By Jeanne Brook
Haven’t you always wanted to own a castle?
The Castle Inn at Silver Lake went up for sale last year. Built in the mid-1950s by island legend Sam Jones, the Inn has changed hands a few times.
Gregg and Danielle Nigro have been visiting Ocracoke for many years, eventually buying a second home here, and always admired “The Castle.”
When they saw it come up for sale, they did not let the opportunity pass by.
The couple primarily develop franchise locations for Dunkin’ shops and Little Caesars and have a network of stores from North Carolina to New York.
“We were looking to get into hospitality and consider The Castle Inn to have an important legacy to protect,” Gregg said.
With the purchase in December, they committed to extensive renovations over the winter, bringing the inn into a bright new era.
Entering the foyer, you may see the welcoming face of Innkeeper Betha Howard. She enjoys showing off the updates, and they are impressive, including the antique bar that was moved from an interior hallway.
The changes include new furniture in the lounges and suites, freshly painted walls, front porch with deck furniture, high-speed WiFi, smart TVs, updated inground heated pool, and premium linens.
The pool table remains in the lounge, which has also been renovated with new couches and gas-burning fireplaces.
Danielle explained that the interior woodwork needed so much refurbishing that they decided to paint the entire place white.
The walls are adorned with quotes and framed letters of Sam Jones. His “Landlord’s Invitation” is a fun riddle to work on:
“Here’s to Pa’ nds PenDas’ OCI alh OURin ha! RMLes, Smirt ha ND Fun le TFRIE nd’s HIPRE ign B eju ST an DKIN –dan Devils PEAK of N’ one.”
(Take out all the punctuation and spaces and see if you can find the words.)
In the hall leading to the dining room, a comprehensive collection of articles written about the Castle over the years is displayed.
The Nigros rehung all the articles they could find.
The dining room itself has been updated and includes several smaller tables rather than one big table in the center.
This allows guests some privacy while also enabling them to converse with other patrons. A select breakfast buffet is offered daily.
The 12 suites have been thoughtfully renamed and designed accordingly, keeping with island themes.
The Founders Suite pays homage to Sam Jones, and the Lighthouse Suite occupies the top two floors.
The Castle exudes subtle luxury yet holds on to the easy-going flavor keeping with the legacy of Sam Jones and the welcoming nature of Ocracoke Island.
