We enjoyed our stay The house clean and presented like the photos. There are a few minor repairs needed. The stove top cooks on high all the time. Corner cabinets doors in the kitchen are coming off the hinges, blinds in the master bedroom and bath on the first floor are incomplete, table in master up stairs is broken and the dryer takes two cycles to dry anything, There is limited large pans for cooking for a larger group, number of towels provided are enough for a day so your doing laundry daily. There’s a trick to locking the doors which we don’t know the first night, you have to lift on the handle in order for the lock to turn. I know I listed a number of items but they are all minor things and can be easily addressed and did not have a negative impact on our stay or opinion of the rental. Other rentals we’ve stayed in had a guest book. This would be a great idea as previous guest and future can write in it and leave tips and experiences for new guests. Items of restaurants, must see or do’s etc.

If you are looking for a peaceful get away on a beautiful beach this is a great place to visit. The home was clean. Had a great view. Right on the beach. We were the only ones on the beach most of the time. There is a convenience store walking distance if you need to grab any items.

This home is simple & elegant with amazing views. We were delighted with dolphins and birdwatching every day. The house was clean and well equipped for our holiday getaway. Highly recommend you book the Knotty Whale for your next OBX adventure.

This house was beautiful and we loved the quiet location. It was spacious and had a great view of the ocean and stars. Only thing I would say that needs improvement were the washer and bedroom comforter. The washer smelled very funky and had black stains in it.. and the comforter was very stained and had fur all over it. Other than that, we enjoyed our stay!

Views were incredible from all the balconies, plenty of space for our large party. Just don’t plan on grilling, ever, the grill isn’t what you’d expect.

The house could be absolutely wonderful but its dirty. So much hair on the fitted sheet of one bunk bed, it appeared maybe a haircut occurred on it and the comforter. The air filter was full on the a/c indoor unit. Heaven know how dirt the one is upstairs above the master bedroom. Only 2 small closets but they are full of stuff and a small hanger on one bedroom door. The kitchen was still dirty from the previous renter. Food all over the stove, countertop and baking soda spilled on the refrigerator top shelf. All floors were sandy, not a little either. There was almost 1/4 cup of sand under the cushions on both dirty sofas. Two vacuum cleaners had no bags but were run without a bag and both had short black hair and sand. Dishes in the cabinet had water in them. A beautiful house, with a beautiful view with so much potential but the cleaning service is horrible. After we got the place cleaned up we had a great time but it took a lot of work on our part to get the house clean. I will say the bathrooms were clean. But the comforters were dirty, the floors were dirty, kitchen was dirty. Kitchen and dining room light fixtures were greasy and dirty. Dining room table finish is sticky. I feel for the owners because their beautiful home is not being maintained

the place is nice and set up well for views and ue of beach/ however we left a day-night early, the fire alarm system went off two nights around 3 am we had a service call /happened again that night / time to go early

The view was spectacular

The property was great, super location, nice pool and hot tub. Generally clean. Cleaning as far as under beds, behind things and extra blankets could use improvement. Had to leave two days early because of storm surge, flooding of roads. They wouldnt refund because no evacuation order, even though governor declared state of emergency.

We arrived at the Knotty Whale on 9/2/2023. We were aware of the steps but not aware that we could not access the third level (main level) without going completely around to the back of the house to get to the door to the inside stairs. The one bunk room does not have a door. No privacy. The one queen room does have a private bathroom. The other queen room has to share a bathroom with the bunk rooms. One towel for each of us for the week. Luckily there are laundry facilities on the first level so we were able to wash towels. The property manager, Robert, I will give a 1/10. When we first started talking with him he was nice, but when I called later, closer to our arrival time - I had asked for chairs to be placed around the pool. He thought my concerns were "trivial" and that I was "convincing" myself that I would not have a good vacation. There were a total of 6 lounge chairs by the pool which was very much appreciated so we could have somewhere to sit when we were not in the pool. I texted Robert at 8:49 AM on 9/8 telling him that our upstairs was set for 72 but was reading 80. I called Vacasa 3 hours later and was informed he didn't put a ticket in. KUDOS to Brittany from Vacasa - she immediately put a ticket in for our A/C issues on 9/8 so we could have a comfortable night. She deserves an 11/10 for customer service. Alex, the maintenance guy who came to assess our issue, went above and beyond to check the unit. He deserves above a 10 as well.

Wonderful company to work with, if you need anything they are right on it!! Great house with a very nice pool area and hot tub! Love love location! Downstairs air needed to be cooler, if set at 68 it was 78, couldn’t get it cooler than 78.

This is the third time we have stayed at The Knotty Whale 120. We are booked for next year too. We love this house and location. It is our happy place! The sofa has been replaced and a mattress topper was added to the bedroom on the top floor. My only suggestions would be mattress toppers for the other queen rooms, new blinds for the queen bedroom and bathroom on the lower level, and make sure all doors lock and unlock. The house was clean and ready for move in and we can't wait until next year!

Our party of 6 1/2 loved this home! It was clean and ready for us when we arrived. A few minor concerns were identified and although we waited on the phone for a long time to report them, Vacasa responded to the home to fix the issues very quickly. We loved the layout and the amenities especially the private pool! The location to the beach doesn’t get much better. The house sits alongside a public access road to the beach but we were not disturbed by traffic at all during the week. We loved that all rooms had door access to the decks and the chairs on the top floor deck were so comfortable to watch the sunrise. Our teenagers preferred the outdoor shower to their bathrooms. Our dog loved the running space under the house. The beds were comfortable, it was nice to have fully functional kitchen and laundry available. All that was advertised and that we hoped for!

Fantastic ocean views from most locations in the home. The beach access is within steps and never crowded even at peak time periods. Short walk to pristine and rustic Pea Island beach access. Great for a private long walk. The kitchen is well equipped. Only suggestion would be for the owner to provide access to a gas grill and upgrade mattresses in 3 rooms. First encounter with Vacasa as a rental agent and the experience was all positive. The home was clean on arrival and had to communicate with the Vacasa team on some operational issues and their responses were timely and appropriate.

The house was exactly as pictured. House was very clean and well-appointed. It had everything you could ever need in the kitchen. Location was great to the beach. If I had one thing I would change it is more seating in the living area. It sleeps alot of people but the living room only seats five at a time. It was very comfortable and I will definitely book again and again. Vacasa was responsive and helpful when contacted.

It was lovely. The only thing I would change is the stove. Front burner has no settings. It's always on high

This was as advertised with lots of room, a few steps from the beach, beautiful sunrises and close to restaurants. Also central location to explore Pea Island and the Hatteras National Seashore.

Wonderful home - perfect location. Quiet. Pool & hot tub are an added bonus. 9 year olds loved the pool. We pd extra to have it heated in the off season. Proximity to the beach is awesome, & the views (sunrise / sunset were spectacular. Opportunities for improvement. More seating on both the top & lower decks, A hammock in the shade on the lower deck would be great! The mattresses should be replaced. There were a few other minor maintenance & cleanliness issues.

The pictures don't do the views justice. Beautiful sunrise every morning from the kitchen table with huge windows and tons of natural sunlight. You can even catch the sunset as well from the master balcony. House was spotless and great communication with the property manager on check in and throughout stay. The inside was equally impressive. We went in the winter so was great to have such a relaxing atmosphere inside as well when not listening to the sound of the ocean and watching the stars from the hot tub. Would definitely recommend. Thanks for a great stay!

We had a nice stay at your home in Rodanthe. We enjoyed walking the beach, watching the windsurfers, and even had a chance to watch dolphins jumping in the waves. We loved the time in the hot tub and just chilling on the back deck. We understand that it was at the end of peak season and it was apparent the house needed some "cleaning up". There are quite a few broken blinds, the mattresses are in need of being replaced, and the furniture in the living area was extremely uncomfortable and difficult to sit on as you went right through them due to wear and use. We also found the kitchen had some ants and we encountered 6 palmetto bugs during our stay. The kitchen didn't have any dishcloths or dish towels so we did purchase a couple of them. One thing we did encounter that was out of your control is the mosquitos were insane. Every time you walked to the car they attacked in full force. Again, this is something you can't control just a heads up to future renters. Your place is beautiful and the location and view of the ocean were awesome! I would recommend a call to the owners to address some of the updates and touch-ups needed.

The pictures don't do the views justice. Beautiful sunrise every morning from the kitchen table with huge windows and tons of natural sunlight. You can even catch the sunset as well from the master balcony. House was spotless and great communication with the property manager on check in and throughout stay. The inside was equally impressive. We went in the winter so was great to have such a relaxing atmosphere inside as well when not listening to the sound of the ocean and watching the stars from the hot tub. Would definitely recommend. Thanks for a great stay!

This house was pretty much ocean front , wonderful views from the decks , loved the Hot tub overlooking the ocean. Overall house was beautiful. The pool was great as well . I have to say - based on the “cons” I’d try to find another house first before booking this one again . Negatives- the house sleeps 8 , yet only has 2 decent chairs on the decks. The other 4 chairs are absolute garbage , should be thrown away . 2 are fold up camp chairs - rusted and dry rotted .. another 2 are plastic dollar store chairs with cracks, the chairs are a liability. So…. You’d think you’d have some nice seats on the decks you’ve paid thousands to rent so you could enjoy the ocean views . Nice Adirondack chairs really aren’t expensive, you can get plastic ones for less then $50.. the owner Should invest in some cute ones for all the decks to ensure there is seating for 8 if the occupancy limit is 8 . The master bedroom has a nice balcony- but no furniture … We had to use our beach chairs . Also on the back deck , there are 2 rotted “chairs” I guess they are maybe for “decor” but they are extremely dangerous, falling apart with rusty nails & screws sticking out multiple boards that aren’t even attached. It was a constant source of anxiety with having 2 very small children who wanted to keep climbing on it . It should be removed asap. The couch is pretty gross , I felt gross sitting on it . It’s also has some broken parts in the interior. For such a nice house I was surprised the owners wouldn’t have replaced it already. The twin beds … well I had an adult sleep on one and he said it was so incredibly uncomfortable, he couldnt sleep on it , this is coming from someone who can pretty much Sleep anywhere . The other wooden bunk set is extremely unstable , wobbly , squeaky, cheap. . In all honesty the furniture in this house is lacking . In the 20 yrs of vacationing in obx … this is my first time ever complaining of a rentals furniture or lack there of . Another issue - we found 4 massive cock roaches In the house throughout our week. It was pretty disturbing… and we had to have all our food placed in baggies to ensure the roaches wouldn’t get into our food . Last issue …. The cleanliness of the house was totally lacking . With the late check in time of 6 pm you’d think it’d be immaculate- well … Sand all over the floors as well as hair , a cigarette butt on the bed room floor , body hair and sand in the king bed , previous tenants linens still in crates at the house , previous tenants full load of dishes still in the dishwasher we had to unload , so it’s a bit infuriating that the check in times get later and later with the excuse of needing more time for thorough cleaning. Over all we still enjoyed this house in spite of the negatives.

The views are great from the deck. The furniture is starting to show some wear and could use updating. The pool was great. We were here when there was a good bit of ocean over wash from hurricane Ian. The house and property stayed dry but Corbin's drive and Rt 12 we're covered in water and Sand. With the opening of the new bridge Rt12 is essentially a dead end street which makes the location of the house very relaxing. If I would change one thing I would have the vegetation trimmed back so you can get around the parking areas without having to walk in high weeds to get around.

The Veiw was amazing!! I brought my dog and enjoyed every minute on the beach with her! The store at the roundabout had good food and and about all you need! People are very friendly! Very good time to visit if you are looking to relax!! My husband and i enjoyed our stay very much!!

First, I’d like to say this is a great house. The view is also wonderful. HOWEVER, the cleanliness needs to be improved significantly. The floors were disgusting—so disgusting that we had to get the broom and vacuum out and clean them ourselves. The couch was also disgusting and smelled horribly. The furniture needs to be replaced as a whole. The couches were extremely worn, smelled badly, covered in stains and dog hair. I understand that they allow dogs, but that means that it is the cleaning crew’s responsibility to adequately clean and remove the dog hair from the floors and furniture. Unfortunately, the condition of those couches were not only because of dogs. After spending time picking off an excessive amount of human hair, dog hair and massive dust bunnies I, eventually, found a random blanket in the house (also stinky) that I had to wash to cover the couch. Covering that couch was the only way to have somewhere to sit. The stinky blanket leads me to the linens. They smelled badly. All of them. They smelled like they’d been wrapped in people that were running around sweaty in 90 degree weather all day. We ended up making a trip to the store for cleaning supplies, disposable dishes and candles. The blinds that were in the bedrooms and bathrooms? Most of them were broken in spots that made it extremely uncomfortable to use the facilities or be comfortable while we slept. This was on top of the fact that there are no curtains or blinds in the common area, so if you feel awkward with open windows, then this is NOT the house for you. And the windows are extremely dirty—so dirty that we could see that a previous guest wrote “clean me” on the window. Another flaw from the cleaning crew, in my opinion. The adult beds were in such bad shape that it made it impossible to sleep without waking every few minutes in pain. The mattress was concave in shape, and the springs were worn to the point where you felt the iron frame of the bed underneath you. When people spend money to rent a home, it is important to make them feel welcome. They should feel like that is their home away from home for the time they are there. We all know that there are hundreds of others that have stayed in the home, used the kitchenware, beds, etc. However, the guest should NEVER feel like that is the case. Having to spend extra time, stress and action to make the house comfortable should never be. It should have been prepared. This is a fantastic house and our stay could have been significantly improved with a little care and hospitality. Despite the condition of the house, we still had a good time because we took extra measures to do so. Nonetheless, I will never rent a Vacasa home again. There just doesn’t seem to be enough interaction and oversight for a truly nice stay.

The view and house itself was gorgeous. Beds were comfortable. There were only a few chairs that were able to be used outside. Most of them were broken (plastic and wooden). We would definitely rent again depending on price.

Loved the location, layout and amenities of the home. We had to checkin an hour late due to cleaning crew- home was not clean. Floors were dirty, everything still dusty, food stuck to floor and cabinets, bathrooms not clean. We did reach out to Vacasa and they offered to send cleaners back out. We politely declined as we had done the basics to make ourselves comfortable. Would rate 5 stars with better cleaning service.

We visited this home for a week in late November, so we did not use the pool and only limited outdoor time. The home appears to be newer than some in the area and has a great Rodanthe location. The furniture in the home is sparse and old. We had six adults and the living room could not seat everyone. The sofa and love seat are old and need replacing. The home was not as clean as we expected; dust on all horizontal surfaces and mold/mildew on the shower curtains and inside the dishwasher. Details like the shower curtains being hung at the proper height seem to be overlooked by the management. The home has great features like an outdoor shower, plenty of parking, plenty of deck space. Everything including the HAVC and appliances all worked as they should.

Loved this house & location, we all enjoyed walks on the beach, the view of the ocean from every window & hot tub was perfect. We will be back.

Location

Good location. The home is well equipped but the furniture and bedding (mattresses) are in need of replacement.

This is our second stay at the Knotty Whale. It’s a wonderful location and the top deck is perfect for dogs. The house is starting to show some wear and tear, as is expected as a rental and so close to the ocean. Unfortunately, due to cleaning staff shortages and lack of care from the guests before us, the cleanliness left a lot to be desired. We had to do a lot of initial cleaning after driving for 12 hours, which wasn’t a great way to start our vacation. A true positive is the short walk to the beach and the view. It’s great to go to the beach for the day, then jump into the pool in the late afternoon. Overall, we will rent this house again in the future.