The Ocean Lodge, Cannon Beach

Location

California’s coast has its pristine stretches of white sand and flexing muscles while Oregon’s has jagged coves and untouched beaches. Enjoying a different, more rugged, kind of beauty, the lodge itself is set right on the seaside with views out over the Pacific. A journey inland will bring you to a patchwork of forests, streams and national parks; an outdoorsman’s playground, it offers excellent hiking, boating and fishing. Back at base, Cannon Beach is termed the ‘most desirable beach town on the Oregon coast’ with excellent boutique shopping, art galleries and restaurants. For something more family orientated, there’s always sand to comb through and castles to be built.

Accommodation

A delightful blend of nostalgia and the contemporary, the lodge’s rooms feature soft colour palettes, wooden furnishings and modern amenities. Private decks make the most of the gorgeous natural surrounds with views over the waters to Haystack Rock, the perfect canvas for a sunset. You’ll have to choose between a Partial View or an Ocean Front Studio with the former set at an angle to the shoreline. Back inside, rooms are warmed by gas fireplaces and appetites are soothed with a snack refrigerator and wet bar. In all, en suite bathrooms include Jacuzzi tubs and walk-in showers.

Dining

Complimentary breakfast buffets are served in the lodge’s gables and include a tempting variety of patisserie-baked morsels, hot beverages, cereals, juices, hard-boiled eggs and seasonal fresh fruit. Home-baked cookies and a hot beverage cart are available in the lobby whenever hunger strikes, 24-hours a day. For lunch and dinner, you’ll find everything from fresh-from-the-sea fish and chips to Caribbean cuisine at Castaways. The cosy Irish Table restaurant is a particular highlight with gourmet takes on homely classics. The curried mussels are a chef’s specialty.

Facilities

Tucked away at the south end of the beach, many come to Ocean Lodge for its access to the sand and views out to the waters, disturbed only by rocky outcrops disrupting the water’s surface. The lodge has partnerships with an excellent nearby golf course along with a yoga centre, offering waterfront sessions. Guests also receive complimentary passes to a Cannon Beach athletic club. Enquire about the packs put on by staff, they range from kids’ beach sports to romantic hampers.