We're going to the San Juan Isands in Washington for two nights and need some suggestions...?

We're only going to the islands as part of a larger trip that includes Olympic National Park, Seattle, etc... Everything seems so expensive. Are there any decently priced hotels/motels? We don't need anything fancy, we're only going to sleep there, and I don't care about massages, golfing, or fancy restaurants. Thanks.

The San Juans are a refreshing slice of America with a lot less development than you might think - I know on three of the Islands you won't find any chain stores of any kind (not even a McDonalds or a Starbucks), and there is only one chain hotel that I can think of.

What island are you staying on? What time of year are you going?

Lopez island has the Lopez Islander resort. There's a Best Western suites on San Juan Island in Friday Harbor. Everything else I've seen has been private inns and resorts.

If you are going in the off season, you might be able to rent a house for just a couple of nights. In the summer they'll require a full week's rentals however.

If you want to look for something on the mainland, search in Anacortes. There seem to be lots of hotels/motels there, and that's where you'd be picking up the ferry to the San Juans (assuming you aren't flying in....)


Good luck. The San Juan's are beautiful, but short of camping, it can be an expensive place to stay.

this is going to be hard. The San Juan Islands are a popular destination with not a lot of choices. So there is high demand which causes prices to be high. Might I suggest an alternative. You could try camping around the area. I'm pretty sure there are campgrounds around the islands. Another option would be to stay in bigger cities that are close to the ferry docks. They you could take a ferry to the San Juans in the morning and return to the city at night. There will be cheaper hotels in the cities.

I have rented houses on Lopez Island twice for less than I would have paid for a room in a hotel. You might want to look into that option, or maybe stay in Anacortes and just take the ferry for a day trip to the islands.

Might just try Friday Harbor's town location for less expensive....Friday Harbor Inn. Or on Orcas, why not just stay at the old hotel at the landing site? Yes, expensive, but the finest "rural" locations in the whole of the USA.