On Seaside's Prom: Part Oregon Coast Cottage, Part Upscale Hotel with History

Published 08/16/2019 at 12:33 AM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Seaside, Oregon) – Along Seaside’s Promenade, a long sampling of north Oregon coast history is available at just about every turn. One historic structure after another pops up, sometimes much older than they look, sometimes dotted with intriguing details that are cause for second glance.

Close to Seaside’s centerpiece, the big Turnaround and its homage to Lewis and Clark, sits one architectural wonder, exuding the charms of a bygone age. The Inn at the Prom lies right up against all the action of this buzzing Oregon coast resort of generations, and if its walls could speak it would tell many tales.

Inn at the Prom is one of the few truly oceanfront lodgings in Seaside, though it exists in two parts – one of which sits towards the back but well within earshot of the waves. There have been times in the hotel’s past that it’s been more ancient in vibe, but now its exterior and interior remodels give it a look that’s at once thoroughly modern, full of charm and yet with a general design that’s easily recognizable as something from Seaside’s early days.

Indeed, the front building that stares at the ocean’s chaotic wonders was originally a mansion built in the early 1900s. This is less than three decades after Seaside got its start, a town named for a hotel resort once on Ave. U that was built by railroad tycoon Ben Holladay, and not – as many think – named for the fact it’s a town by the seaside. The early mansion was likely there when the Prom was first built in the middle part of the first decade, then only a wooden construct. Back then, the beach here was not a wide stretch of soft sands as it is now, but about 100 or so feet of rocky, boulder-ridden slope that descended quickly to the beach.

The mansion saw that change as well. Right about the time the concrete Promenade was built in 1921, the jetties were built at the Mouth of the Columbia, completely changing the landscape of Seaside and most of the north Oregon coast from here northward.

Shortly after that, in the ‘30s, the mansion was divided up into apartments. Sometime after that it became a hotel.

The second section of the Inn at the Prom – the set of buildings pointed eastward – were a part of the hotel built in the 1950s. By then, with Highway 101 completed in the ‘40s and World War II behind us, tourism on the Oregon coast was booming and lodgings in Seaside were filled to the brim in the summertime.

Now, the Inn at the Prom’s latest incarnation is part beach cottage and part upscale hotel.

All the rooms are done in a soothing brown interior, with a hint of pastel sometimes. This is accentuated by the finer wood exteriors of the porches or balconies. Particularly spectacular are those ocean views from the upper floor, where you’re looking down on all the activity along the Prom as the waves bounce back and forth in the distance. The view is enhanced by that lovely green lawn below.

In the winter, this is a prime spot for storm watching, especially if you’re one of those that enjoy the feel and the sound of the winds smacking your walls and watching the waves engage in their wintry chaos. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, it’s a high tide and a winter storm surge combined, and you can watch waves get dangerously close to the Prom in complete safety. That’s a rare sight. The fireplaces here make those winter aspects even cozier.

There are larger suites that accommodate larger groups or families, and these can have a sprawling couch from which to lounge on.

Look for enticing winter packages during the low season, but there’s a romantic “dinner and a movie” package that’s available all year. 341 S Prom. Seaside, Oregon. 800-507-2714. Inn at the Prom Website Here. More photos of the Inn at the Prom below:

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The building in the early 2000s

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