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My husband and I decided at the last minute to make a trip to Kure beach and the aquarium with our 20 month old. We've always loved Kure beach but hadn't realized how much it had changed in the past several years. (Why do people have to tear down lovely little beach cottages/communities for high rise condo boxes that block out the beach, sun and sky?) How fortunate we were to find the Blue Marlin! This is the Kure beach we know and love! Friendly, genuine owners...a clean, safe 2 bedroom beach cottage (unit #6)...this is what North Carolina's coast is really about! Thank you Gilbert for the hospitality, relaxing weekend, and wonderful memories! We'll be back soon!
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Date of stay: April 2011
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Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:room 6 = 1 block from ocean
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We loved staying here. We stayed it the biggest unit they have, #7. Two bedrooms and a combo room with even more room to sleep. It was great. The only part that I iwsh it had was a poll, because we had small children afraid of the beach. But other thanthat, everything was awesome!
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Date of stay: July 2010
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in unit #3 and it was very nice and peaceful. You could sit on the back deck and hear the ocean. I wish I was there now instead of home writing this review. Gilbert was very nice before, during and after our visit. I had emailed him about our stay and he was very nice and replied right away. We chatted a bit when we visited the store and a nice email after we were back home. Our unit #3 was top floor with a total of 4 units in the building. We never heard a word out of the others. We slept well in our beds and felt very safe at night. We left the door open a lot so we could hear the ocean. We cooked two meals while we are there (make sure you open the door and cut on the oven fan, so the fire alarm won't go off... of course it could have been our cooking) anyway the oven and stove worked great. We did have internet but it was VERY slow connection. But enough for us all to do a little on our laptops. It works best on the back deck which was ok by me. We had no problems with the carpet.... it's beach carpet folks and of course it's going to be a mess if you allow your kids to spill things on it. But ours wasn't that bad in our unit. Ocean front with a awesome view!!
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Date of stay: October 2010
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First, I should say, I did not stay at the motel. I called and I had a good conversation with the management lining up a room for the weekend, but decided to check with my wife who was also calling around at the same time before finalizing details. After telling her of the room, I quickly checked to remind myself of the reviews for the place. Quite a few of the reviews online mentioned dirty rooms. So on calling back to make the reservation I guess I messed up by mentioning the reviews.. Big mistake. The management's easy going temperament changed quickly as he launched into a furious diatribe about online reviews that including profanity and remarks about the lowlifes he gets through his hotel. Being in the service industry I can understand the frustration when someone who for whatever reason leaves a bad review that leaves you with no route to repair the review. So I was actively agreeing that people suck, but I couldn't communicate fast enough to get out of the hole he was talking me into. After a moment he said "listen I'm a busy man, maybe we you should call back later, then he proceeded to place the phone on the counter and I heard him walk away, after a few I heard people laughing in another room.
I called back several times before he answered and when he did, for some dumb reason I apologized for mentioning the reviews but to no avail..... He said " listen you have already pissed me off this morning, I don't think you or I would be happy with you staying here, so stop calling me". " I was still trying to back track when he asked how he would know I wasn't going to be a bad guest. I informed him that I could give him the number of several of our regular motels we stay at in kure beach but he asked for me to submit it in writing to his Establishment and he would review.
Instead I submitted a formal complaint to the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce and will leave reviews online in the hope that this little angry man can possibly hire someone else to deal with the public because he has the personality of a jelly fish on lithium.
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Date of stay: July 2015Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gilbert A, Owner at Blue Marlin Beach Lodging
Responded Aug 10, 2015
“With all my responsibilities, you have played right into their hands”. Hello Sir, As far as I know, greeting all of last weekend’s guest at checkout time reported a good time. All wished to come back soon. One sweet girl presented my wife with a housekeeping tip. :) Comments regarding Blue Marlin Apartments: My family and I do our best to maintain our properties for our guest’s safety and comforts. All building codes are honored, facilities are keep clean and in an orderly manner. Internet reviews, I responded truthfully. Perhaps this would have assured your concerns the morning of Friday, July 31, 2015. In this review, you used the word “Diatribe”. Okay. Regarding this negative complaint regarding our private-phone-conversation, you do affirm you and I have never met. You have never been in our store nor stayed in our apartments. By the way, we are not hotel. (We provide private furnished bedrooms and a kitchen with basic cookware). For now, the only logic that comes to my mind regarding this eternally written worldwide dialog is “ATTEMPTED-INTERNET-BLACKMAIL”. You are not the first person to use this cowardly tactic. I am not going to be suppressed by any form of blackmail. Surprisingly, and not trying to appease you, “You are not completely to blame” Internet advertising companies use this “Diatribe” tactics to lure $$$ into their bank accounts all-the-time. They provide the virtual arena. As for me, I am holding the world’s biggest search engine’s ad departments and online lodging advertisers accountable. Up until 2015, many years had passed by since I had to do an eviction. Dangers to other guest and non-complying behavior forced me to take drastic actions. Way back then, the internet and retail/lodging reviews were just coming on the scene. After the internet (I’ve been in business ‘here’ since 1978) this type of INTERNET BLACKMAIL has greeted me in my yard and in our bait and tackle shop. Example: For me to respond to a 2004-6 BBB errant review, BBB Conway, SC tried to force me to become a loyal-member with a $250 annual membership. I passed! On that review, the only folks backing me were the private quest staying and thanking me “after” I walked the dangerous guest to their car. Other examples. When a customer returned a rod and reel that “they” got beach sand in or, an angry parent brings back a raft that has been inflated up in our shop for two weeks claiming the raft has a hole demanding all their monies back, I say “No. It was not broken when you bought it”. “A common reply is “Well I will just write your store up on the internet”. When enforcing a policy, the countless times these gutless words comes up are very upsetting. Three weeks ago a gentleman gave the ugly finger, to-my-face, right in front of his pre-teen son as he move all his beach gear out our posted reserved paid guest parking space. Yep! His window rolled down as he drove off our property yelling, “I’m going write your _____ up on the internet”. Taking actions to defend our guest from non-complying guest takes personal energy. Hearing the repeated common blackmail responses takes some getting used to. Talking with the Kure Beach Police Department is positive assurance. Our regular guest and new ones >like you someday<, do and will rely on this. Should you ever need a fishing licenses or just want to talk face to face, stop in our shop. We are three blocks north of the stoplight in Kure Beach. Take care. Gilbert Alphin Blue Marlin Apartments and Beach Shop Kure Beach, NC 28449
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Make sure before you stay here Unit number 4 air conditioning is fixed. Freon had leaked out and then replaced. After that still had to vacuum water every few hours out of the consendation pan.. WAS told it would be only 2 times a day...Wrong.... Actually never should have rented the room out...Reduced room rate after a lot of hassle going back and forth.... Was not told until we arrived about the air problems of that room.. Other then that a nice place to stay....
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Date of stay: September 2013
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Cleanliness
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gilbert A, Owner at Blue Marlin Beach Lodging
Responded Sep 13, 2013
UPDATE: Friday, September 13, 2013. Today, New Hanover County Inspections Department approved Apartment 4’s modern “Goodman 13 Seer AC/Heat Pump System”. ** My wife and I would like to thank all our 86 guest who stayed in Apartment 4 while we had our condensation leak. With “FIVE” days of seasonal downtime, a reliable local Heat & Air Company plus the nice folks at BB&T ($3,700) we were able to replace the older AC/Heat Pump System. For those wishing to hear my side of this very heart wrenching review, please continue reading. September 9th re-edited responses to September 5th “Hassle” review. Mamboman38, At your check out, Monday, Sept 2,’13, I volunteered, without hassling you, and gave you your “full refund” via your now deleted bank information. I too was upset your planed Labor Day Vacation got messed up. Then five minutes later, housekeeping discovered Apartment 4 at a very pleasant 73 degrees. The AC had not failed a second time. Later that day I paid for all your cleaning fees. Now that being said: After “our” private email conversation I hoped this issue “finished”, yet you persist on the World Wide Web. For me to omit your review would be me not maintaining our facility. A small portion of the Room Occupancy Taxes we have-to-collect has been going to “TripAdvisor” for industry support. Yes you are correct. Apartment 4’s Freon ran low, not out, on a very hot, humid, busy Labor Day Saturday. Like you, I too was upset. (I would not want my AC to go out on my sunny 80+ degrees days off.) The moment you informed us of the breakdown, you started disputing “my” rates. My first duties are for safety and to get a professional AC/Heat Pump repair company in as soon as possible. On a Saturday holiday, the unexpected was promptly repaired. Apartment 4's condensation issue developed in early June 2013. Since safe downtime was impossible, a special GFI bathroom outlet was installed for guest safety for a grounded Wet-Shop-Vac for the remove of condensation from the auto-shut-off AC drip pan. Prior to your visit, Apartment 4, with its condensation issue, was rented 72 days to 18 other parties (86 people in all). With the inconvenience of the estimated 30 second vacuum requirements, the same “untouched” AC unit works today. The “twice a day” information had been reported by many dear confidentials. I don’t understand your “hassle” comment. I am in the “hospitality business”. Folks come here to get-a-way from life’s frustrations and disappointments. It wasn’t until you checked out that you-lead-me-to-believe the AC unit completely failed a second time. It had not failed. **Before you arrived, Apartment 4’s heat pump was slated to be finance for complete changes out upon the season’s downtime so please don’t take any credit fixing our condensation leak. It takes safety, scheduling and many thousand$ of dollars to properly change out a complete AC/Heat pump system. Sincerely, Gilbert Alphin, Blue Marlin Apartments and Beach Shop, Kure Beach, NC
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This place is moldy, old and not fit to stay in if you have any kind of allergies. I rented this over the internet for 2 nights ,owner wanted 3 but couldn't stay 3 !! so the owner found a way to get the money for 3rd night ,by lying and saying that there had been cigarette smoking in the dump,,I took keys back before leaving and ask them to come inspect the dump and was told not necessary, and then was charged 226.00 for cleaning fee's , So stay at your own risk of false charges and getting sick for mold and mildew
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Date of stay: July 2015
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:stay anywhere but here !!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gilbert A, Owner at Blue Marlin Beach Lodging
Responded Sep 2, 2015
Disclosure Note: On July 13-2015, the day of your checkout, a police report was filed. There are other families expecting me to maintain our buildings for clean, safe lodging. September 2, 2015 Hello Ms. Kathy P. Back on July 13 ’15, moments prior to your checking out, we were all laughing and have a good time together! Fifteen minutes of your departure we spoke by phone, I told you of yours’s-and-our situation, yet you refused to return. I was in deep-deep fright! I had another family checking in under a two to three hours window. Your apartment was in a NON HABITABLE condition! Along with the “cleaning summary” below, the credit card company should have sent you the pictures of all the non-smoking signs inside the actual-apartment you smoked in along with the Kure Beach Police Report and witness letters outside my family. Rate pricing and daily minimums played no part in this episode. Sincerely, Gilbert Alphin Blue Marlin Apartments and Beach Shop Kure Beach, NC 28449 Blue Marlin Apartments, Kure Beach, NC Smoking fees in Non-Smoking Apartment July 13, 2015 Kathy P. Card **** **** **** **** * 1. $55.00 Commercial carpet cleaning – Emergency Call. 2. $00.00 Standard Cleaning of Apartment. 3. $45.00 Extra Washing, Rinsing and Outdoor-air drying time. 4. $55.00 washing down walls top-to-bottom: Hallway, Bathroom, Two Bedrooms, Kitchen Living Room, Furniture. 5. $45.00 Transferring Labor from rental to lodging, under a time stress of new guest checking 1:30pm. 6. $200.00 SUBTOTAL: TRUE COST PRICING. 7. $ 26.00 13% NEW HANOVER AND NORTH CAROLINA ROOM TAX. 8. $226.00 GRAND TOTAL.
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We had a family of 7 that stayed at this apartment and it was a nice stay BUT the 2 day we was there we got up to start our day of fun on the beach and had a beer dumped down my husband back from the people up stairs from us then form there it all went down hill had some family stop by that i hadn't seen in 7 years and we all ate dinner then we all left next day we was cooking again and the Manger came to our back door and was saw by my son peeping in our Windows CREEPYAs we was packing our thing the law shows up at our door with the Manger he did a walk through and then won't to stay there as we packed our stuff not cool so if you like being watched by the owners stay here i will never again love kure beach .
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Date of stay: August 2015Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gilbert A, Owner at Blue Marlin Beach Lodging
Responded Aug 14, 2015
Sorry, but you had way too many persons in your party. “A Great Place for Family and Friends” is our thirty-five year old motto. You have a very beautiful family and many nice friends. With your party, I should have rented you two downstairs apartments for a total of twelve guest. Instead you only asked for one apartment. Our guest policies of six persons per apartment is posted at the entrance doors and on our website. Most times toddlers and infants never enter the count. During your stay, your party’s count exceeded TWELVE. I did not upset your family and friend’s diners. The high number in you party is where I became concerned for other quest. The next day we both realized you and I were at an understanding differences. Prior to check out, “Kure Beach Police monitored my checkout walk through”, you revealed your frustration toward me because you had to buy twelve extra towels. You did not care for my bed covers so you brought eight additional covers of your own. (3 of ours + 8 of yours = 11 covers) Very distressing for me. Now regarding a spillage accident from upstairs, this was none other than an accident. This winter, I will check with the Kure Beach Building Inspector to discuss a solid floor installation on our standard oceanfront deck. This episode has taught me to keep polices in check. Thank you for your time. Gilbert Alphin, Blue Marlin Apartments, Kure Beach, NC.
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The carpets were old looking and nasty. The sofas were too scary to sit on. The place says newly renovated? No. Painted I guess. I have a crawling baby and her hands and knees stayed black with dirt inside the ocean front unit we were in. Anytime the kids spilled something the carpet was impossible to clean up properly. The location is excellent. Loved the grassy area between apt and beach. Wish they had laundry facilities in the units. Could put stackables in the furnace closet.
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Date of stay: July 2010
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gilbert A, Owner at Blue Marlin Beach Lodging
Responded Sep 8, 2013
YES! Back Then, Dirty-Carpet-Build-UP! This spring, 2013 we found the best professional cleaning "team" around with the best professional products! Now that being said, we ask our guest to use care when staying with us. We found that quality carpet is less expensive than vinyl flooring, ceramic tile or heart pine boards. Thank you for all your help in keeping our floors clean. Gilbert Alphin, Blue Marlin Apartments and Beach Shop, Kure Beach, NC
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Been going to this area and stayed at Blue Marlin sporatically since 1997. They really need to get rid of the carpet and the awful plain upholstered furniture that's been there since we started going. They are nice people, but the places really need to be updated. Carpet and sand don't mix. Some units (use to anyway) have carpet in the cooking and dining area. Yuk. Popcorn plaster falling off of ceiling. Yes, they try to keep it clean, it just needs refurbished.
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Date of stay: August 2009
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We decided at the last minute to go to Kure Beach NC we've been there twice before and loved it's a GREAT FAMILY BEACH. I found the Blue Marlin Beach Lodging on the Kure Beach web site and looked at their photos of the apartments they have which are great pictures of the inside of what they offer and was really pleased with their prices also , I called them the next morning and they had just what we needed for our family so we reserved apartment 3.On the way there I made the comment what if it's a rat hole cause so many other hotels I looked at on the web sites were dumpy run down looking buildings or were extremely over priced for the appearance of the outside when we seen them as we passed by while there, well was I ever surprised the apartment was immaculate and smelled so clean. I went prepared to have too clean the bathroom but it was spotless and Gilbert and Karen Alphin the owners are extremely nice and so friendly they make you feel so at home you don't want to leave, the apartments are insulated so good that you can't hear anything from the other apartments and the view of the ocean from your living room window is breath- taking, it's also very convenient to the Kure Pier and other stores within walking distance and 2-3 blocks up the street is a 24hr laundry mat which was exceptionally clean with drop off service that was cheap. The only down side is it doesn't have a pool but for the price and cleanliness and piece you get it's worth giving up the pool. So if your interested in a GREAT BEACH VACATION you need to go to Kure Beach NC you will LOVE it and want to go back.
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Date of stay: June 2008
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Check in / front desk
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Business service (e.g., internet access)
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Kure Beach area.
LOCATION
United StatesNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina CoastKure Beach
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Are there any historical sites close to Blue Marlin Beach Lodging?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Fort Fisher State Recreation Area (2.8 miles), Fort Fisher State Historic Site (2.2 miles), and Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson State Historic Site (3.5 miles).
