Happy Honu | Dog-Friendly Beach Retreat + Screened Porch + Walk to Beach
If you’re looking for a laid-back beach house where everyone (including your dog) can actually relax, this is it.
Happy Honu is designed for easy, comfortable coastal living — with a fenced yard, screened porch, bikes, and everything you need for stress-free beach days.
This is the kind of place families come back to year after year.
⭐ Why Guests Love Happy Honu - Fully fenced backyard — perfect for dogs + kids - Screened-in porch + shaded deck (favorite hangout spot) - Beach bikes + wagon + gear included - 4BR / 3BA layout — sleeps up to 10 - Open-concept living for group time - Outdoor shower for easy beach cleanup - Short walk to beach, pier & restaurants - Built for Real Beach Living
⭐ Open living area with plenty of seating - Space for games, movies, and downtime - Easy flow between kitchen, dining, and living
⭐ Kitchen & Dining - Fully stocked kitchen (actually usable, not just basic) - Granite countertops + upgraded finishes - Island seating + dining table
⭐ Sleeping Setup - Primary Bedroom: King bed - Second Bedroom: Queen Bed - Third Bedroom: Queen Bed - Fourth Bedroom (downstairs) 2 bunk beds
⭐ Outdoor Living - Screened-in porch for morning coffee + evening drinks - Shaded deck built into a live oak tree (super unique vibe) - Fenced backyard = zero stress for dogs - Outdoor shower
⭐ Beach Access & Location - Easy walk to the beach (no hassle parking) - Close to Kure Beach Pier - Near restaurants + local spots - Quiet street with minimal traffic
⭐ Important Info - Sleeps 10 - Dog-friendly ($225 fee) - Parking for 4 vehicles - Linens included - Must be 25+ to book
Note: The Town of Kure Beach only allows leashed dogs on the beach from October 1 - March 31. Dogs are NOT allowed on the beach from 9AM to 5PM from April 1 - September 30.
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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
On-site 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 indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
About the area
Kure Beach
Kure Beach is home to this holiday home. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Kure Beach and Carolina Beach, while North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher and Carolina Beach Boardwalk are popular area attractions. Carolina Beach Arcade and Odysea Surf and Kiteboard School are also worth visiting.
Wilmington, NC (ILM-Wilmington Intl.) - 37 min drive
Restaurants
McDonald's - 6 min drive
Crush & Grind - 6 min drive
Island Burgers And Bites - 6 min drive
El Cazador Carolina Beach - 6 min drive
Kate's Pancake House - 6 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Happy Honu | Dog-Friendly Beach Retreat + Screened Porch + Walk to Beach pet-friendly?
Yes, pets are allowed at this property.
How much does it cost to stay at Happy Honu | Dog-Friendly Beach Retreat + Screened Porch + Walk to Beach?
As of 9 May 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Happy Honu | Dog-Friendly Beach Retreat + Screened Porch + Walk to Beach on 8 August 2026 start from NZ$716, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at Happy Honu | Dog-Friendly Beach Retreat + Screened Porch + Walk to Beach?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Happy Honu | Dog-Friendly Beach Retreat + Screened Porch + Walk to Beach?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Happy Honu | Dog-Friendly Beach Retreat + Screened Porch + Walk to Beach?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Happy Honu | Dog-Friendly Beach Retreat + Screened Porch + Walk to Beach located?
Situated in Kure Beach, this holiday home is within a 5-minute walk of Joe Eakes Park and Kure Beach. Ocean Front Park and Gurney Hood Barking Lot are also within 10 minutes.
Reviews
9.6
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Rating Details:
The property manager was very helpful.
The vacation rental was spotless.
I was very happy with the location.
I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.
Reviewer Comments:
The house is spacious, had all of the amenities we would ever need, and very comfortable.
We love staying at this property. It is in the perfect location for everything we do, it has the perfect amount of space and is just overall the best. We have turned this into a yearly trip and this is the only place we like to stay.
We couldn't have asked for a better experience at Happy Honu! It was clean, beautiful, well-stocked, comfortable, spacious, and convenient. We will definitely look to stay here again in the future!
We really enjoyed this place! Cute house, not far from the beach. Had everything we needed for a great getaway
matt t.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2024
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
Linsey F.
6 July 2025
Great House
Rating Details:
The property manager was very helpful.
The vacation rental was spotless.
I was very happy with the location.
I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.
Reviewer Comments:
The beach house was great, very close to the beach and very comfortable. We all enjoyed our time.
We loved our stay at this cute little house. Short walk to beach, boardwalk and restaurants. Very clean and plenty of room for our family of 6. Pet friendly and even has a fenced in yard out back. Will definitely stay there again!
We had a wonderful stay at Happy Honu.. the house was clean and the location was close to everything, could walk to seafood restaurant and pier if you wanted to.. also close to a park for kiddos.. would definitely recommend this home away from home!
What a perfect house for a beach vacation with your family.
The balcony had a gate above the stairs making it perfect to keep the kids up while you lounged out in the sun.
Everything you could want to do was easily walkable.
My family had an amazing time staying here!
Our group of 9 had a great time at the Happy Honu! This house was perfect for our 2 families. The location was fantastic, just a quick walk to the beach. The bikes and beach wagon were a great touch. The house was one of the cleanest we’ve stayed in in 10 years of coming to the beach.
christina c.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
Donna Helms
30 June 2025
Happy Hanu Rental
Rating Details:
The property manager was very helpful.
The vacation rental was spotless.
I was very happy with the location.
I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.
Reviewer Comments:
The rental process was smooth and hassle free. House was ready at 4:00 and clean and well stocked. Recommendations for things to do at Kure Beach were appreciated and spot-on!!
The description on the ad does not do this place justice. It was in a great location, lots of room and really made out vacation comfortable. Really enjoyed the area below the main deck for that extra relax time. Also met a few of the neighbors and all were friendly.
Well appointed kitchen with everything you need- high quality. Nicely decorated; nice mattresses and decent linens. Ages are great; plenty of outdoor seating areas. It could use an outdoor table on upper deck; and outside cushions need cleaning. All else was great and we will be back!
Property was beautiful lots of room for everyone!! We especially liked the outdoor area with the picnic table. We rode the bikes and I realized the saying like riding a bicycle doesn’t apply to me!!!! Would definitely book again.
My husband and I celebrated our anniversary here with children/grandchildren and had a fantastic time! The house was spotless which is so nice to find upon arrival! We loved that the home was within walking distance to a dog park and the beach! Kure is a little quieter than Carolina which is just what we were looking for. Will definitely stay here again....it was wonderful!!!
We had an absolutely amazing time during our stay at Happy Honu. The house was exactly as listed if not better. It was clean, spacious and only a 5 minute walk to the beach & Kure Pier. The beach chairs/toys were an added bonus. We’d definitely stay again!! I would give it 6 stars if I could. The only item on our wishlist would be an air fryer.
Wonderful place to escape w family. It’s clean and well appointed. Just note there are ALOT OF STEPS. My dad has Parkinson’s and it was tough going up and down the steps to the 1st level floor and to go outside from the deck. Other than that the Happy Honu was wonderful.
Kathryn G.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
Verified
6/10 Okay
Harpreet K.
1 July 2024
Liked: Communication
Disliked: Cleanliness, listing accuracy
Hary
House needs a deep cleaning, it’s a pet friendly house but not cleaned at all, lots of dogs hair everywhere, house was full of mosquitoes and definitely had bed bugs. It’s a beautiful house with perfect floor plan and beautiful kitchen but needed a good deep cleaning
Harpreet K.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024
Verified
6/10 Okay
Samuel A.
9 July 2025
Liked: Location
Disliked: Cleanliness, listing accuracy
Birthday summer celebration
First impression was ok but the lack of cleaning was evident as we settled in. We really loved the location, outside shower and bikes. The house is very spacious and great for entertaining. The kitchen had everything needed for cooking. There was garbage left out on ground near cans and the yard needed mowing. The decks, outside tables and seating needed to be blown off. All of the blinds inside and out were very dirty, I had to check all windows as the ones in basement were unlocked. The laundry room drain needs to be cleaned because of the smell that was noticeable. The hammock needs to be move to another location. Overall it was enjoyable except for check in and check out times, not convenient.
Samuel A.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 2 September 2025
We apologize and will certanly speak with our cleaners, they normally do a great job. If you choose to stay with us again we will give you a discount off the rente for sure. Just remind us of this experience.
The house was lovely and accommodated our two families well with the number of rooms and bathrooms for a two week stay. The kitchen was amazing and they provided some wonderful kitchen utensils and glassware which were perfect. On checking in, we did have a major problem with ants in the cabinets but luckily there were bait traps under the sink which took care of that problem. We then encountered a wasp nest just outside of the front door, but the property manager brought over some Raid. The house was not very clean when we arrived with dog kibble scattered throughout the house. One of the mattresses was completely shot so we weren't able to use one of the bedrooms. But the sofas were wonderful and the tvs provided were easily hooked up to our accounts. The biggest issue we had was that the front door lock stopped working after our first week and when we reached out to the property manager, they weren't able to fix it so we didn't have access to the main point of entry for the entire second week of our stay. This was super inconvenient and really made it cumbersome to get in and out of the house with three kids and three adults which is why I gave this stay only three stars.
Catherine A.
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 2 September 2025
We apologize for not meeting your expectations and will try harder. Which bed had a bad mattress please? You never mentioned that and we haven't heard that before. The door lock was affected by the constant rain and resulting high humidity that got into the lock. When asked, you told me that you were fine using the downstair entrance.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
La Toya P.
5 September 2024
Perfect Vacation Home!
Rating Details:
The property manager was very helpful.
The vacation rental was spotless.
I was very happy with the location.
I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.
Reviewer Comments:
It has all the amenities you need for a large family with dogs. It is close enough to the beach to walk, and far enough away to avoid the busy traffic. Perfectly situated within a few blocks to a nice park and disc golf area. Very quiet neighborhood!! Would stay again and again.
La Toya P.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
Penny H.
23 June 2024
Hidden Gem!
Rating Details:
The property manager was very helpful.
The vacation rental was spotless.
I was happy with the location.
I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.
Reviewer Comments:
Happy Honu was the perfect house for our family vacation! Plenty of room for three couples, two boys, and one baby. The house was well-stocked - not only the kitchen but games, puzzles, books, bicycles, and beach toys! The property manager was very responsive to needs. The only thing this house needs is access to the fenced-in backyard and a beach view...
Penny H.
About the host
Hosted by A1 Property Management Inc.
Languages:
English
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests