Hotel Review: America's Best Value Inn, Wilmington, NC

I mentioned in a recent article that it's possible to save money on a beach vacation by staying at an inland hotel. On a recent trip to Wrightsville Beach, NC, we stayed at a hotel in Wilmington.

America's Best Value Inn is an older hotel offering nearly 200 guest rooms. The beds are comfortable, the showers are nice, and the rooms were impeccably clean. We payed approximately one-fourth of what we might have put out for beach accommodations, and we were only ten minutes from the beach!

We stayed in a King room with microwave and mini-fridge (which was quite large). We were pleasantly surprised that there was a comforter in the room, the pillows were very soft, and the air conditioning kept the room very comfortable despite the outdoor temps of nearly 100 degrees. The television was large and there were quite a few channels to choose from.

The only down side to the room is that it was a bit crowded. In addition to the King bed and night-stands, there was furniture housing the microwave & fridge, an entertainment center, desk, and table with chairs. The desk kept the door from opening all the way (there was ample room to get in and out in spite of this). Although we felt that there was too much furniture, it ranks as "minor annoyance", not a hill to die on.

America's Best Value Inn in Wilmington also offers a pool. It doesn't open until 10 AM, but they keep it open until 10pm and will happily accommodate closing it later, if you ask in advance. The pool is lovely, and is one of the few hotels we've been to that offers a "deep end" - eight feet! No diving allowed, but it does allow for an "adult" and a "child" end of the pool on a hot day!

Breakfast was simple fare - donuts and muffins, cereal, juice, and coffee. All were fresh and tasty, and we were able to share good conversation with fellow guests. There is a computer for guest use in the lobby.

Hotel staff was friendly and helpful. We booked the room online and everything was as advertised. We would definitely stay here again, whether on vacation or business!