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Barrier Island Station

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  • 1 Cypress Knee TRL
     Kitty Hawk, North Carolina 27949
    (252) 261-3525
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Huggins
Huggins
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
25
Reviews
18
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1-5 of 25
Editor Pick

Off Season / Off Beach Holiday Quite Enjoyable!

  • April 13, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Holiday Man from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
My wife and two children [ages 10 and 12 yrs] enjoyed our stay at Barrier Island Station. We had the opportunity to try this resort during Easter break and were worried about restaurants and activities being open but had no real problems with that. We stayed relatively local, venturing as far as mile post 15.5.

The people we encountered were friendly not only in the resort itself, but outside as well. The worst was a postal office employee who could have been more accommodating, so I really cannot complain. As for the Barrier Island Station staff, all were very pleasant and helpful. We had a refrigerator that required some maintenance that was carried out efficiently by a pleasant maintenance fellow. We also had dealings with the activities woman who was excellent with the kids. I noticed that everyone was quick to make eye contact and offer a smile. Honestly.

The inside pool was wonderful and was part of the children's daily routine. We would not have gone had there been no pool. The pool was very clean, as were all the facilities, including our unit.

One con was no high speed Internet. I brought my own dial-up service with me [cost me $10 for the month through Copper Net], but that was only good for email. I would have loved having a high speed wireless network to use for surfing and downloading.

Another thing which bothered us had to do with the sound proofing of our unit. We shared our floor with another unit and there could not have been any insulation between the walls separating us. We could hear the neighbors conversing, the clang of their dishes, their television... These things being reciprocal I am sure that they could also hear us, and that bothered me more.

One thing that didn't help was a single locked closet-style door separating our living area from theirs. I had to stuff beach towels under the gap at the bottom of the door in an attempt to help with sound reduction as well as in an attempt to keep their deep frying-odors from entering our unit. My wife bought and burnt some candles to help with the odor. It might seem an odd thing to mention this, but it has never been an issue on any other vacation we have taken.

We shared a common area containing an upright vacuum cleaner and laundry. We made an attempt to be ultra considerate about this, and sharing was ok, but I could see how it could be an annoyance doing so if you and your neighbor's schedules conflict. Cross your fingers on this one.

Being a few miles from the beach was a mixed thing. The beach is a chilly place to be in April, so we were warmer being tucked out of the wind. It was our first stay ever in a non beach-front house or condo but it turned out to be ok despite missing the sound and smell of the surf. I actually enjoyed the rustic environment afforded by the trees and boardwalk surrounded small lake and spent time on the nature trails exercising and practicing my bagpipe. I was wondering how friendly the trails would be during the warmer months when the fleas and ticks and mosquitoes are out, but it was fine in early April.

There is a Wal-Mart within easy walking distance, but don't expect to find much in the way of groceries there. There are basics and not much more. I noticed a Harris Teeter being built on the same lot so rejoice in that. My wife walked to the beach via the back access road, a two mile trek. But though there was a signal to help her cross at the four-lane, that wasn't a very practical thing to do with regularity. Walking was difficult generally as there are no sidewalks nor signals provided for crossing the busy four-lane highway at the main entrance to Barrier Island Station. We try to walk where we can, so this was a little frustrating. You can walk to the Wal-Mart with ease, but access to the strip mall across the way is unsafe and you are advised to drive.

All in all it was a very enjoyable vacation for us. The off-season on the Northern Outer banks was OK, and being off the beach front was also OK. Despite what I have written above we would return [with crossed fingers re: potential neighbors] and don't mind recommending this pleasant, very pretty resort to others. We give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Nice Resort, Bad Area

Positives:
Clean, well maintained, fully equipped room. We had a two bedroom, second floor unit which offered a "loft" as a second bedroom. Our 10 year old and his friend loved this as it made them feel as though they had their own part of the unit. The kitchen was fully equipped and the unit itself was very comfortable and offered us all the amenitites of being at home. No one stayed in the unit next to us so that made life much easier for us.... traveling with four boys means lots of noise! The indoor pool was nice.... very clean and not crowded. Walmart is within walking distance and has a souviner section which will save you a bundle. Food Lion is just across the street and we saved a bundle by signing up for their customer card. We ate in for almost all of our meals, but not by choice.

Negatives:
I can't say this enough.... do not travel to the Outter Banks for spring break... ever.... under any circumstance! I have one word for the Outter Banks area in March..... CLOSED. The resort employees (Christine especially) had the best time telling us about all the amazing and wonderful things we could do and see during our stay and we really got excited to check it all out. Problem was no one bothered to check to see if any of it was open. Christine (the activities coordinator) sent us all the way to Ocrakoke Island (a 1 1/2 hour drive plus a 40 minute ferry ride) to see a list of amazing and educational sites.... none of them, I repeat, none of them were open. And since the ferry only runs once an hour (and as a tourist you are the most unimportant person getting on the ferry) we had to wait 2 1/2 hours to catch the ferry coming back. It was a complete disaster. The weather channel said it was 55 degrees but forgot to mention the "wind chill factor" which made it more like 30 degrees. Walmart came in handy for coats, hats and gloves for the whole family. The resort employees stressed the importance of tourists spending their money "locally" as to help the local businesses. Ok, I get that. But what happens when 95% of the local restaurants are CLOSED for the season? You go to Outback, Applebees or eat in your room. I needed to do some work while I was on vacation and while the resort offers two computers for guest use they charge $2 every 10 minutes for a dial up connection and no printing capability. In the end I had to find the local library and work from there. And the people we encountered around the city couldn't have been more unfriendly, including at the library.

If you're traveling before May this isn't the place to go. If you're traveling with small children this isn't the place to go. If you want to see Ocrakoke Island think long and hard before making the journey as we were informed that do to budget cuts the ferry will continue to run only once an hour even in the summer. It used to run every 15 minutes. We waited 2 1/2 hours in a line of 30 cars... imagine a line of 300 cars.

In the end we left early and were more then happy to do so despite losing money on our room. The kids and I couldn't take the misery any longer.

Editor Pick

Barrier Island Station

  • February 19, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by coolmommy68 from East Hampton, Connecticut
Barrier Island Station

We really liked this resort. We went at the end of May. We stayed in a 2 bedroom unit. The second bedroom was located on the second floor by itself. The kids really enjoyed this as they felt they had their own place. If you have a unit on the second floor be prepared to climb many stairs. The unit had both a screened in patio and a deck. It had a full kitchen. It was tidy, well maintained and the furnishings were both updated and comfortable.

There were two units on the second floor separated by a small hallway. The washer and dryer were located in this hallway for both units to share. Unfortunately, our neighbors in the next unit chose to do their laundry late at night, each and every night. The sound of the washer and dryer could be annoying if you were sitting in the living room at the time.

We enjoyed the pool, the games room and their nature trail. The nature trail has many entrances, most are located at each unit. If you decide to take the nature trail bring bug spray along. Many parts of the trail are swampy and bug ridden.

They had access to a public beach with private parking for the resort guests only. This was a quick drive from the resort. I wouldn't suggest walking to the beach, there are no sidewalks and the traffic can be quite heavy. The beach was beautiful. The sand was soft and the waves were big. There were a few beach homes nearby but it wasn't crowded while we were there.

The resort is located in a wooded area. This gives the feeling of being secluded even though you are in the middle of it all. There is a large Walmart adjacent to the resort. This was a great convenience for our family. We were able to pick up food and beach necessities without the hassle of driving around town.

DO NOT arrive before check-in, they will not let you in early nor do they offer a place for your belongings prior to check-in. They are extremely strict on this policy. We found this to be somewhat bothersome after our 12-hour drive. We had hoped to check-in at 3pm, no such luck. Most resorts offer at least a place to put your belongings until your unit is ready.

From journal OBX or Bust!

Barrier Island Station

  • November 12, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Travelingon from Milford, Massachusetts
Barrier Island Station

The resort is in a beautiful wooded area. There’s a nice pond with a fountain and there are walking trails in the forest. There’s an indoor and outdoor pool, sauna, indoor spa, game room and fitness room. Many activities are offered. I attended the basic aerobic class and I really enjoyed it. There’s video rental for $6.99 a movie or $16.95 for the week. There are 2 computers available in the welcome center.

We had a 2-bedroom and 1-bedroom attached unit. One bedroom had a queen size bed and TV, one had a king size bed, TV, whirlpool tub and bathroom and one had 2 twin beds and a TV. Both had large kitchens and living rooms and we left the door open between the 2 units. The units were very clean,comfortable and spacious. The kitchen had a refrigerator, electric stove and oven, microwave and dishwasher.There were plenty of dishes and utensils. There was a supply of liquid dish detergent, dishwasher detergent, paper towels and coffee. There were 2 pullout sofas in the living rooms. There were plenty of towels in the unit, but no beach towels.

There were a lot of steps to reach our upstairs unit but we didn’t mind. The open front deck had a table and chairs which was a nice place to relax. The enclosed porch in the back was nice to enjoy when the insects came out at night.

The resort isn’t on the beach, but they give you the code to a parking area across from the beach which is great. Wal-Mart,Subway and Food Lion are close by. The resort feels very secluded, but it's close to the main road so you have access to everything.

The staff are very friendly. Check in and out was easy. I would highly recommend this resort to anyone!

From journal Relaxing Week at the Outer Banks

Editor Pick

Barrier Island Station - Kitty Hawk

  • January 13, 2006
  • Rated 3 of 5 by kbassosc from Gaston, South Carolina
We had a one bedroom "A" unit (101A on Hanging Moss Trail). Barrier Island Station is a nice resort but you have to drive to get to the beach. The resort owns a small parking lot across the street from the beach.

The unit was large, with a full kitchen with everything including a blender. There was a dinner service and cutlery for only four in the suite. The master bedroom was big, decent sized closet in a short hallway leading to the bathroom, Jacuzzi tub, dresser, and a small TV. The bathroom has a shower and commode, the sink is in a dressing area opposite the closet. The bed linens were a bit worn and towels thin.

The living-dining area is very large, with seating around the dining table for four, and a bar with 3 bar stools separating the kitchen from dining area. The 3-seat sofa-bed and 2-seat love-seat were comfortable to sit on. Two decent lamps for reading on tables at either end of loveseat. Larger TV in the living area. There is no separate closet for the living area so if you plan to share the one bedroom, there is no place for the couple using the sofa-bed to put their clothes. Full bath off the living area.

The outside door requires one key, and the units also have separate key locks. To access the first floor requires walking up about a half flight of steps. Parking area about 15 feet from the building.

We had a couple of problems. One problem was that we ran out of hot water every day in the afternoon. The people in the lock-off unit washed clothes every day, which may have been why, but the water heater needs to be upgraded to a larger size, as there is no way to control who is doing what with the hot water. It seemed to us that the management had tried to compensate for this by turning up the temperature on the water heater. When we had it, the hot water out of the taps was scalding hot. The first time we had no hot water, we called maintenance. The security guard came and checked the water heater and said it was operating fine, but it appeared all the hot water had been used up. He was very nice, and came promptly, but there was nothing he could do about the problem.

The second problem we had was that there is apparently almost no sound insulation. There was someone in the lock-off unit next door, and we could clearly hear their conversations. There was a family on the floor above us, and the sound of feet running every afternoon and evening above our heads was constant and very loud.

Everything (except the outdoor charcoal grill, which was rusted and unusable) was very clean.

From journal Long Weekend in the Outer Banks

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