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Sylvia Beach Hotel
Rating Details »
Categories: Hotels, Bed & Breakfast, Restaurants [Edit]
267 NW Cliff StNewport, OR 97365
(541) 265-5428
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
5 reviews for Sylvia Beach Hotel
So I wanted to go away for the weekend at the coast with my increasingly significant other, but this little Seinfeldian exchange kept popping into my head...
JERRY: I'm thinking about asking this girl I'm seeing to go away for a couple of days.
GEORGE: Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. I'd have to advise against that. What, you've known this woman for how long? And you're going to be with her seventy-two hours? That's a dating decathlon.
Come on, Andy, don't let Costanza dissuade you.
The Sylvia Beach Hotel's quaint Jane Austen Room has a beautiful north-facing view of the beach (and a sunset, if you're there around the summer solstice), and the hotel is in such a nice neighborhood, with all sorts of cute restaurants and cafes within walking distance. The literary themed hotel encouraged us to just spend the whole weekend reading, and we couldn't have been happier doing just that.
With the superb lodgings accounted for, the other main consideration is the food. I had some fabulous duck for dinner with wholly adequate sides; however, my companion had an undeniably sub-par Cornish game hen. Add to the bone-dry bird a questionable incident involving a bottle of wine ordered but undelivered, and the staff's initial "I don't know what you expect me to do about it" response (followed by profuse apologies), and I'm left with no choice but to remove a star.
It's a high four stars, though, for the simple reason that the Sylvia Beach Hotel made a wonderful, romantic weekend possible. Far from a dating decathlon -- more like a long walk on the beach.
People thought this was:
- Useful (6)
- Funny (8)
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You want the full comforts of home? Stay somewhere else.
You want to truly be comfortable and fully experience your surroundings and yourself and others? Stay at the Sylvia Beach and dine at the Tables of Content.
None of the distractions of home, yet with all the necessities of a good, true, and properly-lived life - such as scrumptious meals and nightly spiced wine in the library, as well as meeting people worth having in your life. I honestly have never felt so relaxed, welcome, and at ease, yet engaged, inspired, and interested at the same moment.
The writers' rooms are what brought us, as well as the oceanfront views, and as delighting as they are, after three nights they are almost an afterthought on the list of why this amazing property is so worthwhile for a guests' heart, mind, soul, and spirit . Flavour, character, inspiration, passion, ethics, uniqueness, and re-freshingness, all mark the setting, the vibe, the fare, the modus operandi, the location, and most importantly, the People (and their stories) that are drawn here and that you will meet.
Businesses thrive on revenue and profit; the Sylvia Beach thrives on spice, character, whimsy, art, creation, and doing the right thing. And a beachfront location.
A readers' respite: Really & Truly.
A writers' sanctuary: Completely. Lay On.
Thinking territory: Terrific. Simply.
Culinary options: an Epicurean Eden.
A beautiful bastion for the budget conscious: You Betcha'.
A place for the prioritized: Without a Doubt.
Introductions to interesting people: Incessant.
The Sylvia Beach is a heartfelt place you only want to introduce to the select few who will enliven, engage, and contribute to the ambiance and evolution. If you are the type to appreciate such, you will find a new center to your universe, people circles, and calendar year. Promise.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
Pros:
- the cats, particularly Dickens, the giant orange cat who asked to be let in our room so he could suck and knead a blanket (an experience that surely would have freaked me out if I didn't have a lot of experience with cats, particularly ones who were abandoned when they were little, as he was)
- mingling with guests at the breakfast table
- the beautiful view from the library and the perfect, perfect location on the beach
Cons:
- pricey!
- got shuffled from one room to another in our two-night stay. Not the owners' fault, but frustrating nonetheless.
- The crazy canopy/mosquito netting thing around the bed in the Tennessee Williams room.
All in all, my concerns feel pretty petty -- this was a one of a kind experience that I'm glad I had. I'd heartily recommend that anyone who loves books (and cats!), and is feeling flush, visit this quiet, beautiful gem of a hotel.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
Fun place to stay - and do try different rooms! I've stayed in the Dr. Seuss room and the Edgar Allen Poe room (my favorite). Want to try the Mark Twain room someday. Its pricey, but if you have dinner there its great fun and great food - excellent breakfast. And right on the beach - what could be better in the best of Oregon's coastal towns - Newport!
Unusual, relaxing and one of my favorite places on the coast. A weathered former boarding house, perched 45 feet above historic Nye Beach, two Oregon women bought and lovingly re-furnished this place with a literary focus. No phones to ring, no tvs to stare at and peace. My favorite room in the place is the library: a fireplace, comfy chairs, stacked to the gills with books and the best view of the waves (great spot to whale watch too). i go to the attic during a storm and wrap up and read on the small chaise in the window. When the weather is nasty, the wind just howls and I LOVE that. mmmmm... that and a cup of hot tea is all i need. The longer you stay, the slower your respiration rate, and the bigger your smile. An Excellent breakfast comes with the stay and I have made wonderful friends here. I have come here alone, most often, and always feel comfortable and safe. The rooms are charming, and a bit pricey, but I always stay in the bunk room, its inexpensive. Take ear plugs, always. Shared bathroom/shower down the hall (very clean), just like an old boarding house (which it was).
A morning in the life at Sylvia Beach: wake up to the sound of sea gulls and ocean waves, turn over and read a little, wander down to breakfast, walk on beach to recover from breakfast, go to library, find comfy chair next to window, open window, read, look up from book to stare at waves, read, look up at waves, read, sip tea, read, repeat... Heaven.
Negs: the elder male staffer is not a people person - he always seems to be in a brooding mood or perhaps is just naturally taciturn, maybe its the coast weather, but the women at the desk are very nice, as are the breakfast staffers. Stairs - I would like to bring my parents here, but they can't do stairs and there are lots of stairs and there's certainly no one to help you with dragging your suitcases up the stairs to your room, so travel light. Sooo, Minus 1 star for the endless times I've dragged and bumped my damn suitcase up those charming stairs, with no offer of help, and for trying to get a ghost of a smile out of Ken, without success. sheesh, I'd settle for eye contact... otherwise, a remarkable place.
Don't forget to go to the Oregon Aquarium while in Newport, and i always go to the tea shoppe that is walking distance from the hotel (strawberry tea and scones...mmm). And Toujour, my favorite boutique is in Nye, Chowderbowl is right there for marionberry cobbler and Whale's Tale down on the waterfront, or Georgie's Beachside grill for eats.
People thought this was:
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