Dare County Open To Visitors May 16 2020 • COVID-19 Update & What to Expect on Your Visit to Our Motel
Dear Friends:
This has been an incredibly difficult time for all of us. We are thrilled to be reopening to guests on May 16, but we realize it is also a sensitive time. We want to respond to all your needs accordingly, while at the same time maintain the integrity of our business so that we can serve as many guests as safely as possible this season.
Please understand that while you experienced sacrifice and discomfort during the time of social distancing and shelter in place, businesses on the island did as well. Dare County was closed to all visitors beginning March 17. To lose several months of our season is very difficult, but we are all hopeful we can move forward to rebuild our customer base and stay in business for the long term. You are welcome here!
We hope you will now come back and stay with us, and feel that you are getting value for your money. We made many improvements during the winter. We will also be offering the 15% discount if you choose to stay seven nights. Please call us directly to book if you have any questions or concerns. We always encourage that personal touch and we are more than welcome to take your calls.
We would like to offer you advance check-in while you are on the road, so please call us when you are about an hour away from the motel and we will proceed with your check-in (Phone: 252-995-5611). One hour is about when you get to Whalebone Junction, the beginning of Highway 12 in South Nags Head. This is a great time to remind you to please read the 2020 Cape Hatteras Motel guest guide found in each room when you arrive. That booklet will answer many of your questions and help you avoid having to come to the office. There will also be a cleaning check-list in your room letting you know how we have prepared the room for your visit.
With respect to cleaning and care of our rooms and facilities, our housekeeping staff will be going above and beyond their normal cleaning protocols to add extra bleaching and disinfecting of all surfaces, door knobs, floors, bathroom and kitchen areas, etc. As we now do our own laundry, we will also be cleaning all decorative sheets when rooms turn over. If you have any questions or cleaning needs, please do not hesitate to contact us. These extra steps will mean extra time in the rooms so we will be less likely to be able to provide late check-outs or early check-ins. We ask for your patience and understanding in that regard.
We will not be offering daily room servicing in the king and queen rooms as most guests have indicated they would prefer not to have people in their rooms. Therefore, if you require fresh linens or amenities in any of our rooms in any building, please call the office. Place your dirty linens in the basket found in your room by the entry door. Place the basket outside of your room and we will collect it, give you replacement items, and return it. We will also refresh amenities by request (toilet paper, soap, shampoo, etc.) and will place them in the basket.
When you check out we ask that you gather your linens and place them in the basket for the housekeepers to quickly and efficiently remove them to the laundry area. Thank you for doing this for us.
Please feel free to bring your own masks, cleaning wipes, or any other supplies that you feel will make you more comfortable during your stay. We are working hard to obtain as much in the way of supplies as we can including personal hand sanitizer for each room, but as we said, please feel free to bring your own if you can obtain it. And remember, soap and water work the best of all.
We also ask that you practice social distancing in our office, in the pool area, on the porches, in the parking areas, and on the beach. Please respect the space and concerns of other guests. Please use social distancing if you do come to the office or gift shop. We respectfully request that you wear a mask in the office area.
We will try to keep you informed of the list of restaurants and businesses that are open and how they will be handling service. Much of what they do will depend on what restrictions or rules are put into place by the State and the County to guarantee that visitors can come and stay safely. These may change over time. The best way to keep abreast of this information is to join the public group “Hatteras Island Restaurants Updates!” on Facebook.
As we welcome you back to Dare County, Hatteras Island, and the Cape Hatteras Motel, know that we are so happy to have you with us, and that the darkest days of COVID 19 are behind us. But if you find you are feeling ill during your visit, please do contact the local health care facilities and act accordingly. We do feel appropriate social distancing on the beaches and in public spaces is the best way to insure a safe and healthy vacation.
Thank you again for choosing to stay with us. Please let us know how we can make your vacation the relaxing and happy time you deserve! We look forward to hosting you very soon!
Sincerely,
Dave, Jan and the Cape Hatteras Motel Team
Twas the Night Before Christmas, Hatteras-Style
With a nod to Major Henry Livingston, Jr. who wrote the Original Version
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all over the isle,
Not a creature was stirring, mile after mile.
The ghost crabs were snug in their holes on the beach,
Hoping that high tide would stay out of reach.
The surfers were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of gnarly swells danced in their heads.
The crab-pots were hung by the buoys with care,
In hopes that some blue claws soon would be there.
When out on the dune there arose such a clatter,
The Park Service sprang up to see what was the matter.
Away to their vehicles they ran with their lamps,
And began an ascent on all open ramps.
The moon on the sand made quite a reflection,
While waves were crashing in every direction.
When what to their wondering eyes should appear,
But a tricked out 4 by 4 and eight island deer.
With a little old driver hunkered down in the truck,
They knew in a moment it must be Old Buck*!
More rapid than kite boarders the deer hurried along,
And he whistled and shouted and sang them a song.
“Now Buxton, now Kinnakeet, now Salvo and Frisco –
On Rodanthe, on Waves, on Hatteras – let’s disco!
To the edge of the Point, to the top of the Light,
Let’s have a great time and party all night!
And like dry leaves before Florence did fly,
They hit Highway 12 and continued on by.
He was dressed in a wetsuit from his head to his feet,
And he smelled like Skeeter Beater with a hint of DEET.
A bundle of seashells he had in his pack,
And a bottle of Kill Devil Rum in a sack.
He spoke not a word but took special care,
To bring a gift to the island and all who live there.
It had been a tough year, this the old man did know,
So his gift was one that didn’t require a bow.
He sprang to his truck and laid on the horn,
To make sure everyone knew it would soon be Christmas morn.
And we heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
NO MORE STORMS, LOTS OF FISH,
And too all, a good night!
*Old Buck mentioned in this poem is a fixture of the “Old Christmas” celebrations still held in Rodanthe. Old Buck is a part of the fabric of the island.
Written by Janet Morrow Dawson, Buxton NC
Cape Hatteras Named – Top Beaches in the USA
FarandWide.com recently named Cape Hatteras as one of the Top Beaches in the USA, adding to the long list of “Top Beaches” nominations. Cape Hatteras Motel was mentioned specifically in the article as one of top places to stay:)
“If you want to be right on the beach, the Cape Hatteras Motel is frequently rated as a top beachfront accommodation.” – FarandWide.com
Please Help with Our Food Bank for Florence Recovery
For us here on Hatteras Island, Hurricane Florence is a memory now. Most businesses and homes had very little damage, if any, and Highway 12 is open and visitors are returning. We were very fortunate. Even at our motel where we took the usual overwash, we are back in business and welcoming guests.
But for our friends on the Inner Banks as well as in and around Cape Lookout and Cape Fear, it is a different story.
It will be weeks and likely months before those areas recover, if then. There will be displacement and disruption and businesses in ruin, as well as lives turned upside down.
We at the Cape Hatteras Motel want to do our part in a small way.
If you are coming to Hatteras Island between now and November 15, please stop by the motel office and drop of a non-perishable food item or two. You don’t have to be a guest at our motel to participate.
Dave and I will find a local food bank in the affected areas that can receive these items and we will personally deliver them prior to Thanksgiving. That seems a long way away, but the fact is, much of the help often disppears along with the headlines and we don’t want that to happen for these communities.
Please join is as we send these items “To The Inner Banks from the Outer Banks with love.” For your generosity we’ll give you a CapeAttitude® koozie — a small way of acknowledging you know what CapeAttitude ® is all about.
Thank you so much!
Vacation Refresher Course 2018
The summer season is officially upon us here at Cape Hatteras Motel, and all along the Outer Banks. This is probably a good time for a “vacation refresher course” to make sure you make the most of your time with us, and your experience is the best it can be. I have covered all of this in previous blog posts, but here it is again. There is no doubt about it, an informed guest is a happier guest.
About a week or so before your vacation give us a call if you have any questions about your room type, dates of stay, etc. We do send out e-mail confirmations but sometimes those get lost in your inbox, so it never hurts to refresh your memory. Also — if you feel you might want to extend your stay or make any other changes, we are more likely to be able to accommodate your requests if you contact us in advance. We can also give you recommendations on restaurants, shops, day trips, surf fishing reports, etc. so that you can plan your stay. That’s all part of the fun!
Be patient when driving to your destination. Nearly everyone else on the roads is on vacation too. For some visitors, this is their first time on the island and there are a lot of distractions. Watch out for last minute turns. DO NOT pull into the sand shoulders unless you have four-wheel drive and you know it is permissible to do so. You don’t want to get stuck and it happens. A lot. Mind the speed limits. In the villages on Hatteras Island they are 35 and even 25 in Buxton and Hatteras. You will get pulled if you speed. Fair warning.
Early check-ins and late check-outs are something many people desire. We try to accommodate those requests, but when it is very busy it may be impossible to do so as we have other guests coming in who want the same. It is very difficult to give someone a late-checkout and then another guest an early check-in to the same room! We consider cleanliness to be sacred and it takes a while to clean a room well. We know in the end you’d take cleanliness over getting into a room a few hours earlier. If you drive overnight, you can park in our lot, have breakfast, and enjoy the beach and pool. We will try to get you in as quickly as possible. When you do checkout please leave the keys in the drop box outside the office door (if you leave before we open), or come in and return the keys to us during regular business hours. This helps with the cleaning situation immensely, and it also gives you time to give us a little feedback.
The ocean is to be respected. No matter how good of a swimmer you are, the ocean will beat you. If there are rip current warnings, please heed them. If you have children with you, make sure they have on life preservers. Always watch them if you aren’t in the water with them. If it is extremely rough, don’t go in. Take a walk, watch the waves from the beach or porch, or use the pool. There are fish and crabs and shells in the ocean. The beach is sandy. That’s what this island is all about.
The sun is intense through the summer. Please wear sunscreen and cover-up as needed. Re-apply as necessary. A bad sunburn has ruined many a vacation and can be dangerous. Don’t let that happen to you.
We generally have wind on the island. Rare are the days when we have no breeze at all. The breeze helps cool you on the beach, but it can get sandy at times. The prevailing winds in summer are from the southwest but cooling fronts can shift the wind to the north. You can see variations in the colors of the sound and sea depending on the wind direction. That’s something fun to watch, along with all of the clouds and other weather systems that move by. With our views you can learn a lot about weather patterns and get some great photos. Remember, we have sunrises and sunsets to enjoy!
And speaking of the weather, please don’t let it ruin your stay. We know that everyone wants days and days of blue skies and sunshine and no wind or rain, but we have weather here just like you do at home. It changes quickly and can be unseasonably warm/wet/hot/cool. Seasonal averages are just that — averages. Also — do not rely on any forecast more than three days out. It is just not valid. No matter what the weather,you are still at the ocean and it’s still a wonderful place to be. We do have a fairly long “rainy day list” of activities if you do hit a wet spell. Of course, when we are monitoring tropical systems, we will keep you informed of what’s happening and advise you on when and if you need to change your plans.
And one last note on weather. Please do not use the air conditioner and leave the doors or windows of your unit open at the same time. It wastes energy, pushes our electric bill sky high (which could impact future rates), and it contributes to condensation inside the room which sometimes makes that “musty” smell for the next guest.
If you encounter an issue — any issue — bring it to our attention — don’t tell us at check-out or write it up in a review after the fact when we can’t assist you. We will bend over backwards to remedy any issues you have while you are on the property. We care. Your satisfaction matters. We take it personally as this is our property. That’s one big advantage of working with a Mom and Pop shop — Mom and Pop are here.
And one final thought. This island is not exactly like your home. It’s a remote island, rustic, and it’s not big city living. People either love this place or they find it is not to their liking because there isn’t enough to do for their lifestyle. It’s your hard earned money. Do you research and make sure Hatteras Island, or any part of the Outer Banks, is a good fit for you and your family. When there’s a match of expectation to reality, it’s a win/win, and everyone is happy.
We look forward to seeing you in the summer of 2018!
Sincerely,
Jan, Dave, Suzy, Ramy, Andy, Karen and the CHM Team
Check out our new CapeAttitude (TM) Gift Shop
Cape Hatteras Motel recently topped 14,243 fans on Facebook!
