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Welcome to Life of Riley on BHI!

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December 2024
January 2025

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Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
TV
Interior
Exterior
4 bedrooms, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Reviews

9.6 out of 10

Exceptional

Entire home

4 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • Washer
    Washer
  • Pet-friendly
    Pet-friendly
  • Kitchen
    Kitchen
  • Air conditioning
    Air conditioning
  • Dryer
    Dryer
  • Free WiFi
    Free WiFi

Explore the area

Map
Bald Head Island, NC
  • Bald Head Island Lighthouse
    20 min walk
  • Bay Beach
    21 min walk
  • Bald Head Island Visitors Center
    27 min walk
  • Wilmington, NC (ILM-Wilmington Intl.)
    48 min drive

Room options

About the area

Bald Head Island

Close to the beach.Within 2 miles (3 km) of this Bald Head Island vacation home, you'll find Bald Head Island Lighthouse and Smith Island Museum of History. Bay Beach and Bald Head Island Visitors Center are also within 2 miles (3 km).
View more Vacation homes in Bald Head IslandOpens in a new window

Getting around

  • Wilmington Intl. Airport (ILM) - 48 min drive

Restaurants

  • Fishy Fishy Cafe
  • Koko Cabana
  • Frying Pan
  • Old Bridge Diner
  • Southport Smoke House

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Welcome to Life of Riley on BHI!

BEST FEATURES!
Lagoon Views!
Screened in porch for wildlife watching
Pet Friendly!
Two golf carts

This newly renovated cottage is centrally located in the forest of Bald Head Island overlooking a lagoon and close to everything. The peaceful screened-in-porch allows you to sip wine and watch the wild life go by. New hardwood flooring and granite counter tops, along with a beachy decor provide a peaceful interior with all the comforts of home after a fun day at the beach.

A private community gazebo, along with its own wildlife overlook, provide a perfect spot for evening grilling. This unit comes with one four seater & one six seater golf carts for travel. boogie boards, skim boards, and beach chairs will complete any stay at the beach. The two upstairs master suites have full private baths, one with a king bed and the other with 2 twin/full bunk beds. The family room and every bedroom has its own TV for your entertainment.

The third downstairs bedroom has an unattached full bath with a queen bed. Kitchen table seats 6, along with seating for 6 around the granite breakfast bar. Queen pullout in family room. The fourth bedroom has two queen beds.

Getting to Bald Head Island is half the fun. A relaxing 20 minute passenger ferry ride transports you from the ferry terminal at Indigo Plantation to the harbour at Bald Head Island. You are greeted by the tram to be escorted to your home at 12 Sabal Palm cottage where two golf carts await for you to go exploring the harbour and 14 miles of West, South and East beaches, along with the beautiful marshlands.

Historic Old Baldy waits for you to climb and explore. Visit the beautiful Chapel. Investigate the great Conservancy programs, including turtle walks on the beaches, Kayak the marshes, crab and fish the creeks and oceans. Dine at the exquisite BHI Club (golf privileges available), watching the sun set as a perfect ending to your day.
**We cannot guarantee ice makers or water dispensers to be operable in the rental
Tram Reservation Address: 12 Sabal Palm Cottage

Turn Date in PEAK SUMMER SEASON: FRIDAY
Club Option for separate purchase: BHI Full Access (GOLF ACCESS AVAILABLE)
**Club memberships are different for every house and depends on dates. For club rates please contact the clubs directly or go on their websites. We do not control club rates or availability
Pets: YES (a non refundable $300 pet fee will apply)
Golf Cart: (1) 4 pass golf cart (1) 6 pass golf cart
Coffee Maker: Regular Coffee Pot & Keurig
Grill Type: Charcoal
Bikes: 4 Adult, 1 Child** We DO NOT guarantee bikes, beach towels, beach umbrellas or beach gear
Crockpot: No
Highchair or Booster and Pack and Play will be provided with this home
Beach Chairs: 4
WIFI: Spectrum highspeed internet (Password information will be located on fridge)

Interested in Rentals?
**Riverside Adventure Company provides bikes, beach chairs, kayaks, & beach umbrellas for rentals (910.457.4944) http://www.riversideadventure.com
**Coastal Urge provides bikes, SUP paddle boards, Skateboards, body boards, and surf boards rentals (1800.383.4443) https://coastalurge.com
**Cary Cart Company provides golf cart rentals (910.457.7333) https://www.carycartco.com/bald-head-island-rentals/

**Linens and bath towels are included in rental

**Please see club membership notes:
It is expected that the club memberships will sell out for summer dates and holidays, so we do encourage you to make arrangements with the clubs as soon as you book your rental. All club memberships must be purchased directly with the club. Bald Head Island Services is not able to answer club related questions or coordinate your club memberships for you. Links and how to sign up with both clubs will be sent upon booking your rental.

Property manager

Bald Head Island Services

Languages

English

Property amenities

Beach

  • Near the beach

Internet

  • Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Onsite parking options include a garage

Kitchen

  • Refrigerator
  • Stovetop
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Dishwasher
  • Spices
  • Cookware/dishes/utensils
  • Toaster
  • Coffee/tea maker

Bedrooms

  • 4 bedrooms
  • Bed sheets provided

Bathrooms

  • 3 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Towels provided
  • Hair dryer

Living spaces

  • Living room
  • Dining room

Entertainment

  • TV

Laundry

  • Washing machine and dryer

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly

Suitability/Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Cobblestone flooring in public areas
  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • In a village

Things to do

  • Golf privileges
  • Cycling nearby
  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Sailing nearby
  • Marina nearby
  • Wildlife and game walks nearby
  • Snorkeling nearby
  • Ecotours nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Power boating nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • Fire extinguisher

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

  • Pets are welcome
  • Service animals are exempt from fees

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited. For guests' safety, the property includes a fire extinguisher in each accommodation.

Property is also known as

Wonderful Cottage Lagoon 2 Carts Bikes Beach Gear Wifi Much More
Welcome Life Riley Bald Head Island House
Welcome Life Riley Bald Head Island
Welcome to Life of Riley on Bald Head Island! Bald Head Island
Welcome to Life of Riley on Bald Head Island! Bald Head Island
Welcome Life Riley House
Welcome Life Riley
379307
Welcome Life Riley Bald Head

Welcome to Life of Riley on BHI! Reviews

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 47 out of 60 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 11 out of 60 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 60 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 60 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 60 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

debbie m.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great place to stay!
Home was clean and included everything we needed. Will stay here again!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024

6/10 Okay

Rudy T.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Life of Riley
Generally, the home was suitable for our needs but I don’t know if I would rent it again. There were a few things that were inconveniences such as the dishwasher was significantly molded inside and we had to purchase products and clean before use. Also, the dishwasher door falls open if not held until completely open. The most frustrating was the dryer which did not dry well and took over 2 hours to dry four beach towels. The kitchen was not well apportioned with cookware. While the sofa was great for our family of 6, it was stained and felt dirty. The carpet on the steps was stained and dirty too. Finally, a toilet seat was broken in the downstairs bathroom. However, the general layout of the house and location on the island was great. It must be hard to keep the houses and furniture clean but this one needs some TLC. This would be a fantastic rental if some of the maintenance and cleanliness items were addressed.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tabatha W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beautiful Stay on Bald Head Island
The house was exactly as described! We found it very clean and check-in was a breeze. The kitchen was well equipped and we appreciated having a Keurig. The house is showing some signs of wear and is a little dated but everything was so clean you barely noticed those things. If you are a picky pillow person you may want to bring your own. The pillows were all very flat. We loved our time here and can’t wait until our next trip to lovely BHI.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Nick T.

Liked: Cleanliness
New Family Tradition
This cottage is absolutely perfect. The rooms were great and bigger than expected. Perfect location, just a few minutes on one of the golf karts through the awesome landscape and you’re on what feels like your own private strip of beach. Overall the best experience I’ve ever had renting a property. New Family Tradition at this place.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

rebecca t.

Liked: Cleanliness
This is a great house!
Our family had never been to BHI, but we were excited to spend Spring Break there. Life of Riley was clean, nicely decorated, had a great location and appeared to have been freshly painted inside and out. Communication with the owner and rental company was seamless from reservation through check in, questions were answered in a timely manner, and house instructions along with important phone numbers were clearly displayed in the home. The house had nice linens, beach towels, new dishes in ample quantities, and thoughtful touches like handmade full-size soaps in yummy scents for the bathrooms. There were very comfortable beach chairs, beach toys and beach bikes that were all put to good use. This house is in a very convenient spot on the island, nicely shaded in the trees near the golf course, not too far from the beach- pretty much in the middle of the island so sunrises at East Beach are easy to access and sunsets on South and West Beach are close as well. Close to restaurants and shops as well. The only suggestion I have for the homeowners would be the possibly installing an outdoor shower, just because their house is so beautiful- we really didn’t want to track in sand, but the hose set-up made it a bit difficult to rinse off after the beach. We managed, but an outdoor shower really would make that easier. Overall, this is a beautiful, clean, comfortable house that we would definitely rent again, and would recommend to friends. Bald Head Island was just an amazing place for a vacation, and this house was a great place to stay.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

James W.

Liked: Cleanliness
My stay at Life of Riley
Five stars all around for this neat place on Bald Head Island! My friend and I stayed here while on the island for the Badwater Cape Fear 51.4 mile foot race. Check in was a breeze. The place was clean. And we found everything as advertised. BHI Services was a pleasure to deal with, giving us timely notifications about all info we needed. I would definitely book with them again and stay at Life of Riley again.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

Nina M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Birthday Weekend
Took my daughter and three friends to the island to celebrate her 13th birthday. Renting the property was seamless and easy and communication was excellent. Property manager was extremely responsive and came over immediately to help me put the rain curtains on the golf cart as I was alone and needed assistance. House is super cute but starting to show signs of wear and tear. Carpets and couch were stained and furniture was missing pieces etc. The kitchen was well stocked but all of the pots and pans are warped and need replaced. House is completely stocked with board games, video games, beach toys, bikes and all you could possibly need for a wonderful vacation. The grill was a little puny and that could definitely be upgraded! Had a moment of severe panic because the listing said it had a Keurig coffee maker and so I brought my pods in anticipation of having a cup first thing in the morning and woke up to find that it was a drip coffee maker and I had zero coffee. Had to run to the market in my pajamas so that I could get some brewing! Overall an adorable house that just needs some refreshing to be a perfect getaway for a family or a group of friends.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

jenn n.

Liked: Cleanliness
Location Location Location
We were in town for a wedding weekend and had never visited BHI before. Life of Riley far exceeded any expectations that we had. The spaciousness and living room/ dining area setup were perfect for 3 couples and we had plenty of entertaining space indoor and outdoor to have our friends over that were also in town. The 2 golf carts, bikes, beach chairs, etc. were just the icing on the cake. This location was ideal, as we had wedding events on both sides of the island. We were just minutes from the market, the chapel, the ferry boats, and restaurants. We look forward to booking another trip soon!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Drew J.

Liked: Cleanliness
Outstanding Time at BHI
Totally agree with some of the other review - the house is actually better than advertised in the pictures. Got a call from property management when we checked in - which was great. We had 2 families and the room for the kids was great. Zero complaints - plenty of space, updated features, comfortable beds, close location to everything, etc - will definitely be back!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021

8/10 Good

Henrik and Jackie V.

Liked: Cleanliness
Three couples on a trip to BHI
This was our second trip to BHI and our second time renting in the Sable Palms Cottages location. It’s a quite location on a dead end street, so It does not get any through traffic on it. We personally feel that it is centrally located. It has 2 golf carts (one is good and the other is older and needs a brake job). The master bedroom is on the 2nd floor with a king bed (very comfortable) and is a comfortable bedroom. The kids room is updated with 2 bunk beds that are new. The couple that stayed in it were happy. The last bedroom is on the main floor and has double/queen that we think should have a king bed. This is the opinion of the couple that stayed in it. The house was clean and has the basics in the kitchen. We would stay here again.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Holly C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Perfect family trip
The online pictures of the house do not do it justice! The house is adorable and very spacious with comfortable beds! The property manager was very prompt to respond to any question or need we had. Kitchen was well stocked! Having two golf carts was very nice! Location was great as we were close to the market and the marina. This was our first time on the island and it definitely won’t be our last!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Hawley H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Perfect getaway!
My husband and I needed a short getaway and Bald Head was the perfect option because it’s close, but so quiet! The house was perfect, and we hope to return with our kids because there’s more than enough room. All amenities we needed were in the house, and it was so close to everything we wanted to do.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Paula B.

Liked: Cleanliness
This is a good one!
Lovely home. Easy location. Great weekend
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Maggie F.

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely time!
We loved our too short stay at this property! It was even lovelier than the photos showed it to be! The only issues that arose were with transportation and eating on the island, which we haven’t experienced in any prior trips to Bald Head... like a 3 hour wait to get in the ferry, hours for restaurants being different than advertised, and then being stuck without dinner since the grocery store closes early! I’d advise everyone to plan ahead and get extra groceries in case of this!
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2021

8/10 Good

meghan c.

Liked: Cleanliness
Nice stay
We had a great stay at this home. It was super clean and ready earlier than we expected so we were able to drop our bags and start exploring right away. We only used one of the golf carts because it has sides we could lower since weather was cool when we were there, the cart was VERY slow so we got passed a lot but no huge issue.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2021

10/10 Excellent

Emily D.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great Thanksgiving
We had a lovely time at Life of Riley for Thanksgiving. The house was as advertised, but with updated TVs. There were multiple game systems, and a game closet filled with board games. There was only 1 bicycle that had 2 functional tires, but that is to be expected after an entire summer of guests. We only used one of the golf carts, and it was nice. Would definitely stay here again. It’s a very central location on BHI.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2020

10/10 Excellent

Erik M.

Liked: Cleanliness
life of riltey
good stay
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2020

10/10 Excellent

David C.

Liked: Cleanliness
great escape
The house was nice and just as we expected. The AC issue we experienced was addressed promptly by the management and the service technicians were more than pleasant. We'll definitely stay here again. Thanks for a great escape!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2020

10/10 Excellent

Laura M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great time at Life of Riley
Beautiful home with great location.and well stocked kitchen.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2020

6/10 Okay

Stephen P.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Always enjoy our beach trips.....but
We like the Sabal Palms village but after 2 years staying here we will look at other areas on BHI. Cleanliness both years has been an issue. Both interior and exterior. Kitchen pans etc were dirty and the bathrooms were not clean (toilets and tubs). That was disappointing.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2020

10/10 Excellent

Sara S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beautiful view
We loved this place with its lagoon view!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

Linda F.

Liked: Cleanliness
Fall Break
We had a great stay at Sabal Palm Cottages. Loved the screened in porch. Comfortable furniture in the living room. Golf carts and bikes were nice too!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Perri M., mooresville, nc

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely stay
Lovely home, loved seeing alligators just outside in lagoon!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2019

8/10 Good

K K.

Great house, just needs some TLC
Location and set up of house were terrific. It’s an easy walk or cart ride to the restaurants and club. We had a couple issues during our stay that were quickly resolved by the property management company. The advertising of two golf carts is a little misleading. One of the carts is old and rusty, doesn’t hold a charge well, and the back seat pad isn’t attached anymore (so not safe for kids to ride on the back). We also felt like for a beginning of season rental, the house didn’t look like it had any spring cleaning and needs basic maintenance (painting, carpets cleaned, furniture cleaned, decks cleaned, garage organized etc.). We also found a big box of matches in a dresser drawer in the kids’ bunk room, which also seemed to indicate there had not been a through cleaning. House needs TLC but was still a fun place to spend the week.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

Ashley J.

Great place!
Very nice and convenient place in Bald Head Island. We really enjoyed our stay!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019