About Our Manteo, NC Inn

Experience Gracious Hospitality & Small-Town Charm

Most guests come to Manteo for the Outer Banks. They leave talking about the Inn. White Doe Inn is Manteo’s hotel alternative — a nine-room bed and breakfast occupying one of the largest and oldest houses on Roanoke Island, a Queen Anne Victorian built in 1910 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s one block from the waterfront, walking distance to restaurants and shops, and a short drive to every beach on the Outer Banks.

But what guests remember isn’t the building. It’s Tonia’s multi-course breakfast made from scratch each morning. The hors d’oeuvres and wine waiting when you come back from the beach. The innkeeper who remembers what you mentioned loving yesterday and quietly makes sure it’s there again today. A room with a fireplace, a clawfoot tub, and no reason to rush.

Every room is thoughtfully curated. Every breakfast is made with intention. Every detail is there before you notice it’s missing. We hold that line so that something rarer has room to breathe — guests stop performing “vacation” and start actually being present. Conversation flows. Strangers become friends. And somewhere between the second cup of coffee and the last glass of wine, four people who met yesterday are planning to come back together in October.

Multi-course breakfast served on the veranda at White Doe Inn in Manteo, NC

A Stay That Stays With You

Your morning starts with the smell of something baking. Tonia is in the kitchen — she’s been there since before dawn — and today it might be lemon ricotta pancakes, a savory frittata, or her brown butter banana bread that guests ask about for months afterward. Breakfast is multi-course, served on fine china, and there’s no buffet line. You sit down, someone pours your coffee, and the morning unfolds.

Elegant vanity area with round mirror and cozy gas fireplace at the White Doe Inn in Manteo, NC

Your Room at the Inn

Nine rooms, each different. Some have fireplaces. Several have clawfoot tubs. One has a private balcony with a sunset view. The Garden Room has its own entrance and welcomes dogs. Every room has been recently refreshed — new fixtures, updated baths — while keeping the original character of the house. King and queen beds, quality linens, and the kind of quiet that lets you actually sleep. It’s what guests expect from the best places to stay in Manteo.

Browse all rooms →

Parlor and gathering space at White Doe Inn, a historic Manteo hotel alternative

Between the Moments

Afternoon brings hors d’oeuvres and wine on the porch or in the parlor — complimentary, unhurried. The gardens are open any time. There’s a gift shop with curated local goods. But what we hear about most is what happens around the breakfast table and during happy hour: guests who came alone leave with friends. Couples planning parallel Outer Banks trips start coordinating. We’ve had guests book their return stay together before checkout.

Outer Banks beach near Manteo — a short drive from White Doe Inn

More Than a Manteo Hotel

The Inn sits one block from the Manteo waterfront — restaurants, shops, and the boardwalk are a short walk. The Outer Banks beaches are a 15-minute drive. We’ll point you to the right lighthouse, the best kayak launch, the restaurant where you should sit outside. That’s what happens when your innkeepers actually live here — and why guests who came looking for a Manteo hotel end up coming back to the Inn.

Explore the area →

White Doe Inn exterior at night — a historic Manteo hotel on Roanoke Island

A Historic Manteo Inn

White Doe Inn occupies the Meekins House, a Queen Anne Victorian built in 1910 by local craftsmen who also built lighthouse keeper’s quarters and life-saving stations along the Outer Banks. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance, it remains one of the largest houses on Roanoke Island. The house became a bed and breakfast in 1993, and has welcomed guests for over 30 years — the longest-running inn in Manteo.

Tonia and Dave Roberts, innkeepers at White Doe Inn in Manteo, NC

Tonia & Dave

We’re Tonia and Dave Roberts — high school sweethearts from Indiana, parents of three grown kids, and the innkeepers of White Doe Inn since June 2024. We spent a decade in software before deciding we wanted work that meant something different. We searched the country for the right inn and found it in Manteo.

Tonia is the chef. She went to culinary school years ago with exactly this dream in mind. She makes everything from scratch — the breads, the pastries, the multi-course breakfasts, the hors d’oeuvres. When guests write reviews, her food is the thing they mention most.

Dave runs operations and guest experience. He’s a veteran, a technologist, and the person you’ll probably meet first when you walk through the door. He likes to say that the best compliment isn’t a five-star review — it’s when guests rebook before they leave. If you’re weighing hotels in Manteo against something more personal, come meet us.

The Full History

Theodore S. Meekins came from one of the oldest families in the Outer Banks — his ancestors had inhabited the area since before the American Revolution. In 1904, he and his wife Rosa purchased a lot on what is now Sir Walter Raleigh Street. They hired Rosa’s brother-in-law and a local carpenter — men who had built lighthouse keeper’s houses — and constructed the house using a photograph Rosa had found as a model.

Meekins left his mark beyond the house. In 1911, the US Government awarded him the contract to build the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station near Rodanthe, now one of the most famous Coast Guard outposts in American history. He also served in the NC State Legislature.

The house passed through the Meekins family until 1993, when Bebe and Bob Woody purchased it and began a 30-year labor of love — restoring the home while transforming it into a bed and breakfast. Their dedication created the foundation of warmth and care that defines the Inn today.

When the Woodys retired, they didn’t just sell. They searched for innkeepers who shared their values, and found Tonia and Dave Roberts.

Driving Directions

Take I-95 South to I-64 in Richmond. Follow I-64 East to Hampton, VA. Go South on I-664 through the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge Tunnel. Then take I-64 towards Norfolk/Virginia Beach and take the Exit to US-168 Great Bridge, VA (Exit 290-B). Go South on VA-168 to the NC border. Once in North Carolina, US-168 merges into US-158 East. Stay on this road. Follow US-158 East to the Outer Banks. At Mile Post 16, turn West on US-64/264 crossing the George Washington Baum Bridge to Roanoke Island and Manteo.

Once on Roanoke Island, follow signs to the Town of Manteo, Business US 64/264. At the stop light with a Pizza Hut/Ace Hardware/East Carolina Bank and RBC Bank occupying the corners, turn right onto Sir Walter Raleigh Street in the direction of the Manteo Waterfront. One block down is White Doe Inn; turn left on Uppowac Street and park along the curb; off-street parking is also available behind the Inn off Uppowac.

Via I-95 North to US-17, take US-70 to NC-12 and ferry to Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands. From Hatteras, travel North to Nags Head and take US-64/264 West crossing the George Washington Baum Bridge to Roanoke Island and Manteo.*

If you’re coming from South Carolina, take I-95 North to Wilson, NC. Take US 64/264 East through Greenville and Washington, NC. From Washington, take State Route 20 to Plymouth, NC and follow the directions above via US-64 East crossing the George Washington Baum Bridge to Roanoke Island and Manteo.

*This is the more scenic route. You will need to make ferry reservations for the ferry traveling from Cedar Island to Ocracoke Island.

Once on Roanoke Island, follow signs to the Town of Manteo, Business US 64/264. At the stop light with a Pizza Hut/Ace Hardware/East Carolina Bank and RBC Bank occupying the corners, turn right onto Sir Walter Raleigh Street in the direction of the Manteo Waterfront. One block down is White Doe Inn; turn left on Uppowac Street and park along the curb; off-street parking is also available behind the Inn.

From Raleigh, NC, take US 64/264 East. Follow US-64/264 East towards Rocky Mount, NC. Continue on US-64 East through Williamston, Plymouth, and Columbia, NC. In Manns Harbor, NC you may choose to go:

US 64/264 East crossing the Virginia Dare Bridge to Roanoke Island and Manteo. Once on Roanoke Island, follow signs to the Town of Manteo, Business US 64/264. At the stop light with a Pizza Hut/Ace Hardware/East Carolina Bank and RBC Bank occupying the corners, turn right onto Sir Walter Raleigh Street in the direction of the Manteo Waterfront. One block down is White Doe Inn; turn left on Uppowac Street and park along the curb; off-street parking is also available behind the Inn off Uppowac.

Or …

Alternate US 64/264 East crossing the William Umstead Bridge to Roanoke Island and Manteo. Once on Roanoke Island, follow signs to the Town of Manteo, Business US 64/264. At the stop light with a Pizza Hut/Ace Hardware/East Carolina Bank and RBC Bank occupying the corners, turn left onto Sir Walter Raleigh Street in the direction of the Manteo Waterfront. One block down is White Doe Inn; turn left on Uppowac Street and park along the curb; off-street parking is also available behind the Inn off Uppowac.

Mileage Chart

Asheville, NC459
Atlanta, GA615
Baltimore, MD315
Boston, MA720
Charleston, SC450
Cincinnati, OH740
Charlotte, NC365
Cleveland, OH630
Columbus, OH665
Greensboro, NC290
Jacksonville, FL625
Montreal780
Nashville, TN730
New York, NY505
Philadelphia, PA420
Pittsburgh, PA510
Richmond, VA170
Savannah, GA490
Virginia Beach, VA95
Washington, DC270



Living room at White Doe Inn, a boutique Manteo hotel on Roanoke Island

 

Nearby Airports

Dare County Regional Airport
If you’re taking a private flight to the Outer Banks, White Doe Inn is located 3 miles from the airport. Pick-up and drop-off services to and from the Inn are available.

Norfolk International Airport
Follow White Doe Inn directions from the north. Check out the new Norfolk Airport Guide.

Raleigh Durham Airport
Follow White Doe Inn directions from the west.

Book with Complete Confidence

Book direct with us and enjoy the peace of mind that you’re getting the safest possible stay.