Location: Wilmington, NC

Players:  2-5 (We recommend 2-3)

Price: $26 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

No Vacancy

Theme:

After a long day of driving, you’ve decided you need to stop for sleep. Spying a motel on your way that doesn’t look too sketchy, you pull in and get a room. Number 813 to be exact. When you enter, the 70s vibe strikes you as odd, as do the weird decorations and creepy dolls. To add to the uneasy feeling, the lights suddenly shut off and you can’t get the door open! Figure out the mystery of the room and find a phone to call for help before whatever is in this room tires of playing with you!

First Impressions:

The aesthetic of the room is really great, and stepping in and closing the door really does transport you into a disused motel room from the 70s. Horror rooms are always exciting for me, doubly so when the room involves a supernatural theme rather than the usual fare of serial killers and mad doctors, I was definitely looking forward to this one!

High Points:

Along with the immersive set, a mysterious story regarding a family that stayed here in the past began to evolve as we solved the room’s linear puzzles. I’m always glad to see when a room evolves beyond a puzzle room and becomes a full escape experience, so exploring these story elements was a lot of fun. The space is well used and contains many hidden secrets, encouraging groups to explore every nook and cranny to piece together the enigmas. Props stay well integrated into the theme and one in particular is extremely fun and hilarious to use due to it’s unwieldly and now obsolete nature.

Low Points:

To preface, most low points were a result of the nature of the room being tested for full release. Some parts of the room felt incomplete, and a couple hidden objects felt much too well hidden for the setup. We also noticed that the story was appropriately mysterious and spooky, but unfortunately stayed that way when all was said and done. However, in our discussions with the owners, we were assured that these issues were being addressed, and were also informed of some new features that we think will really tie to room together well!

Verdict:

As this was a beta test and this is more of a preview, I will refrain from giving a concrete score to the room, as it was not 100% finalized during our visit. However, there is a lot of potential throughout and we did enjoy our time in Room 813. While parts were rough around the edges, this is to be expected for a beta test and after our discussion with the owners afterwards, we are confident that this room will be a great spooky experience! Motel 813 is now open and you can book your haunting here!

Full Disclosure: We beta tested this room at no charge. Elements may have changed since our visit.