Sylvia Beach Hotel

Sylvia Beach Hotel has a particularly beautiful panorama of both Nye and Agate beaches including Yaquina Head Lighthouse to the north. All the rooms are author-themed. This is truly a hotel for book lovers. There are no TVs, radios, telephones or wi-fi in the rooms. A hearty breakfast is included. The hotel serves a delightful family style dinner every evening. Guests are offered all the privacy they want, while being in the good company of strangers.

Colette and Jules Verne: Filmy Ocean View and "Submerged" Under the Sea!

We stayed in two rooms over four days. We got in last minute; to get your perfect room choice reserve early! We loved the Colette (a classic), all white and filmy with red touches, beautiful ocean views. Walked in and right off saw a whale in the distance spouting! Our second room was the Jules Verne, underestimated as a "novel" (lowest cost) room, with incredible authentic decorative touches, from old ship instruments to a mural in the bathroom. Cleverly done with garden access, but no ocean view and the room is deliberately darkish to simulate submarine. Might bring your own bright lamp to supplement. Reading up in the library is wonderful, and you always have access to Adirondacks facing the ocean down by the restaurant or up by the library. Our fav is the free mulled wine every night in library, starting around 8. No tv or wifi. This is a place for book lovers and Victorian lovers. It is old but is has incredible style! Each room different, be sure to browse pictures and descriptions carefully ahead of time (see their website). We love it there! If you love books and old style, you may, too. -- Jean and Craig

100% Dishonest

I never would have picked this hotel for an evening. But oddly enough someone sitting in front of us at a Reno Aces minor league baseball game told my wife about the hotel. My wife loves French literature, and she was sold. But I was skeptical. We looked at the website and I agreed to stay on two conditions: 1) because I would have to drive more than seven hours to get to the hotel the day we booked, they had to have one beer I would drink as a reward for the drive and 2) we would awake in the hotel on a Monday morning, a Monday which I had to review and approve a document by the end of the business day in London, which meant by 9 AM Pacific Coast Time. Good internet connection was therefore essential. And so we asked about those two items. The answer to the beer question was: we have an extensive beer selection. And the answer to the internet question was: there is no internet access in the rooms but there is internet access in public spaces. We get there and are told at check in that they are proud of the fact they do not offer internet access in the hotel but there is access in several nearby businesses, which I guess qualify as "public spaces" and discover the "extensive" beer selection consists of five beers, one of which is to my taste and of which they are of course out of stock. Moving on, we were told dinner was part of the experience and there were two options: a beef teriyaki dish and a vegetarian dish. My wife does not eat red meat nor is it on my list of favorites and so my wife orders the vegetarian dish for herself and the beef teriyaki for me. Imagine our surprise when other people at our table are served a fish dish, which either of us would have welcomed over the choices we were given on the phone. The vegetarian dish my wife was served was quite tasty. The noodles in the beef teriyaki dish I was served were quite tasty as well, but the beef was a cheap cut and neither dish was deserving of the $50 price tag. The fish dinner may have been worth the price, but how could we know. Before I get to how I addressed the lack of internet and beer I need to mention when we called it a night the mattress was the most uncomfortable, I have ever been forced to spend an evening on. As for beer, there is a dive bar, and I do mean dive bar, a few blocks away. A fair amount of shady business going on but unlike Sylvia Beach Hotel they do not pretend to be something they are not. And as for internet, there is a Starbucks about 1/2 a mile away. I left our room at 5 AM to head to Starbucks, spent more than two hours there while I finalized the wording I could have finalized in my hotel had they been honest about internet access. And because I had to leave so early I ate breakfast at Starbucks and missed the breakfast part of the "bed and breakfast". But I am pretty certain I did not miss anything. This is a fundamentally dishonest operation. No one will ever personally ask me about this dubious operation and so this is my testimony.

Historic B&B for Book Lovers

Each of the rooms is named after, and decorated in honor of, an author. Perfect place for book-lovers. Right on a beautiful beach, in a cute little historic neighborhood. Rooms are a bit small but the common areas are spacious and inviting - two decks and two library/reading rooms. Comfortable bed and nice sheets. It's a historic hotel; shabby chic is part of the charm. Yummy breakfast. No elevator (there are guest rooms on the first floor which avoids bag-schlepping, but I wouldn't recommend the hotel to someone who can't do stairs cause some of the best areas are up/down stairs) No phones, tvs, wifi (but good cell service) No pets, but they have a hotel cat :) Price is reasonable compared to other places on the coast with similar views/location.

One step forward, two steps back - oh, for the "good ol' days..."

The Sylvia Hotel is the "real deal" an iconic hotel ON the beach. However, the interior doesn't come close to the million $$ view. I selected the Amy Tan room; assured I'd have a small but friendly view AND be able to HEAR the sea as I drifted off each night. Not so! Why? Because the windows on THAT SIDE of the hotel are shot. Both windows sported hand-written notes warning guests NOT to attempt to open the windows; they're sealed UNTIL the hotel replaces them. Hmm. I wonder WHY the registration clerk (a very nice gal who was on-site when I registered) failed to tell me. Amy Tan decor is lovely. BUT REPLACE the MATTRESS; it's saggy! Drape lining on one window is ripped (odd). The tiny wall heater requires personal management. Thermostat allows guests to set the temp; but won't turn off and it's noisy. The blinds don't work well. Knew before going Hotel has NO elevator. Was assured someone would help w/bags. Stairs to 2nd story consist of 18 narrow, poorly lit/steep steps. On check in, the friendly front desk clerk schlepped my heaviest bag upstairs. Must have been hard; she was recovering from a torn rotator cuff! Took three trips for me. Hotel has NO loading zone. Parked across the street in a ROCKY parking lot. Where a loading zone should reside stood a lone orange tripod. Wonder why? Breakfast is available (a few lackluster scones, toast, etc) plus a hot option. Quality: barely passable. Do NOT select this hotel based on the food! No gluten free options. Passed on greasy sausages & barely able to eat the luke warm, tasteless fritata served Saturday. Like the dining room family style seating; met nice couple Friday morning. But most guests prefer their own company. Not a big deal but the lack of conversation the 2nd morning highlighted the poor food quality offered. Sasha, the resident cat, is a hoot - solid boundaries and sweet if she "decides" you pass muster... She's a newcomer; greeting guests for about a year. Apparently not the social butterfly like her predecessor. Day 2 STAFF - Uh oh! New desk clerk less than friendly. Looked irritated when I requested help with my luggage. Odd; there was a supervisor on site; saw him twice that morning. But the receptionist never asked him to help me. Took 4 trips to get everything downstairs. Bring your own pillow; glad I did. Dine elsewhere if you want a "good breakfast," and travel 'light' if you can. Hope the owners refurbish this potential beauty.

Sylvia Beach Hotel

Virtual reality is almost as good as being there.

Highlight of our trip!

Colette and Jules Verne: Filmy Ocean View and "Submerged" Under the Sea!

100% Dishonest

Historic B&B for Book Lovers

One step forward, two steps back - oh, for the "good ol' days..."