3 Best Hotels in Beaufort, The North Carolina Coast

Tasteful and modern decor adorns the rooms at this stately inn set directly on Taylor Creek, where the whinnies of wild horses at the Rachel Carson Reserve can be heard from your private balcony. Chandeliers in bathrooms, electric blinds, and leather headboards convey nautical-imbued luxury. There's an outdoor pool and hot tub, a sizeable gym, and a first-rate restaurant, 34° North, that draws locals for dinner and drinks as the sun sets over the water. Dinner reservations are essential on weekends, even for guests. Opt for the $15 valet parking—self-parking is free, but it's several hundred yards away.

Experience front-porch hospitality and mix with lively locals in this elegant 1830s home, complete with original details, such as the wood plank flooring. With only three remodeled guest rooms, each with some period furniture and two with whirlpool baths, you'll never feel crowded. The owners also rent out a bungalow across the street, and its inviting pool is available to Inn guests. 

Several of this comfortable, well-kept B&B's seven rooms include pencil-post canopy beds and bay windows, offering a historic, authentic base for exploring. The decor blends antique pieces with modern fixtures, an approach also evidenced in the pleasant sitting garden and patio adjacent to the Tesla chargers in the parking lot. Before it became a B&B, this 1860s house saw duty as a Masonic Lodge, schoolhouse, tearoom, and a doctor’s office.