Step onto the sand, settle in, and experience Surf City from one of its most recognizable oceanfront communities.

Ocean Watch Villas is an intimate community of just eight oceanfront townhomes in the absolute heart of Surf City. Known as the “Candy Colored Homes,” they are easily recognizable as you cross the bridge onto Topsail Island. The Atlantic Ocean is right outside your door, while restaurants, coffee and donut shops, ice cream shops, breweries, bars, the grocery store, parks, entertainment and many of Surf City’s favorite spots are all within walking distance.

Many of our guests tell us they park their car when they arrive and never use it again until it is time to go home.

But location is only part of what makes Sea-King Refuge special.

OCEANFRONT LIVING

This is truly an oceanfront home. Spend your mornings drinking coffee while watching the waves, your afternoons enjoying the beach or pool, and your evenings relaxing on one of the covered oceanfront decks.

Comfortable high-top outdoor seating lets you enjoy the view above the deck railings. Watch for dolphins, keep an eye on the kids at the beach or pool, or simply enjoy the ocean breeze with a cold drink. You may find the decks become your favorite “rooms” in the house.

When Surf City celebrates with fireworks, you may discover that one of the best views is right from your own oceanfront deck.

HEATED OCEANFRONT COMMUNITY POOL

Ocean Watch Villas has its own private community pool exclusively for guests of the eight homes. The pool is heated to approximately 85 degrees from April through October, making it especially enjoyable during spring and fall as well as summer.

Step directly onto the beach when you want the ocean or relax by the pool when you would rather skip the sand.

ROOM FOR EVERYONE, WITH PRIVACY TOO

Each of the four primary bedrooms has its own private en-suite full bathroom, a tremendous convenience when several couples or generations vacation together.

Sleeping arrangements include:

• Three King bedrooms
• One bunk bedroom with a custom Twin XL-over-Queen bunk plus a custom Twin-over-Twin bunk
• One ground-floor “overflow room” with a custom Twin-over-Full bunk

Our custom bunk beds offer additional headroom and premium mattresses so they feel like comfortable sleeping accommodations rather than an afterthought.

The fifth bedroom is what we affectionately call the “overflow room.” It does not have a private bathroom but gives additional guests a real bedroom rather than requiring someone to sleep on a sofa bed in a common area.

YES, THERE IS AN ELEVATOR

Anyone who has carried luggage, groceries, coolers and beach gear through a multi-level beach house knows what a difference an elevator can make. Ours makes moving luggage, groceries and family members between floors much easier.

BEDDING MATTERS TO US

Before owning homes on Topsail Island, we rented here for nearly 30 years and learned that a beautiful house and spectacular location do not mean nearly as much if you cannot get a good night’s sleep.

That is why premium mattresses and quality bedding are priorities in all our homes. After a day of swimming, surfing, fishing, exploring Surf City or simply enjoying the beach, we want you to come home and truly rest.

A KITCHEN DESIGNED FOR REAL FAMILY VACATIONS

We have worked to make our kitchen genuinely useful, with an extensive collection of cookware, utensils, kitchen gadgets and serving pieces for guests who enjoy cooking and sharing meals together. We even have turkey roasters for big family dinners and holiday stays.

There is plenty of gathering space, with seating for 10 around the dining table plus four additional seats at the kitchen counter.

OUR “PAY IT FORWARD” PANTRY

At the beginning of the prime season, we stock our Pay It Forward Pantry with useful items such as spices, pantry basics, coffee, paper products, laundry detergent, shampoo and kitchen non-perishables.

Guests are welcome to use what is available. If you use the last of something, we encourage you to replace it for the next family. Have an unused non-perishable you don’t want to take home? Feel free to leave it for future guests.

Because this is a guest-supported tradition, inventory varies and specific items cannot be guaranteed.

PAY-IT-FORWARD BEACH CHAIRS

You will also frequently find folding beach chairs previous guests have left for others to enjoy. Salt, sun and sand are hard on beach equipment, so we cannot guarantee the number or condition available. If a chair reaches the end of its beach-going life, we encourage you to replace it when possible.

PREMIUM FURNISHINGS AND CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENTS

We believe furnishings matter. Rather than furnishing a rental once and forgetting about it, we continually reinvest in our homes.

From premium bedding and furniture to outdoor seating, décor, technology and amenities, we regularly upgrade and refresh our properties. Our goal is for you to walk through the door and immediately feel that someone has thought about the details.

The home also features 10-foot ceilings, substantial trim work and quality flooring and finishes. The construction and insulation provide greater separation and quiet, especially appreciated when several generations or families vacation together.

NEED TO CHECK IN WITH THE OFFICE?

We hope you can leave work behind, but we know that is not always possible. The home includes a small dedicated workspace with a desk, chair and computer monitor, plus a commercial-grade router for reliable internet service throughout the home.

Then close the laptop and get back to the beach.

FREE 1:00 PM EARLY CHECK-IN

Your vacation should start as soon as possible, so we offer complimentary 1:00 PM early check-in.

Get unpacked, put away the groceries, change into your swimsuit and start enjoying the beach while much of the afternoon is still ahead of you.

PLEASE NOTE: ABSOLUTELY NO PETS

Sea-King Refuge is not a pet-friendly property. No pets of any kind are permitted in the home, on the decks or elsewhere on the property at any time, including pets belonging to visiting friends or family members.

We appreciate our guests respecting this policy and helping us maintain Sea-King Refuge as a pet-free vacation home.

PARKING

Covered parking beneath the home accommodates three vehicles. While four compact vehicles may occasionally fit, it is a very tight fit, so guests should plan for a maximum of three vehicles.

Vehicles cannot extend into the driveway or park in Ocean Watch Villas common areas, where towing restrictions are enforced. Paid public parking for additional vehicles is conveniently located across the street.

SECURITY & PRIVACY

For the safety and protection of our guests and property, a Ring doorbell camera is located at the home’s exterior entrance. There are no cameras inside the home.

TRAVELING WITH A LARGE OR MULTIGENERATIONAL GROUP?

We own three of the eight homes within Ocean Watch Villas: Sea For Yourself, Hook, Wine & Sinker and Sea-King Refuge.

This provides larger and multigenerational groups the unusual opportunity to vacation together while still enjoying the privacy and convenience of separate homes.

For groups requiring even more room, we also own an eight-bedroom oceanfront home with an elevator and private pool approximately four blocks away in the 400 block of South Shore Drive.

THE BEST PART? YOU ARE IN THE HEART OF SURF CITY

Walk out one direction and you are at the ocean. Walk the other and Surf City is waiting.

Walk for coffee or donuts in the morning, head back to the beach, stroll to lunch, visit local shops, enjoy a brewery or cocktail, have dinner nearby, or take the kids for ice cream or to one of Surf City’s seasonal community activities. No loading everyone into cars every time someone wants to go somewhere.

That freedom is one of the reasons we fell in love with Ocean Watch Villas.

We spent nearly 30 years vacationing on Topsail Island before we had the opportunity to own here, and those years taught us what makes a vacation rental truly enjoyable.

A spectacular location gets you here. Comfortable beds help you rest. Thoughtful amenities make life easier. Beautiful outdoor spaces help you slow down. And the ocean just outside your door reminds you why you came.

Our goal is to put all of those things together so that when you arrive at Sea-King Refuge, you can simply unpack, relax and start making your own Topsail Island memories.