Are you looking for a family-friendly hotel in Cannon Beach, Oregon? There are plenty of hotels available in this small coastal city, but this family-owned hotel is special. From fresh baked cookies to nightly bonfires on the beach, you’ll be coming back year after year. Read my Surfsand Resort Cannon Beach Oregon review for a first-hand look at this pet-friendly hotel.
The 3-star Surfsand Cannon Beach hotel is a real value. The 95 room property offers plenty of rooms with ocean views and is located steps from the beach and the iconic Haystack Rock. From check-in to departure, the vibe is very friendly. They even had our dog’s name on the welcome board, as well as doggie treats in the Cannon Beach hotel lobby. With seven different layouts, there are rooms for families, romantic suites and dog-friendly hotel rooms.
As new residents to the Pacific Northwest, we were excited to explore the Oregon coast. Surfsand Resort Cannon Beach is located on Oregon’s north coast, three miles from Ecola State Park. It’s about a 1 hour and 22 minute drive from Portland, Oregon to Cannon Beach, depending on traffic. We were driving from Eugene, Oregon, approximately a three hour car ride, depending if you stop along the way at Tillamook Creamery or Blue Heron French Cheese Company, both fabulous stops for foodies.
About Surfsand Resort Cannon Beach
Surfsand Resort Cannon Beach is a family affair. We met people on the beach who had been coming to this property for years. Hotels on the Oregon coast take a beating from the weather. Fortunately, Surfsand Resort was in good shape. The grounds were well maintained with tulips surrounding the property during our April visit. We had unseasonably warm weather during our visit, which was a plus for walking the streets of downtown Cannon Beach, as well as stretches of oceanfront beach.
We noticed the larger-than-life wood carved puffin in front of the hotel. The front desk manager noted that tufted puffins were famous for nesting on Haystack Rock at one time. Sadly, due to environmental causes, puffin birds on Haystack Rock are disappearing as fast as a sand castle at high tide.
Surfsand Resort Cannon Beach Activities
Surfsand Resort is a year-round hotel with activities to match. There is beach combing for sea stars, community bonfires and s’mores at night or ice cream socials. Hop on a complimentary beach cruiser bicycle and ride to downtown Cannon Beach. Consider stopping at one of several breweries for a blonde ale or IPA. Better yet, take the complimentary shuttle service and leave the driving to the hotel. We were told that dogs are welcome on the shuttle and from the numerous water dishes outside the downtown shops, it’s clear Cannon Beach is a dog-friendly city.
Whether you visit winter, spring, summer or fall, the indoor pool offers entertainment and a hot tub, as well. Above the pool is a fitness center with Peloton bikes and exercise equipment for that cardio workout after eating one too many s’mores at the beach.
Food at Surfsand Resort Cannon Beach
In addition to Public Coast Brewing beers upon arrival, there are complimentary fresh baked cookies in the lobby every afternoon. I confess that I was drawn to the hotel lobby, with the scent of chocolate chip cookies wafting through the air, like a seagull circling a fishing boat. My dog didn’t mind accompanying me. She, too, discovered the resort staff had a treat for her, as well.
Kids enjoy a complimentary Friday night popcorn cart in the hotel lobby, Saturday ice cream socials, Sunday hot dog roasts and weekend root beer tastings. Adults may indulge in a Public Coast Brewing Co. beer tasting in the lobby Friday and Saturday. The resort is happy to offer unique experience enhancements from romantic moments to birthday bash celebrations.
Treat yourself to room service from the nearby Wayfarer Restaurant and bite into a crab sandwich on your beachfront deck or sip some clam chowder on your private patio. My personal favorite was the Crab Benedict with fresh fruit enjoyed from a booth at the Wayfarer Restaurant with a Haystack Rock view. My husband loved the cinnamon French Toast with real maple syrup and a side order of (his words) “the best bacon that I’ve ever had.”
Surfsand Resort Cannon Beach Suite
If this is a romantic escape to Surfsand Resort Cannon Beach, upgrade to the one bedroom king suite. Our pet-friendly room, on the third floor, offered 180 degree views of Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock. In addition to our private bedroom with an ocean view, we had a Japanese soaking tub in the bathroom with a Shoji screen and view of the ocean. Our private balcony offered stunning views of Haystack Rock.
Grab a cozy grey robe from the closet; perfect for lounging in your room, walking to the pool or heading to a massage. There’s even kid-sized robes if you want to purchase one in the gift shop. I also liked the MonarchLux micro cotton white fluffy towels, ideal for a DIY spa day.
While we visited in the springtime, a gas fireplace is a plus anytime of year. There was a flat screen tv in the living room, bathroom and bedroom; perfect for the sports addict, but I prefer being out in nature.
The resort has elevators in each building, but stairs are easily accessible to hotel rooms, best option when traveling with pets. We loved the outdoor hot water option next to the beach for hosing off sandy feet and paws.
If You Go
Surfsand Resort Cannon Beach Oregon
148 West Gower, Cannon Beach, Oregon 97110
Surfsand Resort Cannon Beach Review, YouTube video and photography by travel expert Nancy D. Brown. All views above are, as always, my own.
Loved Wayfaire restaurant.! Awesome service and wonderful food.
I will never go back to Surfsand Resort again…
I just got back from a weeks vacation at Surfsand Beach.
Absolutely breathe taking view and loved our room!
In your article you refer to “beach combing for sea stars” which is in fact illegal to harass or remove sea stars/ star fish from the tide pools. Perhaps a resourceful and research oriented journalist might have discovered that the sea star/star fish population has been decimated by a wasting disease for nearly a decade and rarely if at all seen these days. Rewriting a puff piece from a brochure or press release is rather sad. Sand dollars however are frequently seen and an early morning stroll at low tide will expose many intact sand dollars that have not been upon by the cadres of ravenous gull.
I decided to splurge for my birthday and spent a week at the Surfsand and it was worth every penny and I didn’t even have to fly away to some remote destination.
I ordered Filet Mignon and Bread pudding through the Wayfarer Restaurant room service and it was mouth watering.
The staff at the hotel was amazing and always willing to bend over backwards for you.
I can’t wait to go back again!
I’m glad you enjoyed Wayfarer Restaurant; we did, too. I asked you via email to explain why you had a problem, but you didn’t want to further discuss.
I’m so happy to hear that you had a wonderful week. We also enjoyed the view from our room. Thanks for leaving a comment. Nancy
Happy belated birthday, Melinda. Considering the year we’ve all been through, I think a week at Surfsand Resort was a great way to celebrate a special occasion. Thanks for your comment. Nancy
Hello John, Thanks for taking the time to read my review and leave a comment. I would never recommend illegally removing anything from the beach; especially living animals or plants. In fact, I don’t remove sand dollars, or sea glass from the beach for that matter. I prefer to beach comb with my eyes. I did look for the puffins, but as noted, I didn’t spot any. With regard to Sea Star Wasting Syndrome, according to UC Santa Cruz Marine Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network, “Molecular sequencing of samples is underway at Cornell University to identify possible causative agents. Current thinking is that there is likely a pathogen involved, but environmental factors may also play a role, and contributing factors might vary regionally.” I’m glad the experts are researching this syndrome.