Dune Castle East: Family Friendly Oceanfront Beach Duplex With Adjoining Door
Apartment in Emerald Isle, NC
10 guests · 5 bedrooms · 2 baths
Reasons to book
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
Includes essentialsPets allowed, Kitchen or Kitchenette, Air conditioner and more
Book with confidenceWe partner with the top travel sites so you know you're getting a great deal on the perfect rental
About this apartment rental
Please view Dunecastle West at VRBO listing 741368 to enjoy both sides or check the availability if this side shows booked.
Dunecastle is oceanfront duplex with a spectacular view, the cottage faces south so you unbelievable sun rises and sun sets. Fully furnished 4 bedroom including 4 queens and 2 twins in the loft. 2 full baths with an outside shower. Fully equipped kitchen with three HD Flat Screen TVs and DVD player. Laundry room with washer & dryer game room with ping pong, nearby fishing, golf course, library, public boat access, restaurants, shops, and grocery stores. There is also a Dollar General right around the corner.
Dunecastle is oceanfront duplex with a spectacular view, the cottage faces south so you unbelievable sun rises and sun sets. Fully furnished 4 bedroom including 4 queens and 2 twins in the loft. 2 full baths with an outside shower. Fully equipped kitchen with three HD Flat Screen TVs and DVD player. Laundry room with washer & dryer game room with ping pong, nearby fishing, golf course, library, public boat access, restaurants, shops, and grocery stores. There is also a Dollar General right around the corner.
Amenities
Air conditioner
Pets allowed
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Dishwasher
TV
Family friendly
Map of Emerald Isle, NC
$$$$
Reviews
5.0
Location was excellent! Steps to the beach! Will definitely return. The only issue I had was that the AC turned off at night. I kept waking up hot, and having to adjust the thermostat.
5.0
Enjoyed speaking with owners!
We did a cleaning job when we arrived and enjoyed our stay.
4.0
Living room furniture looked dirty and used. Electricity/outlets need to be addressed. Not much lighting upstairs. I was concerned about this issue as one outlet actually sparked.
Nice location. Glad for washline on deck.
5.0
Favorite Beach House!
We have been coming down here for years and this is our favorite beach house! We rent the whole house, there are four bedrooms on each side and two additional loft rooms which is great for our kids. The deck was brand new this year and the east side got new vinyl flooring since last time we were there. The owners are very easy to work with and we truly enjoyed our stay!
5.0
No way to be “short” too many great things to say it was great
We lost my husband on April 3 and came to Emerald Isle for bereavement leave and to be near my son at Camp Lejune. It was 2 weeks of relaxation, grieving and beach therapy thanks so much! Oh and pets are welcome mine loved walking on the beach every morning and the property is easy to keep clean such as quality deck furniture, floors simple to sweep, pile up towels when done, etc. we’ll be back!
3.0
Location, location
This house offered an excellent location on the beach. This is a less crowded area of Emerald Isle. The house was very roomy. Furniture in living area and kitchen were newer. I enjoyed the artwork throughout the house. The house offered granite countertops throughout. Shower enclosures were ok but definitely not maintained. Kitchen was missing steak knives and could use a good drawer cleaning. The deck was very large but in need of repair and could use a hose to wash off the sand. The propane grill on the deck was unusual but it did work. The under the house showers could be awesome but they are in need of an update. I would not use them. Definitely a reasonable priced house for a large family especially if you rent both sides. There is very much potentail here.
Diane
3.0
rental review
In need of repair and update as it has aged out and needs attention. The outside shower is deplorable. The mattresses are in need of replacement now!!
The beach location is superb.
4.0
Beautiful view
Stayed on EAST side - great location on the beach. By end of summer house was missing a few essential kitchen items - communication with customer was great. House in a little older, but well-kept. Great for our family of 7. Shared walkway to beach. Quiet, empty beach!
5.0
Fabulous vacation
From the start it was an easy process with this rental. Right on the beach and the owner was super easy to communicate with. We had a wonderful time and no complaints.
4.0
Terrific beach front location
Great location and property configuration for our get-away! We had a wonderful vacation. Upon arrival we noticed some cleanliness issues, specifically with the air vents and nails popping up on the deck. The owners were quick to respond and sent over the cleaning crew. (Unfortunately the cleaners arrived without masks and without the proper tool to vacuum the vents.) They did change the air filter and fix the deck boards quickly. Appliances worked great. WIFI was strong in the common areas but did not work in bedrooms or on the deck (maybe a booster?). Ping pong table on the lower level was fun. This is a very busy rental. It could benefit from some fresh paint. Photos in the listing do not quite match the décor and furniture of the EAST property. Mattresses were firm and the beds a bit creaky. Outside shower is a plus. Awesome deck furniture! Enjoyed our stay.
4.0
Fun memories at Dune Castle
We had a great time, the house was nicely decorated and furnished, very comfortable. Beautiful views of the ocean.
1.5
House basics, good A/C, plenty of space, nice layout, very little noise from the other side. Location was great. The playroom needs some serious attention, very strong musty odor. The Deck has several nails that are raised that can tear your feet up. Granted it is a older beach house but it could stand some serious renovations in the two bathrooms, as well as the doors, thresholds, windows. Kitchen had lots of pots, pans, bowls, a unusable can opener (we bought a new one and left it). The large but comfortable couch prohibits a simple way to clean underneath it. Found two paper plates and lots of debris from past guests still on the floor.
3.0
Dog Friendly
House basics, good A/C, plenty of space, nice layout, very little noise from the other side. Location was great.
The playroom needs some serious attention, very strong musty odor. The Deck has several nails that are raised that can tear your feet up.
Granted it is a older beach house but it could stand some serious renovations in the two bathrooms, as well as the doors, thresholds, windows.
Kitchen had lots of pots, pans, bowls, a unusable can opener (we bought a new one and left it).
The large but comfortable couch prohibits a simple way to clean underneath it. Found two paper plates and lots of debris from past guests still on the floor.
4.0
Loved our stay!!!
Loved the home but outdoor showers don’t work so made our stay a bit sandy. You share the Rec room with the other side of duplex. Worked great for us since we rented both sides but that wasn’t spelled out in listing so future guests should know that. Would rent again!!!! Thanks!!!
5.0
Never Doubted
I never doubted that my family and I would have another awesome week of vacation at Dune Castle. This is our third year and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. There's nothing like spending time with those you love.
5.0
Pre-Fourth of July
Our stay was end of June into July. The beach wasn't crowded, and we were leaving as the holiday crowd was arriving.
The location was great. The house is close enough to drive to shops/dining/grocery in less than 8 minutes, but far enough away to not be in the middle of these locations. Ocean Dr is great for a walk/run.
The house itself had some expected wear from sitting beach front. The lock on the upper level sliding glass door got stuck. Sand tracks in easily on the ground level. We found the common lower level room with the ping-pong table to be fine. It's a ground level room with no windows at a beach front house; it's great for a 10-minute diversion for the kids, but not the room to spend hours at a time. It could use new paddles, though what was there was fine for the small kids.
Some of the house's furnishings are dated, but more than adequate and better than expected. The house allows dogs (which was a big draw for us), so we didn't go in expecting an immaculate mansion.
We would definitely stay here again. The location and price make the house worth it for our family. The owner/manager is easy to contact and very responsive. The house is a good find for what I would consider a mid-to-higher level pet-friendly property.
5.0
Excellent Stay
Wonderful owners to work with and great property. Had a wonderful time and loved the location. Clean home and met all expectations!
4.0
Great beach week
Plenty of space for our 5 families in this duplex (we rented both sides). The kitchen and living spaces had what we needed for the week and being ocean front is a treat. The cleaning crew ran late making our arrival a bit more complicated than normal, but our host was on top of it and communicated well with us about the delay. Great weather, a beautiful week.
5.0
Perfect place!
I have a large family, so we rent both sides. The connecting door makes for moving between units awesome. The location is great for all kinds of shopping. This was our second year here. Hoping to make 2020 our third!
2.0
2.5 stars- We rented both sides
We had a large group, so we rented both sides (East & West) of this beach house. We had a wonderful vacation… Emerald Isle is hard to beat!
Positives: the owners were very communicative throughout the process, door code made access very easy, beautiful location, beach (very clean; like having a private beach), great deck, convenient hose to wash off the sand, spacious kitchens, a door between the dining areas that connected the two sides (this was huge for us), good WiFi (we could stream video), the cleaning crew did a really great job, extra refrigerators downstairs (which made keeping bags of ice and extra food very convenient)
Negatives: the property wasn’t cleaned and ready at the specified check-in times, the outside shower wasn’t operational and was very dirty (The one side you couldn’t get into because the door was broken. The other side you couldn’t use because the door was broken and the area was filled with sand, so it wouldn’t drain), the carpet throughout the property is pretty dirty (carpet in a beach house is just not practical), the beds are pretty uncomfortable (they seem like very cheap mattresses), missing remote in one of the bedrooms, a lot of junk laying outside (we cleaned it up), trash and gross stuff under one of the beds, it is evident that the downstairs (where the game room is) was fully or partially under water at one point- it is very musty down there (in fact we didn’t go down, accept to wash clothes)
In general, this place was adequate, but not a place that will knock your socks off. Updates and upgrades are definitely needed to make it a 3,4, or 5 star property. We were nervous before our trip when we read a recent (April 2019) comment that was posted, so we contacted the owners. They were very kind and called us (not just emailed) to reassure us. This was very helpful and extremely appreciated!
We arrived early and could see through the windows that the place was wrecked by the previous occupants, but we went to the beach and waited for the cleaning crew (as planned). When it got to be 30-45 minutes before the first check-in time (3:00 ET) we got nervous and called the owners. They were able to reach the cleaning crew, who was delayed due to cleaning other wrecked properties (which was understandable). While waiting for the cleaning crew I was in communication with the owners (via text) and took pictures of the dirty property so they would know how the other occupants left it (trying to be helpful). At one point
1.0
"DOOM CASTLE" = RIP OFF!!!!
If you love filth, mold, broken everything, overpaying, no parking, a property falling apart at the seams, this is for you! I stayed here for a month and owner said beach rejuvenation project would last "1-2 days" so kept my reservation, drove 2000 miles for fishing/relaxing and what I got was a 2 week long nightmare with 24/7 heavy equipment noise/vibration, lights, and NO beach access. Do you think the owner would care or offer any type of reimbursement? NOPE! Air conditioner didn't work for 27 out of my 28 days and when AC guys finally show up, they say owner never pays them on time so they have paying customers that need service too. Dishwasher doesn't work, beds broken, bedroom doors don't open/shut because house has buckeled, parking is impossible for more than 1 car, many screens missing so opening windows/sliding glass doors isn't even possible for air flow, NO PRIVACY DECK, game room is a mold cave. Next to public access/mega condos so people poaching your beachfront.
2nd week I was there, a group of 18 workers stayed on other side and slept in shifts, partied, blasted mariachi music until 2-3am. I was trying to just suffer thru it until window guys show up and tell me the other side is supposed to be empty! I tell owner about nextdoor so he knows about "squatters" destroying his property (filling his GAS grill full of charcoal for grilling and almost burning the deck & house down) and owner thinks it's a good idea to tell 18 thugs what single girl next door is telling him (very safe for me) when I was trying to help him (why? I don't know...). Of course, they tell him there's only a couple people staying there and he believes them.
Housekeeping showed up for 15 minutes tops after 18 thugs and next renters said there were eggs and food in drawers when they checked in, clothes/shoes left, and filth everywhere. I dropped an earring under my bed and was horrified when lifted bed skirt... a mountain of old wrappers, water bottles, used Kleenex, even a pair of fishing gloves!
I have paid a fraction of the price for FAR better, cleaner, and exceptionally (professionally) managed properties in EI and suggest you do too.
***To the owner... you can still make this right and I'll be happy to update all reviews to let people know you're a champion for reimbursing for the misery I dealt with. My address is on the checks you had me pay you directly to avoid your VRBO fees.***
NOT HOLDING MY BREATH
4.0
Good Place in May
House is well located and the beach is nice. We had a good time with our dogs but the house needs a bit of work to make it an excellent place to stay. A bit of paint, new carpet, and some work on the deck would help a lot.
5.0
We loved staying in Dune Castle- Emerald Isle!
We thank the owner for having the repairs done in a timely manner so we were able to stay in your lovely home. We had a great time.
We plan on reserving the house again next year, but for two weeks in October.
3.0
Comfortable but needs updating
Overall a wonderful week but was inconvenienced by the horrendous amount of flies upon arrival, no vacuum to clean up the sand that would be imminently tracked in, and the dryer that was rusted and needed to be ran 4 times to get anything remotely dry. Would I stay again without small repairs, no.
5.0
Absolutely Best Vacation!!
Our family was fortunate enough to rent both sides of this awesome house in the month of July. It was perfect... 8 bedrooms and 2 lofts (= 10 bedrooms for us) .. a game room.. plus a short, short walk to the beach was perfect. The whole family (20+) were comfortable and had a great time!!
5.0
Simply wonderful
What a wonderful vacation. The property is in an ideal location with beautiful ocean front views. Watching the waves crash on the shore from the deck was a real stress reliever. The Beach house was perfection, plenty of room and all the kitchen ware needed to prepare meals, plenty of seating in the living room. The House was clean with a warm welcoming at home presence. I would definitely recommend this property to my friends and would rent Dune Castle again in a heartbeat. Next time, I would rent both sides to have my family all in one place. I have two suggestions for improvement. First would be the kettle grills. We realized too late, after using the rusted grill outside by foiling the grate, that there was a new and very nice grill in the laundry room just waiting to be used. I recommend getting rid of the rusted grills asap,and let the renters know that the new grill is in the laundry room. Second, provide fans for the first floor bedrooms . Installing ceiling fans would be ideal, however simply putting a fan in each coset for use would solve the problem. My son had to go out and buy a fan to use. Aside from that, I could not have had a better experience at Dune Castle. Thank you for a wonderful stay.
3.0
Great location
The unit was in a great location right on the water which is what our family loved. The unit was mostly clean but we did have some issues. Found leftover food behind the nightstand in one of the bedrooms. The outside shower was unable to be used. The boards were rotten and there were nails coming up through the boards. The outside entrance light did not work. Outside door on deck was very hard to close and the upstairs sliding door screen kept falling off. We did although enjoy our stay this unit is in a great location and would recommend a few minor repairs. The kitchen was well stocked. The inside door of the microwave did have rust on it.
5.0
Perfect getaway!
We gathered our adult children and grandson in one place. This home was perfect for us - plenty of space, open concept for we were always together, and the beautiful beach right there! Sleeping with the sound of the waves made everyone happier. The hosts kindly left coffee and filters on the counter, a high priority after the long drive! I’d recommend this Home to any family - would be great to rent both sides and fill the house with family. We would love to go back again and again!
5.0
Perfect family vacation spot.
We loved our stay at Dune Castle East. We had the place for a week and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful ocean views, easy access to the beach, and the convenient accommodations of Dune Castle. The kitchen was fully stocked with cookware and and everything needed for wonderful family meals. We will definitely consider Dune Castle for our next family trip to Emerald Isle.
4.0
Lovely Place Right on the Beach
We really loved our stay. It's so wonderful to be able to walk out onto the beach every morning. Our dogs were happy and the outdoor spigots and shower were a godsend for cleaning them off after running around on the beach. We all had a blast.
The only comment I have is that we really enjoyed the proximity to Food Lion because we decided to pretty much prepare our own food instead of eating out this whole trip. The downfall here is that as with many vacation rentals, it's expected that guests will wash their own dishes. No problem! Except that someone did a poor job on a previous time (found a few dishes with food still clearly stuck to them) and the cookware (pans mostly) were pretty beat up and probably could use replacing - both of the frying pans we could find were well-past their prime and one actually flamed up when we tried to put it into use (we re-scrubbed it, but decided it best to stick with the pan that wasn't acting up).
Other than that, everything was great!
FAQs
How much does this apartment cost compared to others in Emerald Isle?
The average price for a rental in Emerald Isle is $639 per night. This rental is $30 less expensive than the average.
Is parking included with this apartment?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Dune Castle East: Family Friendly Oceanfront Beach Duplex With Adjoining Door. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this apartment?
We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this apartment. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.
Is Dune Castle East: Family Friendly Oceanfront Beach Duplex With Adjoining Door pet friendly?
Yes! This apartment is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.
What amenities are available at Dune Castle East: Family Friendly Oceanfront Beach Duplex With Adjoining Door?
We found 10 amenities for this rental. This includes air conditioner, pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, and parking.