Motels and Hotels

Driftwood Inn (907/235-8019 or 800/478-8019, www.thedriftwoodinn.com [1]) is an unexpected gem in the rough. The historic main building has a wonderful common room with a stone fireplace, comfortable chairs for relaxing, Wi-Fi, and inexpensive breakfast and snack items. Several budget guest rooms ($70–75 d)—cute but basic—have shared baths, and a half-dozen “ships quarters rooms” ($80–85 d) provide only slightly more space than a ship’s bunk but come with private baths and a charming nautical interior; they’re not for anyone with claustrophobia. More standard units with private baths are $119–139 d.

Across the street is Seaside Lodge (owned by Driftwood Inn), a modern home overlooking Bishops Beach [2] and Kachemak Bay [3] with five guest rooms ($159–169 d), private baths, and a full kitchen. A separate two-bedroom cottage ($250 for up to 4 people) next door is also available. The latter two places are especially popular for weddings.

It’s hard to miss the Heritage Hotel (147 E. Pioneer Ave., 907/235-7787 or 800/380-7787, www.alaskaheritagehotel.com [4]). Built in 1948, this rambling log building has heart-of-town rooms for $119–129 d, and large apartment-style suites for $165 d. This is a love-it-or-hate-it place; some folks rave about the classic guest rooms, while others prefer something more modern and complain of thin walls and the older furnishings. There is free Wi-Fi.

Pioneer Inn (244 W. Pioneer Ave., 907/235-5670 or 800/782-9655, www.pioneerinnhomerak.com [5]) is an unpretentious downtown motel with standard guest rooms for $109 d and five large apartment-style units with full kitchens for $119 d. The TVs are miniscule, but the rooms are very clean and the owner makes you feel at home.

Popular with fishers are three units over the Sport Shed (907/235-5562, Apr.–Sept.), a fishing shop. These studio units—all with full kitchens and water views—are $95 d plus $5 for each extra guest.

Ocean House Inn (1065 Krueth Way, 907/235-3294 or 888/353-3294, www.homeroceanhouse.com [6]) sits atop a low cliff facing the Homer Spit [7], with beach access, private entrances, a large hot tub, Wi-Fi, and a guest computer. Accommodations encompass rooms and suites ($139–159 d) with microwaves and fridges, along with condos ($209–259 d) containing full kitchens.

Spread across four buildings on a gentle slope, Ocean Shores Motel (451 Sterling Hwy., 907/235-7775 or 800/770-7775, www.akoceanshores.com [8]) is an old-fashioned plain-vanilla place, with prices matching your proximity to the water: $149–179 d. A few $99 rooms are popular with fishers who don’t care much about where they sleep.

Located on the hillside as you drive into Homer [9], Bay View Inn (907/235-8485 or 800/478-8485, www.bayviewalaska.com [10]) has older rooms and kitchenettes ($119–129 d), plus a suite and a cottage ($179 d) with full kitchens. The incredible panoramic K-Bay vistas are the real attraction, and the picnic tables out front are perfect for a summer evening.

Advertised as Alaska’s only beachfront hotel, Land’s End Resort (907/235-0400 or 800/478-0400, www.lands-end-resort.com [11]) occupies the very tip of Homer Spit, with bay-and-mountain views from some rooms, a waterside hot tub, a little exercise pool, and Wi-Fi in the lobby. The 84 rooms range greatly in price and quality, from $126 d for an economy unit facing the parking lot to $221 d for luxurious two-room suites in the new building. The in-house restaurant features a big back deck on the water and an upstairs reception hall that’s popular for summer weddings. Also available are a number of elaborate condos (Land’s End Lodges) that line the beach. Downstairs studio apartments are $325 d, and more impressive upstairs two-bedroom apartments cost $450 d.

Alaskan Suites (907/235-1972 or 888/239-1972, www.alaskansuites.com [12], $265 for up to 5 people) consists of five modern cabins on the west side of Homer, each containing two queen beds, a fridge and a microwave, a private bath, and Wi-Fi. The panoramic views include Kachemak Bay [3] and several volcanoes.