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With the exception of Lopez Island, which has just a handful of rather homey inns, accommodations in the San Juans can be quite plush. Rosario Resort & Spa on Orcas Island and Roche Harbor Resort on San Juan Island are favorite spots for special-occasion splurges, and both islands have seen an influx of either new or luxuriously updated inns in recent years. These places often have perks like lavish breakfasts and on-site outfitters and tour operators.
At this bluff-top getaway, floor-to-ceiling windows, sleek, modern wood furnishings, and fabrics in serene hues fill the rooms—all of which have gas fireplaces, deep jetted tubs, Chemex pour-over coffee carafes, electric tea kettles, mini-refrigerators, and at least partial views of the marina, ferry landing, and San Juan Channel below. The ferries are especially enjoyable to watch dock after dark, when they're all lit up.
Outlook Inn caters to a range of budgets with its attractively appointed offerings, including basic options with shared bathrooms, mid-range rooms with king or double queen beds, and rambling bay-view suites with gas fireplaces, kitchenettes, and soaker tubs. Some rooms book up months in advance, especially those overlooking Eastsound Bay.
Thoughtful and friendly owners Anthony and Crystal Rovente operate this large Victorian-style farmhouse surrounded by gardens and framed by Fisherman Bay, where spacious rooms are each painted or papered in different pastel shades and furnished with simple antiques. Some have claw-foot tubs and brick fireplaces. In summer you can sip tea on the wraparound ground-floor veranda or relax with a book on the garden patio. The place looks as if it's at least a century old, but it actually dates from 1988. Bike rentals are available on-site and the owners can connect you to other island adventures too.
At this popular cottage resort and marina on the northwest side of the island, all of the units feature tall windows overlooking the water, high ceilings, well-equipped kitchens, knotty-pine wood paneling, gas fireplaces, and private decks. Each cottage sleeps up to four (even the one bedrooms have additional hideaway beds). You can book a kayak or whale-watching tour, leaving daily from the marina, and there's a small camp store and coffeehouse on-site.
