Mother Earth Motor Lodge
501 N Herritage St
Kinston, NC
A 1963 motor lodge at the center of Kinston's revival.
About Mother Earth Motor Lodge
Mother Earth Motor Lodge occupies a 1963 mid-century motor lodge in downtown Kinston, revived and reopened in 2012 by Stephen Hill, the founder of Mother Earth Brewing Company, whose taproom sits one block south. The connection is deliberate: Kinston had been in economic decline for decades, and the lodge was part of a broader investment in neighborhood revival built around craft beer, food, and independent lodging. It worked. The block now draws visitors from across the state who come for Chef and the Farmer, Vivian Howard's nationally recognized restaurant, and the brewery taproom. The lodge retains its original motor lodge footprint: a two-story exterior corridor layout with rooms opening onto the courtyard rather than an interior hallway. The brewery is five minutes away on foot.
What Mother Earth Motor Lodge Is Known For
Mother Earth Motor Lodge was part of a deliberate investment in Kinston at a time when few others were making them. Stephen Hill opened the brewery in 2008 and the lodge in 2012, betting that the right infrastructure could anchor a neighborhood revival rather than simply follow one. The bet paid off. Kinston is now recognized nationally for its food and culture scene, and the motor lodge is both the starting point and the through-line of that story. The lodge has held a major review platforms Travellers' Choice award and the top ranking among Kinston accommodations for years.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- Breakfast Included
- WiFi
- Year-round outdoor pool
- 9-hole mini golf
- Shuffleboard
- Table tennis
- Bike rentals
- Complimentary afternoon snacks
- In-house guest laundry
- Gift shop
- Complimentary breakfast with make-your-own waffles
What Guests Love
- One block from Mother Earth Brewing Company's taproom, with complimentary bike rentals and a walkable downtown corridor that includes Chef and the Farmer and several other independent restaurants.
- Complimentary breakfast with make-your-own waffles is included each morning, with afternoon snack service (popcorn, cookies, and lemonade) in the courtyard each afternoon.
- The year-round outdoor pool, 9-hole mini golf, and shuffleboard court make the courtyard genuinely usable, not just decorative.
- Pet-friendly rooms are available for guests traveling with dogs, an uncommon option in Kinston.
- Consistently the top-ranked accommodation in Kinston, recognized with a Travellers' Choice Award.
Worth Knowing
- Chef and the Farmer reservations fill quickly, especially on weekends. Book your dinner before you book the lodge, not after.
- Check-in is at in the afternoon. Check-out is at at checkout time.
- Kinston is about 80 miles east of Raleigh and 90 miles west of the Crystal Coast beaches, making it a natural midpoint stop on a coastal Carolina road trip.
- The lodge is in a downtown location. Street-facing rooms get some road noise. Request a courtyard-facing room if you prefer quiet.
- Pets are welcome. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
The Room
The rooms are air-conditioned with TVs, refrigerators, and private bathrooms, each opening directly onto the exterior corridor and courtyard. All rooms are non-smoking. Pet-friendly rooms are available with advance notice and an additional fee. In-room amenities are clean and practical, consistent with the motor lodge's mid-century ethos. The experience is as much outside the room as in it: the courtyard, the pool, the mini golf course, and the brewery a short walk away are where guests actually spend their time.
The Grounds
The courtyard at Mother Earth Motor Lodge is the property's living room. The year-round outdoor pool, anchors one end. The 9-hole mini golf course and shuffleboard court are on the other. Afternoon snack service runs daily in the courtyard, popcorn and lemonade included. Bike rentals are available for guests who want to ride the Neuse River Greenway Trail. Complimentary laundry facilities are on-site. Free parking fills the courtyard perimeter. The property is walkable to both the brewery and the city's restaurant corridor.
The Experience
A stay at Mother Earth Motor Lodge is structured around Kinston rather than the lodge itself. Morning breakfast gets you started. The courtyard is where you regroup between outings. Evenings are for the brewery or a dinner reservation at Chef and the Farmer. In between: the Neuse River Greenway for a bike ride or a kayak, the CSS Neuse II replica for a detour into Civil War naval history, and whatever else the city's downtown corridor offers. The lodge's afternoon snack hour is the hinge point of the day, when guests drift back from exploring and compare notes before heading out again. It adds up to a stay that feels rooted in a specific place rather than anywhere hospitality.
Details
Kinston, NC 28501
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mother Earth Motor Lodge have EV charging?
No, Mother Earth Motor Lodge does not have EV charging.
Does Mother Earth Motor Lodge have WiFi?
Yes, Mother Earth Motor Lodge has WiFi.
What is there to do near Mother Earth Motor Lodge?
Mother Earth Brewing Company: 0.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Chef and the Farmer: 0.4 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Neuseway Nature Park: 0.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Mother Earth Motor Lodge from Mother Earth Brewing Company?
0.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Mother Earth Motor Lodge from Chef and the Farmer?
0.4 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Mother Earth Motor Lodge from Neuseway Nature Park?
0.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
Is Mother Earth Motor Lodge pet friendly?
Yes. Mother Earth Motor Lodge welcomes pets. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
Does Mother Earth Motor Lodge serve breakfast?
Yes, complimentary continental breakfast is included with every stay, with make-your-own waffles. Afternoon snack service (popcorn, cookies, and lemonade) is served each afternoon in the courtyard.
Does Mother Earth Motor Lodge have a pool?
Yes, the outdoor pool is open year-round.
How close is Mother Earth Motor Lodge to Mother Earth Brewing?
Mother Earth Brewing Company is about 0.3 miles south on Herritage Street, about a 5-minute walk. The two properties share a founder: Stephen Hill opened the brewery in 2008 and the lodge in 2012 as part of the same investment in Kinston's downtown revival.
How far is Mother Earth Motor Lodge from Chef and the Farmer?
Chef and the Farmer is about 0.4 miles from the lodge, a 6-minute walk through downtown Kinston. Reservations are strongly recommended and should be made well in advance, especially on weekends.
What is there to do near Mother Earth Motor Lodge?
Kinston's downtown food and culture corridor is walkable from the lodge. Highlights include Mother Earth Brewing, Chef and the Farmer, Neuseway Nature Park with free canoe and kayak rentals on the Neuse River, and the CSS Neuse II, a full-scale replica of a Civil War ironclad gunboat. The lodge also provides bike rentals for exploring the Neuse River Greenway Trail.
What are the check-in and check-out times at Mother Earth Motor Lodge?
Contact the property directly to confirm check-in and check-out times before your stay.
Is parking available at Mother Earth Motor Lodge?
Yes. Free on-site parking is available at Mother Earth Motor Lodge.
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Things to Do Near Eastern North Carolina
Mother Earth Brewing Company
0.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
0.3 miles, about a 5-minute walk south on Herritage Street. The brewery that started Kinston's revival, founded by Stephen Hill, the same owner as the lodge. Taproom, tours, and a rotating lineup of craft beers brewed on-site.
Chef and the Farmer
0.4 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
0.4 miles, about a 6-minute walk. Vivian Howard's nationally recognized restaurant, the anchor of Kinston's food revival and the subject of the PBS series A Chef's Life. Reservations required and should be made well in advance.
Neuseway Nature Park
0.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
0.5 miles, about a 10-minute walk. Free canoe and kayak rentals on the Neuse River, a 52-seat planetarium, wildlife exhibits, and nature trails. One of the most underrated free outdoor amenities in Eastern North Carolina.