VAtraveler

Can anyone offer any feedback on the Inn at Corolla Light? We have a 2 year old daughter who would be traveling with us. We would prefer a room with a view of the sound but they seem awfully pricey. Is it worth it? Is this a good place to take a 2 year old?

Thanks for any information!

VAtraveler

I am planning on booking a courtyard room for 4 nights in August later this week. Am bumping this to the top in hopes that somebody out there has stayed here before.

Thanks.

reneeinva

VAtraveler - have you checked tripadvisor.com? I am not sure if the Inn is listed, but it is a great place to get reviews of lodging. Good luck!

obxgirl

I've never stayed there but it looks like a lovely property from the outside. The only obvious disadvantage is that it's soundside which means a hike to the beach (1/4 of a mile according to the website I just looked at). That's not a huge distance but might become one on a hot day with an unhappy little person.

Regarding higher prices for rooms with water views. Sunsets on the sound are spectacular and it looks like those rooms also have fireplaces and whirlpool baths. Gotta say, though, those are not amenities we would have had the chance to fully enjoy when we were travelling with a 2 YO.

Have you investigated the Sanderling Resort or the Corolla Hampton Inn? Those are oceanfront properties.

reneeinva

Oh wow - I just realized that I forgot to add the sentence, "I have never been there, so I can't give you any information. However, you may want to check..."

I hate it when people respond to questions with urls and basically the "look it up yourself" mentality and I just did that. I'm sorry!

VAtraveler

Thank you both for your responses! I had not used tripadvisor.com before but will definitely check it out.

The Sanderling looks really nice - not sure if I can talk my husband into the extra $$$ (or if they would frown upon toddlers being there) but it's worth looking into.

Thanks!

emd

Regarding the trek to the beach, the Inn guests can use the Corolla Light shuttle that will pick you up and drop you off at the CL oceanfront complex, where you can walk by the pools and onto the lifeguarded beach. You can also opt to drive your car the short distance across the road to the first beach access just to the south of Corolla, on the edge of Whalehead (this is basically almost a stragith shot across the road from the Inn). You can park there on the street and easily walk right over the stairs to the beach. Last year we stayed right next to the Inn on the sound in a CL house, and that is what we did. It was very easy.
We walked over to the pier behind the Inn a few times to crab and watch the sunset from the covered pagoda at the end of the small pier. Even if you don't have a soundfront room, this is a short walk from anywhere in the Inn. The Inn is a very small complex. Their pool is very small. It is only open to their guests, so it doesn't get crowded. But it is small, which can be an advantage for being w/a toddler, not as many people and crowds as the bigger pools at other places. The sound side is very quiet and peaceful.
There is a very nice walking trail along the sound that runs right by the Inn. When our kids were younger, they loved walking w/us on that trail on "nature hikes". There are alot of birds that hang out there in the trees and on the water. I gave them baskets and they would pick up pinecones, etc. Very laid back.
You will have access to the CL playground also. It is in the oceanfront complex, where the shuttle drops you off (no parking there). And the Inn is very close (walking distance or one stop on the shuttle) to the soundside complex w/big indoor pool in case it rains or you just want a swim without putting on the sunscreen. There is a nice whirlpool next to the indoor pool, so while one of you is in the pool w/your daughter, the other one can get in the whirlpool.
I think these amenities and the quiet nature of the soundside make it a great place to stay w/a toddler. If you can afford a soundfront room, that's great, but if not, you are still right there on the sound and you have that little pier w/the pagoda and the trail right there on the sound.

VAtraveler

emd,

Thank you so much for your reply regarding the distance to the beach and the examples of activities that your kids enjoyed. The nature trail sounds great, and I was not aware of the playground.

Thank you!