Lodging San Juan Island

Bookmark Page

One of my favorite places to travel, the San Juan Islands are known for wild dolphins and Orcas, boutique shops, and quaint fishing villages. Still, despite the success of the San Juan ferries, the San Juan Islands have yet to attract the four and five-star luxury hotels you might find at other popular vacation destinations. In fact, when it comes to lodging, San Juan Island offers limited accommodations. Instead of rich hotels, the San Juan lodging is generally restricted to small inns and bed and breakfasts. Still, fine lodging is available if you know where to look. We have created this web page to help you locate the best accommodations for your stay in the San Juans.

The first thing you need to do as you plan your stay in the San Juan Islands is determine your lodging needs. Begin by asking yourself the following questions:

What is your purpose in visiting the San Juans?
What type of accommodations are you looking for?
What is your price range for lodging?
What locations in and around the San Juan Islands will you be visiting?
How will you be traveling during your stay?

Your answers to each of these questions will help locate the best San Juan lodging as you consider the options below.

As you consider where you want to stay, you should also know that the San Juan Islands are made up of 3 main islands with lodging accommodations: San Juan Island, Orcas Island, and Lopez Island. The main cities with hotels are Friday Harbor, Anacordes (actually the Washington Port where you enter the San Juans), and Deer Harbor. For more information see the San Juan map.

Recommended Lodging in San Juan

As noted before, San Juan does offer fine lodging. It is just difficult to locate. I have listed two of the top-rated hotels below. Please note that this site has not discussed Bed and Breakfasts. For more information on San Juan Bed and Breakfasts see the San Juan Bed and Breakfast Association.

Fridays Historic Inn: The only true historic hotel in the San Juan Islands, Fridays Historic Inn is located two blocks from the ferry. Though it lacks many of the frills of other luxury hotels, what it lacks in amenities it makes up for in ambience and service. It offers jetted tubs and family suites.
Friday Harbor House: Through the Friday Harbor House is the most luxurious of any of the San Juan Island hotels, it lacks the personality and service of some of the smaller inns and Bed and Breakfasts. All rooms feature fireplaces, jetted tubs and harbor views.

For more specific information on these and other San Juan hotels, click on San Juan lodging.