night was very cold as the whole building is on one heater with no individual control (though the room did have a separate ac unit). I spoke with the manager on my second day and he gave me a space heater to use that night.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Feb 2026

Lisa

The rooms are clean, the staff is very friendly and attentive. It is an older motel but I've stayed here several times and I couldn't be happier.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2026

Bryant

Don’t underrate this motel. I enjoy the service and the amenities are enough to do just about whatever you need. Downstairs provide plenty of space for sleeping and AC units in the rooms are perfect for the cold sleepers.

Upstairs is spacious and worth the family stay with enough separation to enjoy a few days while yall explore the beach. I’ll keep coming

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 Dec 2025

Kristen

Great stay

8/10

Excellent

22 Dec 2025

Anant

Great stay

Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Dec 2025

Michael

Great room with great rate!

10/10

Exceptional

07 Dec 2025

Bryant

Start was very helpful, responsive. And a pleasure to rent from.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

01 Dec 2025

Donna

Our room did not look anything like the rooms in the pictures. Plus it was cold with no way to adjust the thermostat. No place to hang clothes or put our luggage other than the floor. Just a bed and chair.

If all you needed was a place to sleep and a rest room, I guess it was OK.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Nov 2025

Darnell

Quiet, friendly staff

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Nov 2025

mike

great place to stay !!!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

10 Nov 2025

Enya

A great stay for sure! The rooms was clean, the location was convenient and the property manager was outstanding - thanks so much!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

03 Nov 2025

Hannah

I had a fantastic time at the Sand Dollar Motel. Every staff member I met went above and beyond to help me feel welcome, comfortable, and happy. Mrs Christina and her father, and their new employee Billy were all fantastic and a blast to meet for the first time. My grandparents stayed here often before I was born, and it feels kismet to have spent time here myself. The room was great, easy to navigate, beds were comfortable, appliances worked very well, and the atmosphere was lovely. Thank you guys!!

Leisure Pet

10/10

Exceptional

25 Oct 2025

David

Nice basic road side beach hotel. Will stay agai

Self

8/10

Excellent

14 Oct 2025

Frankie

It was convenient

8/10

Excellent

08 Oct 2025

Sheliah

The only problem was the TV wouldn’t work so we didn’t have any TV to watch

Business

10/10

Exceptional

30 Sep 2025

paul

Every aspect of our stay was positive. Have no negative response to anything. The on-site manager was extremely friendly,courteous and very helpful in upgrading our accommodations once we arrived. I will definitely recommend this motel and plan on using it again.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

27 Sep 2025

Kib

Not fancy but clean and comfortable and nice.

8/10

Excellent

25 Sep 2025

Denh

Is not too bad, for that price

Business Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2025

Susanne

Excellent room, clean, spacious, kind staff

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2025

Jacqueline

I love it. Staff was very friendly. It was very nice spacious and accommodating. I would definitely stay again.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Sep 2025

Jaime

Nice, and clean place. Comfort.

Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Sep 2025

Michael

Nice place simple and clean

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

01 Sep 2025

Michelle

Very clean. Only negative was no comfortable chair in room

10/10

Exceptional

01 Sep 2025

Tory

It wás clean and there was access to the beach. Fort Macon wasn't far.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2025

marvin

Great location and a quiet area. Easy parking and access. I’m very happy here

Business

8/10

Excellent

28 Aug 2025

marvin

Nice location and great price

Business

10/10

Exceptional

24 Aug 2025

Holly

First this place is clean!! I am a housekeeper and very picky. It’s an older motel so yes it’s not perfect but..it’s clean! The entire staff was so nice as well. Convenient location real close to the Fort and ocean
We would definitely stay there again

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Aug 2025

Richard

There are 8 rooms, and on Saturday night all 8 rooms were on their front porch chatting and getting to know each other. It was amazing and fun! Close to the beach!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Aug 2025

Zachary

5 star experience

Very nice hotel and staff. Very accommodating and friendly. Great rates very affordable. Close to the beach we walked down multiple times during our stay. Door dash is available and many restaurants are within driving distance. We will definitely be back again.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Aug 2025

WESTLEY

Great place for the price. Really nice and super close to the beach. You can just walk to the beach. Great restaurants near by within 5 minutes as well.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Aug 2025

jason

Cute ,and quiet

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2025

Verified traveler

Long weekend visit

Great location, staff is very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our time here and will visit again.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2025

Sarah

We loved this place! It’s so cute! The staff is lovely and check in was easy! Parking was a little cramped, we parked on the side of the building in the grass, and that was fine!
Will stay here again, for sure!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jul 2025

Dan

If you plan to spend most of your time on the beach, fishing, exploring nearby attractions, and/or enjoying restaurants and taverns, and you’re looking for budget friendly motel to sleep and bathe, this is a fantastic choice! Has all the essentials (clean linens, comfortable beds/pillows, hot shower, A/C, microwave, coffee maker, free parking) without the extras that cost you more and hold you back from experiencing the area.

The people who run this motel are incredibly nice and friendly! After crossing the bridge, it’s left/east of the Downtown Atlantic Beach Boardwalk, making it a wonderful location; it’s opposite direction from the bigger resorts/hotels (meaning less traffic, less crowds and competition for good beach/fishing spots, and more relaxed surroundings). It’s literal actual walking distance to the Beach (I carried a chair, bag, and cooler from my room to the beach multiple times per day).

Additional information: I visited for the 2025 4th of July weekend (when the actual 4th fell on a Friday), so I expect my experience was about as busy as the general area ever gets. I was able to sit on the beach and watch both Atlantic Beach & Morehead City Fireworks at the same time.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

27 Jun 2025

Martin

The property has been going through some upgrades. Rooms are nice. Convenient walk to public beach access. Only issue was the full dumpster that wasn't emptied but not the property's fault. Definitely a great place for the money for weekend getaway.

6/10

Pleasant

22 Jun 2025

Cynthia

Room is very basic, and very small, but I like the fact that it’s got no smelly carpet! Room is clean and desk persons were nice enough, when they are there. There is a number posted at the office to call after hours, but that goes to a machine and they will call you back when they open the office again, so hopefully it’s not important. If you let the shower run long enough, the water does eventually get luke warm.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

22 Jun 2025

Verified traveler

Beach Trip

Overall the room was spacious and clean, amenities were very nice and staff was friendly. The staff were also quick and helpful regarding clean towels and linens. Everything was provided, bathroom toiletries too. Only issue was Sunday morning around 8 or 9, we were woken up by work on the roof and loud bangs. While this likely wasn’t avoidable, it was still disruptive and we were asked to move our car.

Friends_and_family Friends

2/10

Poor

05 Jun 2025

Steven

Got yelled at by owner for things I should already had in room that I requested. Will never stay there again & will tell everyone I know to bever stay there

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

30 May 2025

Nathan

Good time for the valued stay.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 May 2025

Kathleen

Good location for the price, Friendly staff, nice rooms.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

23 May 2025

Brandie

Efficient. Clean.

Business_and_leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

13 May 2025

catrina

Ok

No frills. Have low expectations it's a motel not a hotel. Service was good very nice on site staff. Very close to the beach which was the point for me. Is in the middle of updating but doing so on a budget. Not for anybody with champagne expectations.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 May 2025

Lesley

The owners were so delightful and friendly. The place as in an amazing location and the rooms were spacious and updated. Thank you to the establishment.

8/10

Excellent

04 May 2025

james

Easy access to beach ⛱️

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

26 Apr 2025

Edgar

The Sand Dolaar is perfect for a quick trip or solo trip. Of you need comfort, this isn't for you. But its perfect for a get-a-way. Management has been great with any needs as well.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Apr 2025

Tory

Very nice

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

21 Mar 2025

Anthony

Room was OK, but the property needs to be updated. The rugs in the room are dated and stained. Shower had plenty of pressure but the shower head was all clogged and desperately needed to be replaced. Good property for single guy or young adult on a budget. Your wife will definitely not like it there. I was there on the off season so it probably improves when they have more staff and customers. I would give it another chance if I went down again.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2025

Melissa

NA

Leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

31 Jan 2025

Cookie

How well they are at getting to your needs

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2025

Tammy

It was an enjoyable stay! The room was clean and management responded quickly to my needs.

Self

2/10

Poor

03 Jan 2025

Warren

I went to get coffee the last morning and a cockroach came out of the coffee pot. If I can I would post a picture. I messaged the manager and still haven’t heard back from them. Unprofessional. Beds are too small for frame .and when someone got switch to room 5 there were dead roaches on floor I have pictures of that as well . She had kids . I can’t believe they have people stay there and knowing the infestation.

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

13 Dec 2024

Ronald

worst motel I’ve ever stayed in

8/10

Excellent

04 Nov 2024

Tory

Very friendly staff great location

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

05 Oct 2024

Rod

It was not a good experience or at all as represented in the expedia profile. 100 bucks a night for no amenities, internet, ice machine nothing. The room was not well cleaned and dirt or stains all over floor. I left another room in Tybee island thinking it was bad and got not quite as bad. Do not use the place unless last resort.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Sep 2024

Y Wel

It’s nice , the room is clean.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

09 Sep 2024

Rhianna

Convenient location near beach but facilities are dated.

10/10

Exceptional

02 Sep 2024

Stacey

Perfect for beach

Perfect stay for beach trip,cheap,clean and simple. Just steps from the beach

2/10

Poor

30 Aug 2024

Katherine

Absolute worst expererience ive ever had checking in. After an employee finally showed up a literal hour late we were given a room on the other side of the building that had a dirt path to get to. Room was half ass renovated and had heavily stained carpets and towels. Daylight was visible around a cheap retail window unit for ac. Bugs in room. Stay away from here. Go camping instead if youre tight on money. We just ate our payment for this and went to the other side of the island for a safe and clean weekend.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

27 Aug 2024

Adrienne

The room was a bit outdated, the front area had a fan that did not circulate the air so it was stuffy. One of the lightbulbs fell out since it was shaking. Other than that it was convenient to our needs.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Aug 2024

genevieve

The room was exactly what we needed for a quick beach getaway. The lady in the office was great.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

18 Aug 2024

PATRICIA

The bathroom was nice but only and old, dirty fan light. Toilet paper roll not on wall but sitting on sink. Door had been kicked in multiple times a d not repaied. Slept with huger heavy cooler blocking door. Light in room had a broken shade and was a fire hazzard. Carpet filthy, my feet turned black. Outdoor seating was in bad shape, can i say, splinters anyone?

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Aug 2024

Matthew

The office folks are so nice and hospitable

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

06 Aug 2024

Jeffrey

The room was decent, definitely not as nice as pictures portrayed. Bed was comfy. Bedding was pretty although when we we arrived, one bed didnt have a comforter. We left briefly and returned to find a comforter in a bag on the bench outside. Ac window unit was super loud but we were basically just there to sleep so I didn't mind the background noise for sleep. Bathroom was clean and towels were thick, nice quality. The door was difficult to open & shut and was very loud. The door jams & doors were pretty dirty with fingerprints everywhere.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

27 Jul 2024

Marie

There was no staff on the property, they just left our keys in a mailbox. This didn't feel super safe to me. We get into the room and there was at least 30 to 50 small fly type bugs, I squished up to 30 of them. The carpet, door frames and fridge look like it hadn't been cleaned in years. The beds were hard and stained, I cut my let on the side of the bed because hard knobs were sticking out. It was convenient to walk down to the beach and was nice to walk back to the shower.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

22 Jul 2024

Cynthia

Dated, but clean

The office was unmanned the entire time we were there, Fri night - Mon morning. There is a sign on the door with a number to call, but nobody you could speak to face-to-face. The hotel is dated, but clean. It cracked me up that we had a full kitchen, complete with stove. But very few dishes, I think one frying pan, and 2 spoons and 2 was it for silverware. I should have been working this weekend, but we didn’t have an internet connection. I reported it on Saturday and asked again on Sunday, but no luck… so there I was at McD’s for hours on end because I couldn’t get a refund and move to another hotel…. Nice if you just need a place to sleep, but I wouldn’t recommend if you plan to spend any time in the room.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jul 2024

Theresa

Nice simple motel

I'm not sure why so many bad reviews. It is a simple basic place. No frills. It was clean. It was close to the beach. Owner was friendly. Beds aren't the best but we got a good nights sleep regardless. Yes the outside does have a fish smell. YOU ARE NEAR THE BEACH!! We stayed in room 5. There was plenty of hot water as soon as we realized the hot and cold were reversed. No carpet in this room so no worries about sand or anything. Fridge and freezer work great. We didn't use the stove so I cant comment on that. I will say we reserved a room with two beds. We were pleasantly surprised that they were in separate rooms. I would definitely stay again.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jul 2024

Billy

Everything we could ask for and more! We scan into the room upon arrival and was able to unload as soon as we got there without hassle. Bet close to the beach and the view from the balcony was pretty amazing during the fireworks. 10/10

Leisure Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

07 Jul 2024

Verified traveler

Staff was nice, however the rooms are not very clean.

Partner

2/10

Poor

07 Jul 2024

Tracy

The carpet was disgusting more stains than color showing
The smell of dead fish permeated the permeated the outside of the building and the smoking from the outside permeated the interior .
I’ve never felt more uncomfortable
We arrived late and as I had already been charged almost $200 for the stay and was traveling with 2 little ones we stayed. There were holes in the ceiling one looked like a vent but had a roll of plastic bagels stuck up in it
I made the kids keep their shoes on until they climbed up into the bed
The only thing in the room that appeared to be clean

Leisure Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

05 Jul 2024

Lisa

The facilities are old and in poor repair. There was no hot water in the shower, though there was hot water at the sink. The burners on the kitchenette stove were difficult to operate. The floor was cracked in front of the sink and stove, with popped nails that could have cut a bare foot. The unit was two rooms, and the AC was a single unit in the back room, so the front room stayed hot. There was no staff on site, and the person who answered the phone was surly. On the positive side, the beds were clean and comfortable, and the motel is a short walk to the beach.

Leisure Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

04 Jul 2024

Cisco

Not worth the money

Run down old motel. It looked better in pictures. The beds were incredibly hard. No one was on the property if you had a problem

Self

4/10

Poor

24 Jun 2024

Rookie

ABOUT AS SIMPLE AS IT GETS. DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A PLACE TO PUT THE SOAP IN THE BATHROOM. WALK HALF A MILE TO THE BEACH. DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT THIS ROOM. AND THE ROOM DID NOT MATCH THE PICTURE.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

17 Jun 2024

Charmaine

Close to public beach access

Close to a public beach access and Ft. Macon. The room, although worn carpet and linens, it was clean, with a small refrigerator, microwave and a coffee machine. Our registration form and room key was in an envelope in the mailbox. A sign on the door said to sign and date the form and place back in the mailbox. A phone number was provided if we needed anything. The next morning, although the office was open, there was no one about. We used the same envelope to put the key in and left it on the desk.

Partner

2/10

Poor

09 Jun 2024

Verified traveler

Didn’t stay

We didn’t stay here after checking in. The room was hot with a small window unit in the back room. The towels were a dingy color and the shower curtain was mildewed. I couldn’t stay after a walkthrough. We stayed here many years ago and it’s not the same anymore. It’s really rundown.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Jun 2024

TRICIA

Good to stay.

It was a good place because it was close to the beach. It does need som maintenance and up grades. There is no cleaning services during my stay.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

30 May 2024

CURTIS

Still a bit of renovations needed

The Hotel is currently being upgraded, some issues need to be looked at.
Ceiling fan could not be used as it was out of balance anf shook badly if on.
Plastic blinds were broken an had to use pillow cases to cover window.
New locking system was installed that used a QR code from email. If the dates of your stay was entered wrong, you link to the QR Lock code was made inactive.
For the price, the room was as I expected. I would stay again, hopefully the issues are corrected

Self

6/10

Pleasant

27 May 2024

Sophia

This place was fine for a singular night. Room was falling apart, they took our bed(??) when we booked for three, so two others had to spoon for warmth. I'd recommend if you really don't care and just need a quick place to stay. The owners were very nice when we couldn't get in. This was my second time at the establishment, and It was alright!

Leisure Friends