HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
An oceanfront resort on Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, where staff and guests have long told of 'Sam,' a vacationer said to have died in one of the cottages and now blamed for cold spots, moving shades, and an occasional apparition.
310 East First Street, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Operating oceanfront resort with rooms and cottages; rates vary by season. Not a ghost attraction; the legend is incidental to a normal beach stay.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Beachfront resort grounds, boardwalks, and sand
Equipment
Photos OK
Operating oceanfront family resort on Ocean Isle Beach, Brunswick County · Appears on North Carolina haunted-hotel lists solely for the 'Sam' guest legend · No documented death, named individual, or historical incident could be confirmed
The Winds Resort Beach Club sits directly on the Atlantic at Ocean Isle Beach, a barrier-island town in Brunswick County in the far southeastern corner of North Carolina, just north of the South Carolina border and the greater North Myrtle Beach area. It operates as a family-oriented oceanfront resort offering hotel rooms and a cluster of guest cottages a short walk from the beach.
Unlike many of the state's haunted sites, The Winds has no deep documented history of tragedy or notable architecture. It is a modern hospitality property, and its appearance on North Carolina haunted-place lists rests entirely on a single piece of guest folklore rather than on archival records or a documented historical event.
HauntBound found no local news coverage, obituary, or other documentation that would identify the 'Sam' of the legend or confirm a death on the property. The history here, in short, is that of an ordinary working beach resort with one persistent ghost story.
Sources
The Winds Resort Beach Club's ghost story centers on a vacationer remembered only as 'Sam.' As the legend goes, Sam died of a heart attack while staying in one of the resort's guest cottages, set a street back from the beach, and his spirit chose to remain. Since then, staff and guests have reportedly experienced cold spots, window shades that open and close on their own, doors that open by themselves, and items that move, with occasional reports of an actual apparition.
According to Cardinal Pine's October 2024 'Ghostly Getaways' feature on North Carolina's most haunted hotels, Sam is documented as a former guest who 'reportedly died of a heart attack while staying at the resort' and 'has been said to haunt the venue by creating cold spots, slamming windows and doors, and even appearing to guests as an apparition.' MyrtleBeach.com's regional travel guide similarly covers the Winds Resort as a nearby haunted hotel, repeating the Sam legend as established local tradition with the same core phenomena. These independent travel sources corroborate the paranormal tradition without tracing to the original Shadowlands submission.
HauntBound could not identify Sam by full name or locate documentary evidence of his death at the property. The legend is treated as established beach folklore.
Notable Entities
A stay at The Winds Resort Beach Club puts guests steps from Ocean Isle Beach. The resort's ghost story attaches to its cottages, where 'Sam' is said to linger, though the property operates as an ordinary family beach resort.
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