My Warrior is not the "wild party" type of guy so I wanted to take him to a place that was quiet for the New Year's celebration. Shell Island Resort fit the bill.

I had read that they had recently done some renovations, and I could tell. The carpets were new and our one room suite was looked and smelled fresh. All of the suites face the beach, and it's great that the bedroom is back near the entry (it can stay dark and cozy when the morning sun rises and shines on the living room/kitchen area).

Everything we needed to cook was available in the kitchen. The clerk at the front desk was very friendly, and gave us an excellent recommendation for a restaurant for dinner when we first arrived.

My Warrior and I brought in the new year sitting on the balcony, watching the illegal fireworks on the beach (hey, South Carolina IS right down the road), sipping champagne and listening to the waves. No wild partying or drunken hooting and hollering could be hear. It was wonderful!

We'll definitely go back there when it's warm. And we've made plan to bring in 2022 there also.

This is a great place to get away for a long weekend. I get the same unit every time so I don't get surprised as each is individually owned -- you can make the request of the hotel even though they may tell you it's not a guarantee. Shell Island is at the end of Wrightsville so it's quieter than other parts of the beach. I love the chair/umbrella service provided on the beach and the cost is nominal considering the convenience factor -- food service on the beach is poor so plan to bring your snacks. Covered parking is also a plus. There's even a little gym area if you want to get in some time on the treadmill.

The hotel is currently undergoing renovations from Hurricane Irene. We knew this was the first weekend that it was open since the storm, but we kind of assumed that it would be complete. There was still a lot of loud construction occuring around the hotel, including right outside our door. The beach was beautiful and we loved the secluded feeling of being at the end of the beach. The location was perfect and for our needs (a quick, one night getaway with 2 small kids), it was just right. I suppose I was just expecting it to be slightly cleaner since they'd just been closed for a month. There were crumbs on our coffee table (set into the grooves of the table), and there were hairs in the bathroom. The bathroom showed signs of mildew & wood rot and a hook fell off the bathroom door and clocked our one year old right in the head. It just fell right off. We felt that the location of the bed (shares a wall with the hallway) made for a bit of a noisy night. Also, despite turning off our a/c unit, it continued to run all night and we just about froze to death. The furniture in the unit showed signs of wear with holes. We stayed in a first floor beachfront walk-out. I guess I just expected a bit more since these are owned units. I felt it was more "holiday inn". The rates were great....perhaps that should have been my first clue? Anyways, we'll probably try something else next time we go to Wrightsville Beach. This place was okay, but I wish they'd step it up a notch. THe staff was extremely pleasant, however nobody seemed to have the guts to ask the people smoking up a storm on the "non smoking" pool deck to quit. This was happening right in front of staff.

Stayed for vacation, room is spacious, small kitchenette is ideal for a Beach week long vacation. The restaurant on site offers a nice breakfast buffet and had lunch was was very good. Had to leave early due to Hurricane Irene, but Hotel was very friendly and accommodating. Ready to go again!