Cape Fear is both a river and a coastal region of North Carolina. Wilmington, the river's port city, hosts the state Azalea Festival. The Cape Fear Coast also has a collection of beaches, including Kure, Holden, Carolina, Wrightsville, Oak Island and Ocean Isle. Golfing in the Cape Fear area includes courses at Wilmington, Calabash, Leland, Ocean Isle and Sunset Beaches and Bald Head Island. Travelers with pets will find accommodations at hotels large and small.
Waterway Lodge
The Waterway Lodge offers lodging in hotel rooms and condominiums, both welcoming pets. The hotel is located at the entrance to Wrightsville Beach, adjacent to the drawbridge. The 24 guestrooms offer smoking and nonsmoking accommodations, as well as refrigerators and microwaves. Rooms that include pets are specifically set aside for animals and must be reserved prior to arrival. An additional nightly fee is charged for the pet, and the hotel rules must be met when walking the pet, including avoiding the pool area and using the proper waste stations. Pets are allowed on the adjacent beach from October through the end of March. Hotel guest dining is available across the street at Arlie Seafood, Bridge Tender and the Dockside, and also at Causeway Cafe and Bluewater Grill, a short walk across the bridge.
Waterway Lodge
7246 Wrightsville Ave.
P.O. Box 857
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
(910) 256-3771
(800) 677-3771
waterwaylodge.com
Baymont Inn & Suites Wilmington
The Baymont Inn and Suites allows pets with a reservation for special rooms and payment of an additional nightly fee for each pet. Pet reservations must be made directly with the hotel and not on the toll-free reservation line. The Baymont is strategically located near downtown Wilmington, shopping and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. A free continental breakfast, access to an area fitness center and use of the on-site, heated, outdoor pool are included in the room fee. Eateries within walking distance of the hotel include Applebee's, Golden Corral, Carrabba's and Texas Roadhouse, and Outback Steakhouse is located adjacent to the hotel.
Baymont Inn & Suites Wilmington
306 S. College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403
(910) 392-6767
baymontinns.com
Mermaid Manor
The Mermaid Manor is located at Carolina Beach on Cape Fear. The Mermaid invites pets and offers a pet-sitting service when owners leave for golfing. A nightly pet fee is assessed for each pet and an hourly charge for sitting, if required. The hotel is within walking distance of the boardwalk and shopping. The two-room oceanfront suites offer a separate living room and a small kitchen area. Each room provides space for four guests to sleep comfortably. The accommodations are smoke-free, although smokers may use the outside porches. Local eateries within walking distance include Gulf Stream, Harbor Masters and Pop's Diner, as well as several fast food restaurants.
Mermaid Manor
308 Carolina Beach Ave. N
Carolina Beach, NC 28428
(910) 231-2418
mermaidmanornc.com
About The Author
Lee Grayson is an ethnographer and freelance writer. She has written for both Oxford and Harvard University presses and research publishers, including Facts On File and ABC-CLIO. She holds certificates from the University of California campuses at Irvine and San Diego.
