Drifters: Sylvia Beach Hotel

by | Nov 19, 2014

There are many notable places to stay on the Oregon Coast, but one spot in particular speaks to true book lovers. Perched on a 45-foot bluff just above the ocean in Nye Beach, you’ll find the literary-themed Sylvia Beach Hotel.

Set in an aquamarine building that dates back more than a century, 20 illustriously adorned rooms pay homage to great writers. The eclectic and inventive décor is reminiscent of that very cool aunt you love to visit who always tells wild stories, serves exotic tea and has wind chimes.

In the winter, you’ll want to stay in one of “The Classics” ocean front rooms (named Agatha Christie, Colette and Mark Twain) with views of the surf, private decks and fireplaces. Storm watchers will delight in the howl of the ocean and creek of the old building as it waves in cadence with the wind.

Other rooms with ocean views (some which peek out to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse) are from the “Best Sellers.” Find elegance in design with the Jane Austen and Emily Dickinson rooms, an ode to the old world with Shakespeare and wizardry with JK Rowling. If it’s open, the clever bedside reading lights in the John Steinbeck room (part of a fantastic wall mural) are a must-see.

Only a few rooms don’t have ocean views, the “Novels” which include Oscar Wilde, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jules Verne and Gertrude Stein. Not to fret, as the shared library for the hotel spans the west side of the third floor, and has a wood burning fireplace and many overstuffed reading chairs and couches that face Pacific waves.

One of the great treasures of the hotel is that there are no televisions, radios, or telephones in the rooms and no WiFi. It’s the ideal spot for a reading and writing retreat. There’s even a resident cat (Shelly) to warm your lap as you get lost in the pages of a winter read.

As for which books to bring, here’s a selection of Oregon wine books organized by room type for your bedside table:

  • From The Classics, try “Boys Up North: Dick Erath and the Early Oregon Winemakers by Paul Pintarich or “At Home in the Vineyard” by Susan Sokol-Blosser.
  • Escape with Novels set in Oregon wine country that range from the humorous “Vertical” by Rex Pickett to a suspense/mystery by Judy Nedry titled “An Unholy Alliance.”
  • For two books that provide one of the “best seller” portraits of the heart of Oregon wine, try Brian Doyle’s entertaining The Grail: A year of ambling and shambling through an Oregon vineyard in pursuit of the best pinot noir wine in the whole wild world”and “Voodoo Vintners: Oregon’s Astonishing Biodynamic Winegrowers” by Katherine Cole.

The Sylvia Beach Hotel || 267 N.W. Cliff, Nye Beach, OR || sylviabeachhotel.com 

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Kerry Newberry

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