I first visited the Islander when I was in high school, 28 years later it has had a considerable faceliift. Be sure to STAY OCEANFRONT when you go. These rooms far surpass the quality of the standard and deluxe rooms and you can not beat the beautiful ocean view from your private patio or balcony! I had to stay one evening in a deluxe room as the oceanfront was not available for our entire stay. The non-oceanfront rooms are clean, very basic rooms--don't look for frills, or superfine bedding etc.... The oceanfront rooms are spacious and well-appointed --particularly the corner oceanfront! Every stay I have found the staff to be very friendly and eager to meet your needs ---you will find very attractive grounds and pool/cabana area to enjoy as well.

Housekeeping NEVER cleaned our room during our stay! (We stayed for 5days/4nights.)

We stayed here the 4th wk of June. It was family friendly. Very clean and very new looking! Maid service was top notch. We did not hear loud noises or see any drunkenness. It was super clean and there were people cleaning all the time. Our room was ocean front. The view was the best. We could almost spit and hit the beach. The landscaping made you feel like you were in a tropical paradise. The pool was so close I could walk out on the balcony and see the kids in the pool and call them in for lunch. The pool was a good size, but not really big enough to swim long laps, it was never crowded. There were cabanas so you could sit in the shade if you desired and there were plenty of seats and lounge chairs. Access to the beach was very easy and there was a outside shower to hose off. Police patrolled the beach constantly and there were lifeguards on duty. Check in and out was friendly and professional. If you decide to get a room without a ocean view there are little porches to sit on in the breeze ways with an ocean view. Parking was free and easy to get in and out of. It is only two stories so if you are on the second floor you will have to haul all of your gear up the stairs. There is a very small game room and store. Ice machines, drink machines and 1 washer and 1 dryer on each floor. You may have to go somewhere else to wash, but we did our laundry early and had no problem. There is a very small gym with about 6 pieces of equipment. Within walking distance is a waterslide, bumper cars and other games. There are also bike trails. The two negative things about this hotel are the wifi, barely any service, and the beds. The TV is nice but no DVD player. I think you could hook up your own. The beds were double beds not queen and did not sleep very well. The room is very spacious you could bring cribs and cots etc... when we asked for a portable bed they had run out. Large walk in closet small fridge with a freezer, large sink, microwave, coffee maker and counter space. The bathroom has one sink and is small on a 1-5 scale it is a 3. The balcony was huge you could have had a party of 10 people on it. There is a picnic area in grass with 2 charcoal grills and 2 picnic tables. No grilling on your balcony. I also suggest you bring a wooden clothes dryer, and an egg crate foam for your bed. We had a great vacation, but for the price the beds should have been more comfortable.

Decided to enjoy a beach trip after dropping my son off in greenville NC (ECU) his freshman year. This was my first trip to emerald isle beach and was not familiar with any of the hotel names. I am accustomed to large chain hotels....Hilton, Holiday Inn, etc...so i was very worried about booking a dud! To my surprise, It was a very charming, clean, relaxing, cozy and spacious hotel. I was not impressed with the water stains in the front part of the lobby area and the trailer parks you drive pass to get to the hotel, but I was only concerned with MY room. I had read reviews saying the bathrooms did not have sinks, so that was not a surprise to me...but i still loved it....The pool area was exquisite, beach access area was convenient...and i would love to visit again this august after i dump my son at school again!