WA Port Angeles Red Lion

[LoneStar]

This is the only waterfront hotel in Port Angeles (well, it's really more of a motel) and IMHO the folks paying full price (rooms seem to average almost $150) are really getting ripped off. I paid $70 on hotwire (after I couldn't get it cheaper on priceline) and it didn't feel like the bargain of a lifetime, but was certainly fair value for its very pleasant location. Free parking, too.

At check-in, they offered me a waterfront room for $30 more but I declined. Frankly, if you've got time to spend at the hotel, you're likely to be out and about along the waterfront until dark anyway, so you might also decide to save the dinero. I was travelling with kids and phoned ahead for a two-bedded room, and I got 2 queens with no difficulty. At check-in, they also offered to sell me $17 worth of breakfast vouchers for $10, which might not be a bad deal for 2 people if you've got time for breakfast (I had an early ferry to catch). Breakfast prices didn't look cheap (like $8/per person), but close to what diners in the area charge.

Rooms are in wings in typical old motel-style, but are pretty large and seem recently renovated with nice pillowtop beds and good linens. Comfortable enough, but not justifying the regular rates, IMHO.

Make sure you walk to the pier, right outside the hotel (there's also a longer coastal trail). If you look down on your walk to the pier, you'll see huge starfish and crabs. There's also a nice, small playground for kids there.

Even though the air temperature is likely to be cool, consider a swim in the hotel's pool (towels at the nearby front desk) which is heated to a comfy 80 degrees. There's also a hot tub.

Using a Restaurant.com coupon (see my Olympia RedLion review), I ate dinner across the street at the Landings Restaurant, located in the Victoria ferry building. Slightly disappointing ambiance (it's as much a bar as a restaurant, and the views are mediocre, even on the top floor), but the fried oysters and grilled salmon were good value at 50% off. Save some room to split a piece of the decadent chocolate cake.