River Hotel of Southport

SO NICE! -- kind of hesitant to let anyone know. We've always stayed in Wilmington. But we love taking the ferry to Southport and eating a leisurely late lunch overlooking the water. Photos of exterior and driving up to it didn't look like it was nearly as nice as it is. Clean, white/light stone tile decor -- very modern. Looks out over the estuary of the might Cape Fear river estuary -- where it meets the Atlantic. View of lovely water, pleasure craft and occasionally, a large ship en route to or from port Wilmington, up the river. Also overlooking "Bonnet's creek" -- the hideout of the famous pirate. Lovely sunsets...and both rooms had a narrow balcony with 2 chairs for sitting out with morning coffee or evening drink. Nice! Every thing you could think of offered -- unit first night had FULL size fridge, microwave, lovely shower. "Parking lot view?" Well, the parking lot is 1-lane wide, so you really look OVER it, so it's nicer than expected. So don't be too worried. Second nght, we had a "riverview" room with a 2-burner stove (didn't use) and a shower/bath (I'm a bather). WONDERFUL SURPRISE! They have a pool -- about 3.5ft deep and about half length of an Olympic pool and a lighted area with picnic tables on sand -- both within a gated area where people gathered in the evening...also a small PRIVATE beach with wonderfully fine sand and beach loungers (hotel supplies beach towels.) Bed high (nice!) and very comfy. Sadly, the Cape Fear river/estuary is "not recommended" for swimming (need to go to a beach ilke Carolina or Oak Island that is on open Atlantic). But in late October, when it was in the mid-70s, this was just perfect. NOTE:the only thing washing up on the shoreline are shells, many of them TINY clam shells -- do don't worry about smelly-fly-filled seaweed or other unpleasant things. SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT to VIRGINIA. I booked Sat-Sun on Experia -- when I meant to book Fri-Sat. Took forever to sort it out and get a refund for Sun night from ******* -- and Virginia was amazing. i feel terrible about the amount of time and effort she spent on the phone making this happen! ONE SUGGESTION: Beds are very "pillowful" --but in the first room, eac of them was about as soft as a cooked marshmallow. I sank so far I was afraid I'd suffocate -- and I do prefer a much firmer, lower pillow. Second room, there were pillows of different softnesses--yay!

We absolutely love this place! We have stayed here multiple times and have never been disappointed. The rooms are lovely and the Dream Team does a fabulous job with housekeeping. Each room has a balcony and the private beach is amazing. Simply the best…

Excellent stay - felt like Home! We stayed for 4 nights as we attended a friend’s wedding held at the hotel. Our room was large, nice bathroom and kitchen with full size refrigerator. The bed was the most comfortable- soft linens and very cozy! The wedding was beautiful on the back deck! Very private and the staff did a great job setting things up. We would definitely return!

Stayed 4 nights at the River Front Hotel. Room is very clean and comfortable. Kitchen was stocked well with cookware and setting for 4. The hotel is located in a very quiet location with a view of the Cape Fear river and only a 1/2 mile walk to the center of Southport. Pool and pool deck are located next to the small beach on the river plus access to the river beach was nice for sitting and watching the river traffic. Overall, great place for the $$!

Very clean and comfortable. Easy and ample parking. Lot of restaurants in the area. It rained every day so I did not get to explore. Didn't matter though as I was there for a family birthday and gathering. Very nice area with lots of water and things to do..

With many other hotel stays in the past, this was by far the best experience of any. Reservations were easy to make on line, easy check in and the staff all around were super. The room was the cleanest I have ever seen. The bathroom was large with a large shower (wonderful water pressure). The amenities were perfect with a full size refrigerator in the room. The bed was comfortable for a restful night's sleep. The small balcony with a view of the river was relaxing to sit on. A beautiful and clean pool looking over the river, which also had a small beach with chairs available. I cannot say enough good things about our stay. We will definitely be going back to this hotel for all of our trips to the area.

A lovely place to stay. Comfortable, clean . Just what we needed for a jam-packed family wedding weekend. We walked into a simply beach elegant room. Crisp, clean and inviting. We could not find a single thing to complain about, except that I could not legally take the bed and the oh so comfy pillows with us. The front desk was accommodating and friendly. Check in and out was easy. Highly recommend River Hotel of Southport.

Nice Accommodations in Southport. Upon arrival we were greeted by a friendly person in the lobby. The buildings are on stilts so the 1st floor is up one staircase. No worries because there is an elevator and a luggage cart to make life easier. Our room was nicely appointed and comfortable. Most importantly is was clean. I would definitely stay here again if I visit Southport.

This was our second stop on our drive north from Florida to DC. We booked for two nights. While booking I noticed that there are four rooms in the hotel named "King Premium". Without thinking twice, I booked one of them. The room turned out to be one of four corner rooms in the building closest to the river, with two directional windows facing the river and a balcony with additional views. The hotel is a bright coloured wooden building, very pretty. The room was roomy, beautifully appointed and comfortable. It made us want to stay in the room all the time........ We loved every moment here and were sorry to leave when our two nights were over. Lovely Hotel!! Great Room!!