"Darlings by the Sea" -- a Kure Beach, NC Bed and Breakfast Experience

It's always pleasant - and lamentably rare - to have your expectations exceeded about a place you've only seen online. The number of "vacation destination" sites is vast, and of course the inns and hotels and beds-and-breakfasts that you see advertised are going to put a positive spin on every aspect of their accommodations. Room sizes seem to shrink, you discover the fresh look of the place was from a photo taken years before, amenities are "subject to substitution without notice" or out of order, and the cleanliness and furnishings of your room are subject to the whims of fate.

So it was with a certain degree of cynicism that we booked a weekend at Darlings By The Sea, (http://www.darlingsbythesea.com/gallery.html) in Kure Beach, NC. The web-site was flawless, promising Jacuzzi tubs, romantic settings, luxurious accommodations, state-of-the-art workout room, the works. While the price was well within the luxury range ($279 a night, in season), a recent stay at a four-star luxury hotel in Orlando which involved two room changes, less-than-promised rooms, and bedbugs (and this from a corporately-run resort!) tempered our enthusiasm. Still, the place looked cute, on-line, with its yellow lighthouse and sea-side charm, and it was our 17th dating anniversary, so we were willing to take a chance. We're glad that we did.

Kure Beach isn't the best known beach among the many that surround the port of Wilmington. Nestled between the down-home coastal tackiness of Carolina Beach and the more-pristine nature parks of the area, Kure Beach has always been a low-key, family-friendly residential town. But Darlings By The Sea makes the most of what Kure Beach has to offer - a long stretch of clean, sandy beach and a beatific surf - and forges a getaway suitable for any romantic passion you might harbor. The owners and designers, Mr. & Mrs. Darling, have taken this charming little B&B and made it into an enchanting venue.

The charming look of the place belies its sturdiness - it's designed to handle anything up to a Class 4 hurricane. It's bright yellow, a favorite in the residential palette of the locals, and the "lighthouse" provides a handsome and distinctive landmark up and down the beach. DBTS features five full rooms, each with a private deck overlooking the beach, as well as a beautiful little garden in the back, a sunning deck, and an impressive work-out room complete with stair machines, bikes, nautilus equipment, free weights, and a putting practice green, all within sight of the surf.

The rooms were glorious. Each comes equipped with a massive Jacuzzi tub and endless supplies of hot water. The towels and bathrobes (both available for sale in the office) are exquisitely soft cotton terry, and each bathroom has a selection of signature soaps, shampoos and bath salts for your bathing enjoyment. Masterful little touches that completed the experience included complimentary cotton balls and cotton swabs, a make-up removing towelette, and a sophisticated lighting system that allows complete control of the mood lighting throughout the room.

The bed is just this side of nirvana, a King sized 250 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheeted monster that threatens to swallow you whole. Comforter and pillows were likewise luxurious. The solid platform design of the bedstead eliminates obnoxious squeaking and movement.

The kitchenette was far beyond our expectations - the stoneware was a tastefully whimsical design that complimented the other decorations perfectly. Stemware included wine goblets, champagne flutes, and tumblers, and there was a complete set of flatware in matching pattern. Not only was there a full-sized AD coffee pot, but also a microwave, a toaster, and a blender, as well as wine tools and simple cooking implements. Real cloth dish towels were provided in addition to paper towels, and the cocktail sink was perfectly suited to the place - small but highly efficient.

The sofa in the room was a tasteful green leather that was far more comfortable than most hotel couches, and the chairs around the small glass-topped table were also real leather. Lighting throughout the room was on dimmers, allowing complete control of the illumination. Draperies provided complete darkness or a pleasant opacity when natural lighting was desired. The deck furnishings were simple and tasteful, and very sturdy.

Entertainment options include satellite TV, allowing pay-per-view on an honor system. The large TV is equipped with a built-in VCR and front jacks for video games or portable DVD player. The place has high-speed wi-fi available for free, and the connection was easy and stable. Keeping in mind the romantic nature of the place (kids and animals are not allowed) one full wall of the bedroom suite is done in floor-to-ceiling mirrors, but the effect is elegant, not tawdry. And their much-touted soundproofing worked admirably. We didn't discover that our next-door neighbors were newlyweds on their honeymoon until we checked out.

Access to the lifeguard-protected beach is right across the tiny street, and the hotel provides complimentary guest chairs for each room, as well as beach towels and a blanket. While not as secluded as you might wish, these days seclusion on the coast is a rare thing indeed. The Kure Beach Pier is less than half a mile away, should you fancy a midnight stroll, and the condition of the beach was as near to pristine as you are likely to find on the coast.

The website promised a Continental breakfast. Normally in such situations, that means poor commercial-grade coffee, juice, and a pre-packaged pastry. Not so at Darlings: fresh fruit, a selection of bagels, muffins, jellies, honey, biscotti, English muffins, and herbal teas was included, as was some candy and a bag of microwaveable popcorn suitable for late-night snacking. The coffee was provided by A Southern Season of Chapel Hill, a specialty foods powerhouse in the area, and was excellent. Indeed, the entire breakfast basket exceeded our expectations dramatically.

But it was the little things that really stuck out for us: the fresh-cut flowers in our room, the light-up make-up mirror, the beautiful tile work in the walkway and outdoor beach shower, the gorgeous Thai metalwork gazebo, and the small but elegant garden. Maureen Darling did most of the design and gardening, and her personal touch shows throughout the place. Every piece of artwork and design is used to best effect, giving the hotel a well-put-together feel disturbingly absent in most B&Bs. All of the work-out equipment was clean, new, and in perfect working order (although working out near the photographic accounts of Kip Darling's mountain climbing expeditions is a little intimidating - one feels a lot more self-conscious about one's middle-aged spread when you're staring at a photo of a man fifteen years your senior as he sets out to scale Kilimanjaro . . . and Mt. McKinley . . . and Everest . . .). The ventilation system was silent and worked exceptionally well. And there was never a lack of hot water (centrally heated and treated with softening agents - no smelly "beach water" here!)

There were a few minor technical glitches. The speaker connection between the TV and the bathroom was not working, unfortunately, and there was some small sign of corrosion around the patio door. But these were minor and inconsequential issues in the face of such overwhelming competence everywhere else. Smoking was permitted only on the balcony. And the "no open flame" policy was a little disappointing, since we had brought a few candles for romantic atmosphere, but quite reasonable in consideration of how much a single cigarette burn would have destroyed the beauty of, say, that lovely sofa.

Service was exceptional. Local resident Ann served as a combination manager, housekeeper, and concierge, giving us plenty of inside-info on where to dine . . . and who would deliver. She picked up on our first names after our introduction and never failed to greet us with a beaming smile. Our rooms were serviced twice a day, and both towels and additional coffee creamer were happily provided upon request. Ann related to us that Darlings By The Sea was listed in the AAA guide as a mere three-star simply because it lacked an elevator - a minor technical point. As nice as the accommodations were, the service alone should earn them that fourth star.

All in all the experience was well worth the price. A combination of luxury and casual made this the perfect place for a couple's weekend getaway. Rates vary with the season, and a discount is given for internet reservations - but the website simply doesn't do the place justice. Darlings By The Sea is a great value, one of those places you discover and jealously horde from your friends lest it get trendy and hard to reserve. But as far as romance and elegance, you won't find more bang for your buck anywhere on the North Carolina coast. Perfect for honeymoons, parents' survival weekends, clandestine rendezvous, or just plain decadence, you won't want to miss it!