Whatever your price range, you’ll have to reserve ahead for a room in Seaside during the summer and on weekends and holidays (especially spring break). If you do, chances are you’ll be able to find the specs you’re looking for, given the area’s array of lodgings and over 1,500 hotel rooms. The Seaside Visitors Bureau’s helpful website provides comprehensive listings (www.seasideor.com).

Generally speaking, there are three lodging areas in Seaside. First, there are several modern motels along busy U.S. 101, about eight blocks from the beach. If you’re just passing through or waited too long to call for reservations, these offer inexpensive rooms, but little in the way of beachside charm.

A second grouping of hotels is in the center of Seaside, along the Necanicum River. These have a quieter riverside setting but still aren’t beachfront (though you won’t have to cross U.S. 101 to get to the beach).

Finally, there are numerous hotels that face directly onto the beach or are just a short stumble to the strand. Even here, there’s quite a difference in price between rooms that face the beach and those that face the parking lot.