Trailborn Surf and Sound, Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy

Ocean front was great! Courtney Paugh the manager at the restaurant was super friendly and professional. As restaurateurs for 20 years, we appreciated her hospitality and kindness!

The property is lovely, clean and the grounds have beautiful vegetation surrounding. However, for the $$$ spent a few areas are in need of service. One being the non working elevator- that hasn’t been in operation for months. The restroom by the pool is out of order. And on the 4th floor there is a serious leak from the ceiling that towels were placed on the floor to absorb, but towards the end of our stay- the carpet began to smell and the puddle had extended across the hallway. Housekeeping was hit or miss (and they did completely miss us one day) but did send someone up with fresh towels and to empty the trash. They were lax in re stocking and we had no shampoo- but the front seat was more than accommodating- and made sure we received a fresh bottle. The food at the outside bar was very good- enjoyed salads, burgers and hummus. The portions are large- kid size was adequate for our party. Overall, a nice hotel- desk staff (Ella, Jeff and Reese) were exceptional. Lots of great suggestions for activities, dining and shopping. A few hiccups to be ironed out and maintenance done- might try it again.

Great location, sound and surface. Nice outdoor spaces, good bar and beach bar & food service.

Pool was underwhelming. Other than that, it was great for families with young kids.

I didn't receive a VIP benefit. Generally, Expedia VIP hotels offer room upgrades, and a hotel amenity. None of which I received. The front desk staff needs serious improvement especially the manager on staff when I stayed. He has zero customer service for the amount of money we spent at this hotel.

Beautiful grounds and updated lobby and restaurant

The walls must be as thin as a single sheet of drywall- you can hear absolutely every work either of your neighbors are saying. I’ve been in a lot of hotel rooms, this by far was the worst, most awkward and uncomfortable.

Really nice rooms!

Just a beautifully located resort and the pool area and bar and gas fire pit at night are fantastic

Best hotel I’ve stayed at in a long time!!! Gorgeously curated and decorated!

The beach was beautiful. The hotel room was cleaned, and the staff was pleasant.

When I arrived I was upgraded for free to an ocean front room, but the elevators were broken, so I chose a lower level so I didn’t have to climb the stairs. I moreso had a view of the back seating area than I did the ocean. The first morning, my bathroom suddenly began to smell awful, like something had died in the wall and was decaying. I requested maintenance come check it out and then didn’t hear anything for hours until I called down and asked to switch rooms. I was then moved to an even lower floor. But, the hotel itself is beautiful, smells nice, great decor, extremely comfy beds. The coffee was good but seemed to upset my stomach. The outside was gorgeous. The great lawn was peaceful and serene and wonderful for families. The sitting area was filled with comfy outdoor couches and umbrellas, pool was nice, outdoor bar was nice with great drinks. The restaurant and bar were beautiful and the drinks delicious, but food was mediocre at best. I’m glad I experienced this hotel and I did enjoy my stay for the most part but I’m not sure I’d stay there again just due to the bathroom stench I experienced and the food just didn’t sit will with my stomach. Oh, service was wonderful aside from not hearing back about the smell in the bathroom. Someone was almost always available downstairs to answer question or ask how they can help. Staff was amazing!

Elevators were not working properly and the sheets were dirty upon arrival. Soap missing from bathroom. Staff was pleasant and location was good. Parking was also good.

This was the second time we stayed at Trailborn Wrightsville Beach this summer. I love the access to beach and the staff setting up an umbrella and chairs for the guests. All staff were thrilled to work at the resort and their enthusiasm made our stay more enjoyable.

The beach view was amazing! Everything about this resort was phenomenal! The staff especially was super nice and accommodating! My stay there was the best and I would highly recommend!

The hotel property is a great location, clean rooms. I rebooked amenities that I had to call and go to the front desk 3 times before they arrived. We booked a movie night with popcorn never received that, booked a massage and it took 2 days for us to hear back with an appointment confirmation, I booked another night with the front desk and was told my room was confirmed then the very next day the manager on duty told us that the room was never booked and we were expected to immediately get up and move rooms. I’m sorry but that’s not the type Of customer service I expect to receive. If someone confirms the room with me I should be able to stay in the room. I have fell ill on my trip and had to extend for another day and switching rooms was a very big inconvenience for me. The staff needs serious training in customer service. This is already a pricey hotel and you expect to have a better experience. Especially since this is an Expedia VIP property and I’m also a Marriott reward member

The staff was excellent, the dining areas, bars and grounds were very nice and the beach area was great. The room however and the hall leading to the room smelled like a musty old motel.

Overall we got what we wanted. A room "overlooking" the ocean and able to not worry about parking. There were a few issues that made the experience not as enjoyable at that higher price point. Our room with an ocean view had a building in front of it. We paid more for the surf side and there was a building in front of our window. Yes we had partial view of the beach, yet all the other rooms did not have this issue. Also for a beach hotel there were no hooks in room for wet swimsuits, floaties for toddlers, etc. Only two hooks for a towel. We had to resort to hanging on the bathroom shower glass which had the toilet paper immediately underneath which got dripped on. While these and some mechanical issues with the elevator did not make a terrible experience. It did leave us wondering why we paid more for a nice hotel and felt underwhelmed at simple things. Like having to pay $5 for a drip cup of coffee when there is better down the street for $2.

Had a nice stay at the Trailborn for a short last minute beach trip, but be aware this is a redecorated hotel not a remodeled one. The decor is lovely and the staff was great, but there were some aspects I wish they would have addressed. While most of the hotel was beautifully redone there were some areas you could tell were missed or not addressed in the update, which brought down the overall experience. You may have parachute robes in your room, but the AC unit is old and loud enough to block the TV when it kicks on. The elevators were broken while I was there, requiring a call to the front desk if you needed a ride down from your room. I did appreciated the free parking and beach chairs/umbrellas. The restaurant and beach bar food was good and I was able to use $25 credits with no problems. Overall, this hotel was good, but not as great as I was expecting for the price.

My husband and I decided on this property for our baby moon and were really excited based on the website. When we checked in at 4PM, we were told the room would be ready in 5-10 minutes. Well, 5-10 minutes turned into an hour which was very frustrating and cut into our evening plans. Our room had a great view over looking the beach & pool. To get down to the lobby from our floor, we had to call the front desk - it turned out that the elevators were broken. This went on for entire 5 days we stayed there which was inconvenient. The last day, the elevator was completely broken and we needed to carry our luggages from the 7th floor to the lobby without assistance. Parking at this hotel was fine during the day but rather a nightmare at night as there was not enough parking spots available. The staff at the hotel was nice but I will say everyone is either in college or just out of college. It was evident that they all were fulfilling the duties of their job, no one really went out of their way to make the experience outstanding. Lastly, I did note that we were celebrating our babymoon and there was nothing put in our room or done to celebrate that which was disappointing.

Staff were amazing! They were having to run manual operation of the elevators and handle a leak in lobby roof, but they did it all with a smile. If they can handle the smell of the hard water that gives an unpleasant odor to the room and if they can get the pool bar drinks a little colder, I’d give it a perfect 10. They’ve definitely mastered the mid century aesthetic, though. That deserves a perfect score.

Gem resort on pristine beach Exactly what wrightsville beach needed.

Gorgeous resort!

We love every stay at Surf & Sound! Perfectly walkable location!

Fantastic Property. Fantastic Staff. I will be back. And Thank you Robert for retrieving my forgotten article from my room.

Had a great stay at the Trailborn. Beautiful location on Wrightsville Beach, the property provided everything we needed. All the staff were incredibly helpful and courteous.

Good location and great staff

This could be a really nice hotel, but some things need attention..first the pros-the location is great, the staff were friendly and professional..always a smile and a greeting. The rooms are fine, though the bathrooms are tiny. The lobby is nice as well as the landscape outside, there’s lots of room to relax with a drink..Cons-the elevator was out of order the whole time we were there..there were no fans in the bathroom or our wasn’t working and so there was a musty smell. Since we had to walk up to our room on the 4th floor I got too see the stairwell which was dingy. The thing that was most annoying was getting to the tiki bar and finding a load of half eaten food covered with flies on a table there..we stayed for a drink and no one bothered to clean it up..pretty disgusting for a 4 star hotel. You gotta update the tiki bar guys, get some new furniture and make it inviting..the same is needed for the pool area...I thought the upgrade from the Blockade Runner to the Trailborn would be much better than it is and that’s too bad because the place could be really nice..but here’s a shout out to Pip the gardener and Nate the bartender..nice people.

The location was amazing and the beach was fantastic. The elevator was not working for the entire 3 days that we were there and going up and down the stairs got old pretty quickly especially since we were on the 5th floor. We should have

Good location. Not enough parking. Not enough beach chairs and staff weren’t too worried about accommodating you. Elevators didn’t fully work. Breakfast at hotel restaurant was good.

awesome

First the good: the view from the "Surf" side of the hotel is amazing, the decor is nice (70s Surf Vibes), and the pool / outdoor bar / fire pit / beach chairs + umbrellas are lovely. The flipside/ reality: This is an old, 60s-era hotel building that has had a decorating make-over. It appears the systems/ mechanics were overlooked. For starters, the elevators were down for our entire 3-day stay. They texted us this FYI about 2-3 hours before check in. (I'm wondering if the elevators had been down for days prior to our visit--and they were/ are just letting guests know about it when it's too late to cancel.) While the elevators being down wouldn't be a big deal for guests staying on the second floor, we were on the 4th and were told "This is the lowest floor we can get you on." (Is this part of the $47 daily resort fee?) We're in our 60s (osteo-arthritis), so 8 sets of stairs quickly became a challenge. We noticed a couple of young moms with toddlers trying to navigate this (while carrying all the beach gear one needs for little ones.) When the room A/C comes on, it sounds like a 747 taking off (making sleeping difficult). Other things: The bathroom door didn't close, there are no ice machines + the pool was VERY cloudy/murky. Prepare to be nickled-and-dimed for every little thing. In short, if you are a young rich + fit hiking / surf dude who travels w/ all your stuff in a lightweight backpack, loves to scale steps and spend money--this is probably a good fit for you.

So gorgeous! Love the remodel! Had a fantastic stay.

Loved the access to beach! Great grounds and the beach chairs and umbrellas can’t be beat. The staff was friendly and welcoming!

my daughter and I spent a few days there. It was amazing. karen Bivins

Great stay!

Great

Would stay again

Overall the property is nice. I wasn’t impressed at all how the pool and hot tub etc was maintained! The hot tub always had a lot of sand in it. The water condition in both the pool and hot tub was bad the whole time I was there.

It has an old island feel, laid back without the hustle and bustle but with plenty of activites on site

We had a great visit - the grounds are really expansive, so there are many little pockets to relax, from the pool to beach, pool bar and corn hole/Adirondack chairs. The room was clean with good coffee. The daily destination fee covers towels, beach chairs and umbrella. The location is really great too.

We stayed at Trailborn Surf & Sound July 22-25th. Whilst our stay was very pleasant and no complaints, the property fell down in their billing and overcharging. The front desk were unable to provide the billing statement on departure, and then made 4 charges to our credit card - which did not add up to the amount on the statement once available. Trailborn did adjust three of the incorrect charges and debited the intended amount, but left one incorrect charge. The billing staff were initially responsive and said this 4th erroneous charge (smallest of all charges) would be refunded in 5-10 business days. This time elapsed and Trailborn became unresponsive - I had to go to my credit card to dispute the charge, which was refunded. Disappointing result.

Awful experience. We left early. Couldn’t check in to the hotel until 530pm. Didn’t have pack and play that I called twice to be sure they had. Phone in rooms don’t work

Great beach location, great pasta and seafood restaurant.

Staff stated I would receive a $25 day food credit and didn’t see it on my bill.

We’ve stayed in many places, and this hotel was definitely overpriced for the experience we had. The bathroom sink was clogged with hair that wasn’t ours, making it almost unusable. The outdoor area was poorly maintained, and the food was inedible because of the overwhelming number of flies and garbage nearby. Drinks took 15–20 minutes to arrive, even though the bar wasn’t busy. The pool area was dirty, with leftover food and bugs everywhere. Overall, very disappointing.

Love it!

Very nice staff. Nice room upgrades

Love this hotel! Beach chic renovations to a classic older property with the BEST beachfront access. Second time staying here and we booked again for Sept. Staff helpful and friendly, coffee and poolside cocktails delish and valets super helpful in a somewhat hectic parking lot. Can’t wait to come back.

Always LOVE our stays at Trailborn surf and sound in Wrightsville Beach. Until next time!

The hotel was lovely. Unfortunately, there room had a strong odor. The hotel had maintenance spray a “deodorizer”, but it just added a strong floral smell into the mix. The hotel was at full capacity so we had to ask for a refund and move to another hotel.

The facility was clean & well kept. The staff was amazing. A special shout out to front desk employees Reece & Robert, bartenders Savannah & Wyatt, and lead building engineer Matt. You all made our visit extra special!

Everything was wonderful. I really thought it was nice that they don’t charge for chairs, umbrellas, and even boogie boards for the kids down at the beach. We had a great stay.

It was our second time staying here. While the majority of the room was clean, behind the bed there was hair and some debris. It took over 2 hours for us to check in. Rooms were not ready and it was well past check in time. Great location and good restaurant.

Customer service is awful. The pool was dirty and pool bar was an hour late opening up. They don’t sell water in their lobby. Also, we made a reservation while we were there to come another time and they messed it up three times. They were also using my email address for other clients and they aren’t sure how it happened. I was getting notifications for different clients all under my email. They still can’t explain how it happened.

The resort was good, not great. The bathrooms were very small. The resort seemed short staffed. Daily room cleaning and new towel service was not provided, we had to go get new towels every day ourselves. Even when we requested it, we were told they would see what they could do. Beach was good, and beach personnel were good. Enjoyed the area restaurants. Enjoyed the Sunset boat cruise associated with the resort.

From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel welcomed. The check in was quick and easy. Our room was also very clean and well maintained. We really enjoyed our stay and can’t wait to come back to Trailborn Surf & Sound!

Family gathering returning to Wrightsville beach. We stayed at Blockade Runner a few years ago. We heard through friends that it had been renovated. We had enjoyed the outdoor area and tee beach previously but the inside was old. Nicely refurbished hotel. They need to publish how they take payment. ( upfront everything, partial payment for rooms or at desk on arrival but not soculent one thing and do another)

Loved the new updates. Had a cool 60s meets modern Acapulco. Staff was absolutely outstanding. Everyone was working hard to make sure everyone was taken care of. Great location of this historic place and just a great time. Might need to expand/enhance parking a bit but that's a good problem to have.

Overall a well

The bed was terrible, the air conditioner was TERRIBLE, we waited since 3:55 pm until 4:35 pm when we arrived Really I don’t recommend

Amazing location and beautiful property!

Awesome resort feel !

Very nice hotel and location, personal was very friendly, only I was disappointed is the bathrooms in the pool area they need a good renovation.

Rooms have been redone and are very nice. Beds comfy and bathrooms much improved. Had to wait at check in for room to be cleaned …..45 min wait

The only good thing about this property is the proximity to the beach. The hotel has been sold and changed from Blockade Runner. The bathrooms are INCREDIBLY tiny. I’m 5’0 and my arm span covers the entire width of the bathroom. There are NO hooks except 2 tiny cork hooks to hang wet bathing suits and towels. We are a family of 3. And they want you to reuse your towels… HOW?! There’s no where to hang them to dry. There is absolutely NO parking. And when you can actually find a space… it’s so tight you can’t get out of your car. And I now have a ding on my door panel of my car from someone probably trying to get out of theirs. We had lunch by the pool one day and wasn’t given cutlery despite asking twice. Also, the almost $40 resort fee per day only gets you towels and ONE. Just ONE rinse station. So be prepared to wait when you come off of the beach for a long time. Also, the bathrooms at the pools were closed all week for repairs. So no bathrooms unless you want to walk wet through the hotel lobby. Oh and room service skipped our room. So we were out of soap and towels and had to call down for both. For what we paid, we were hugely disappointed.

We have been coming to Wrightsville for generations in my family dating back 80 years. Blockade runner was our home away from home. The new hotel Trailborn, is nice but much more expensive for not much more. The AC hardly worked in our room and we heard didn’t work at all on the 6th floor. Everytime it rained the vent in the ceiling would leak buckets of water. The mattress was so soft it felt like we were on a V shaped bed. We will come back because this is the only place we have ever vacationed but for the price increase I definitely don’t think we got our moneys worth.

Beautiful property! All the staff were very friendly and welcoming each time I interacted with them!

I like the new bar area, both outside by the pool and inside near the restaurant. The pool was not as clean as i would prefer, and there was a toddler in the pool with only a diaper. Most facilities require rubber pants on little people so there are no accidents. I saw no one monitoring the pool for things like that. There was no iced tea made the 2 days we asked for it, although it was so hot outside. No chips and salsa after having waited fot them for a long time. I was not a fan of the instant coffee in the room. Packaging was difficult to open, and I've just had better coffee. There were certainly no where near enough chairs and umbrellas on the beach...disappointing. Overall, a good stay, our second to this place. I will come back in hopes they continue to grow. The staff is wonderful!

The food was not good. Grilled cheese was premade that morning. Room service breakfast arrived cold. Everything else about the property was on point.

We really enjoyed the resort feel of this property and the amenities included!

It was a really nice place and an enjoyabke place to stay. Just two comments: the AC doesnt go below 70° so in the heat of summer its a little warm and no real fridge. But otherwise it was very enjoyable.

Our bathroom sink was clogged and the food at room service was awful! Our breakfast room service was cold, no butter no syrup, no plates, the coffee was awful.

Great experience. Staff was constantly over and above.

Wish we could have stayed longer! Such a beautiful property. Highly recommend getting a balcony. You can’t beat the view. We watched the sunrise every morning from there and hung out there before we went to bed at night.

Excellent renovation, grounds, beach amenities and pool bar food, drinks and service. An onsite spa would make it much more enjoyable. Security can be improved as the property is open to outside guests, add security access via card readers in elevators and allow access to locals via a charge for a daily pass to use amenities. While the town is relatively safe, there’s opportunity for increased vigilance and improved guest experience from that perspective.

The staff are exceptional. Ella, small Ella and Skyler were courteous, professional and very helpful. Room needs work: a real minifrig. as stated on website; destination fee absurd; impossible to use $25 credit when attending conference; no parking spots; crazy parking lot design; need healthy snacks; 2nd mini-fridge never delivered although promised. Table light not working; emptg soap container. Never again!

What a HUGE disappointment on the new owners. Being a seasonal regular at Blockade Runner, which was our favorite, this place has now gone down hill. The new decor is depressing and makes no sense. Too many young adults working. We had a hard time getting any help on pool area clean up. They needed someone to maintain guest clean up around the pool. The waiters only cared about making times and hanging with other staff members ignoring guests. One pool bathroom worked, and had sewage coming from the drain and was beyond usable and had clearly not been serviced at all that day. No ice. Had to get it sent to your room or wait at front desk for it. Huge inconvenience. Sleeping. There was none. AC was loud when running and then with shut down with a huge clanking nose that would go off by the hour. No sleep for any of us not to mention the pillows were so fluffy, it was impossible to get comfortable. Not sleeping pillows. Told a gentleman at the front desk in the am, and seem to know exactly what I was talking about but also seemed to not care or offer us a compensation for our $500 a night room except an extra hour in our room at “no charge”. I wish I could travel back in time and stay at Blockade for one more night and create our last memories with our family.

I left this trip disappointed, much to my heartbreak. My room’s AC unit made a loud noise whenever it turned on, like something was loose inside it. It caused my partner and I to wake up multiple times a night. On top of that, the AC itself was just incredibly loud whenever it was on. The hot tub was absolutely filthy! I was shocked, considering the price to stay here. Full of sand, long hairs, and unidentified slimy substances. I was heartbroken, as I love a hot tub at night. The pool was also dirty. The men and women down at the beach were often immersed in their phones, not noticing when people needed help with fallen umbrellas. Also, there was not enough parking for all the patrons. The room itself was nice, and the grounds were beautiful. I’m so sad to be leaving this review, but I was disappointed.

Frozen drinks were good. Margaritas were not.

Loved the fun small town vibe, everyone is friendly from guests to employees. Definitely coming back...

It feels as though this property is under staffed resulting in a pool that feels dirty, areas that are not cleaned

AMAZING!!! 10/10 recommend! Very clean and beautifully updated. Staff was excellent and location can’t be beat!! We will definitely be back!

Hotel cleanliness room floor by room floor is necessary. Expand on breakfast and make it brunch on Sundays.

Room was ocean front but our view was mostly the back of another building

The property has nice decor, in both the rooms and the common spaces. The pool and grounds are attractive and well-maintained. However, we stayed for 3 nights, and maid service never came to our room even though we were out most of the day. We did not call management the first day and didn't bother after day 2 since we were leaving the following morning. Also, there was no microwave in the hotel room, which made it less appealing since we were traveling with children. There was a small fridge, but mostly it was for "mini-bar" items, so not useful for keeping bottled water or juice, etc., on hand. We ate one meal at the hotel, which was breakfast, and it was very nicely presented with a "gourmet" flair. Parking consisted of either one small self-park lot, uncovered, or valet parking. We were forced to valet park 2 of the 3 nights we stayed, and all the visible valet spots were full, so my vehicle was around the corner somewhere out of sight. It's a safe area, but I'd rather know where my vehicle is at all times. The 4 stars is due to it being an attractive property, but more suitable for business or conference attendees versus families.

Lovely facility but blown away by the staff interactions- friendly reliable attentive - not what I usually expect from young people these days - excellent service and nice renovations- loved gearing grateful dead on the sound system...

The property was extremely well maintained, we truly enjoyed the well kept grounds between the building and the beach. The landscaping contained a wonderful variety and was in full color gorgeous. All the staff was extremely courteous and friendly. It was unfortunate that the pool was closed due to "mechanical issues." We would stay again.

Parking lot can be difficult to navigate with full size SUV or truck.

Many changes to the facility and service have been made including the entrance, much more accomodating, the pool area access, now from the main lobby, and a new bar off the main lobby. A room snack and drink allowance and gratis beach chairs and umbrellas are a great change. We also enjoyed the Fellow hot water makers and Huck coffee in the rooms! Great idea.

Property was well kept. The only complaint I have was the pool was kind of cloudy but by the day we were leaving it had cleared considerably. Everything else outweighed the cloudiness of the pool. Will definitely stay again.

The property is ok. We were expecting them to do more after acquiring the Blockade Runner. The pool looked awful our three days there. The water was murky. We wouldn’t even go in it. Pool space is also hard to find. I am not a fan of hotels that charge a daily activity fee. I’d prefer you just charge for parking. Wine at the bar was very overpriced, $16 for a below average small glass of Pinot Noir. Additionally, I was taking the glass to the room and the bartender asked if plastic was ok and made it seem like they were afraid we would steal the glass. I’ve never had a hotel bar question taking a glass to the room. She did allow me to take it in a glass in the end. The mixed drinks were more reasonable. Any time you want ice you have to ask the front desk. I waited 15 minutes on one occasion for someone to bring a bag. The view over the sound from our room was very nice, especially during sunsets. The staff working to put out beach chairs and umbrellas were great. Overall for the price we would not stay here again. We enjoyed our stay at the Lumina Holiday Inn much more.

Had a wonderful time. All of the staff was absolutely great! We are already planning to return next year.

Great stay, rooms were clean and had a great view!

We understand the hotel is being renovated but the doors to the hallway stairs need regular washing and/or paint. The amount of fingerprints on those doors and with one elevator being broken down it caused us to use the stairs which offset many of the improvements you have done with the hotel. Also our room, 221 did not have the view that was portrayed when we booked our room and it was a bit false advertising. Also the rabbits on the grounds are cute but i would certainly not walk barefoot or use the grassy areas due the rabbit poop.

Great hotel, very relaxing atmosphere.

Love it

Love the remodel, great place to stay

The renovation was really nice. The hotel is beautiful. The grounds were gorgeous very pleased with my stay. I would go back there. They now have a restaurant. Food was good.

Amazing