Wingate by Windham: A Wilmington, NC Perfect Location

Wilmington, North Carolina is a splendid mix of low-key beaches and a walkable downtown steeped in history and charm. Wingate by Windham is a perfect location to explore it all. 

When looking for a beach vacation in North Carolina, Wilmington captured my interest. Our family trip including a 4-year-old, a 19-year-old, and three adults needed a variety of affordable outing options and family-friendly lodging. I zeroed in on Wingate by Windham. Its promise of cleanliness, comfort, complimentary hot breakfast and affordability checked the boxes.  Plus, the hotel is situated equally between Wilmington’s historic district and Wrightsville Beach. We were interested in both. Friends of ours headed to Wilmington last Friday and over this week are discovering its allure.

Our two double beds room adjoined with our daughter’s king room made visiting easy. This was particularly helpful after the 4 year-old’s bedtime.  Each room also had plenty of moving around space. The beds on one side of the room and an arm chair, desk on the other is a thoughtfully designed configuration.  

The granite vanity counter of the bathroom sink, high quality toiletries and a framed photograph of beach shells in the bathroom are nice touches. Room amenities that added to our stay included a coffee maker, microwave, refrigerator and hair dryer.  The large 40-inch flat screen TV made a night of staying in for my husband and daughter restful after our day of driving and time at the beach. My teen son and I headed to the historic downtown area to wander a bit.  

For those who like a bit of hotel R&R, the Windham is a good find. After breakfast hours, the grab-and-go kiosk with snacks, non-alcoholic beverages and microwavable food is a hunger satisfier. For other dining options, though, do head out. You won’t need to go far. The Wingate is close to several restaurants that range from fast food chains to local fare. Market Street is a main Wilmington artery where you’ll find several shopping and dining establishments for miles. For dinner, we went to the close by Carolina Fish Fry for a family crowd pleaser seafood feast. 

The next day, we asked for a later check out so we weren’t in a hurry for our brunch at Rooster & the Crow, a very cool eatery in Chandler’s Wharf, a mix of shops and dining in the historic district. The Wilmington NC Historic District is the third largest historic district in the United States and well worth a visit. Edged by the Cape Fear River, this is a place to head for the River Walk and fun shops like The Black Cat Shoppe. This is a novelty/toy store combination that has items you won’t find elsewhere. 

We were too not able to do a ghost walking tour due to tickets being sold out and we did not have time to go Carolina Beach, also near Wilmington. Carolina Beach is a popular beach spot with a boardwalk.

Also important to note. The parking lot has room for RVs and there are several accessible features to this hotel for guests with physical challenges.

Room rates at the Wingate by Wyndham range from $149 to $159 for a King Suite. You can book from the hotel’s website. We booked our rooms through Hotels.com.

Post and photos by Jamie Rhein. (except the Carolina Beach photo is by another Jamie)