Looking Glass Inn
861 SW 51st Street
Lincoln City, OR
Bay on one side. Ocean on the other.
This property is an Honorable Mention. It has been vetted and approved for our highest standards of cleanliness, safety, and operational excellence. While it is still evolving toward our full design-led designation, it is a proven, reliable anchor for any road trip. We recommend it with confidence.
About Looking Glass Inn
The Looking Glass Inn sits in the Taft District, the original townsite of what became Lincoln City, at the south end of town where Siletz Bay opens to the Pacific through a narrow inlet. The property's three floors of Cape Cod architecture face both directions, with bay views to the east and ocean views to the west on a stretch of the Oregon coast where the terrain offers both at close range. Continental breakfast is included with every stay. Most rooms have a whirlpool tub, gas fireplace, and private deck. Westover Inns, a family-owned company that has operated Oregon coast properties since 1976, runs the Looking Glass alongside four other coastal properties. The Taft District, named for President Taft who was in office when the original town platted, holds its own small commercial character, with local restaurants and shops within a short walk of the inn. Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge wetlands lie directly adjacent, drawing herons, egrets, and shorebirds to the tidal flats visible from the bay-side rooms.
What Looking Glass Inn Is Known For
The Looking Glass earns its standing in Lincoln City through consistent operational quality across decades: well-maintained rooms, continental breakfast included every morning, and a pet welcome that goes beyond a fee to a basket with local-area resources and dog supplies. The location in the Taft District, where Siletz Bay and the Pacific converge within walking distance of each other, is genuinely distinctive, and the inn has made the most of it by offering both bay-view and ocean-view rooms in the same building. A family-owned company running the same property since 1976 has the kind of accumulated local knowledge that shows in small ways: a responsive front desk, a grounds standard that holds through the off-season, a breakfast that is there every morning without exception.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- Breakfast Included
- WiFi
- Continental breakfast included
- Private deck with bay or ocean views
- Two-person whirlpool tub
- Gas fireplace
- Pet welcome basket with local guide
What Guests Love
- Continental breakfast is included with every stay, every morning, year-round. For a multi-night Oregon coast itinerary, a guaranteed morning meal without a restaurant reservation or a drive is a meaningful practical anchor.
- Bay and ocean views are both available from the same building. The Taft District location at the Siletz Bay inlet means the quiet bay-side and the open Pacific beach are each within a short walk, and the room choice determines which one greets you from the private deck.
- The dog welcome basket includes a sheet set for the furniture, treats, and a Lincoln City area guide. For pet-friendly travelers, this reflects a genuinely thought-out setup rather than a permission slip with a fee attached.
Worth Knowing
- The on-site parking lot runs tight for oversized vehicles, trailers, and large RVs. Confirm availability for larger rigs before booking.
- The three-story exterior-corridor building does not have an elevator. Rooms on upper floors involve stair access; confirm accessibility needs before booking.
- Pet-friendly rooms are available in a limited number and may book ahead during summer and holiday weekends. Book early if traveling with a pet.
- Westover Inns operates three properties in Lincoln City; if the Looking Glass is full, Pelican Shores and Shearwater Inn are nearby alternatives from the same family-owned company.
- The Taft District is at the south end of Lincoln City, about 3 miles from the center of town. Most of Lincoln City's shops and restaurants are concentrated along US-101 north of here.
The Room
Most rooms include a two-person whirlpool tub, gas fireplace, and private deck with bay or ocean views. Suite configurations offer separate sitting areas. Room options include king and queen beds across standard and suite categories. Each room has a refrigerator and microwave; coffee and in-room basics are standard. Pet-friendly rooms are available, each arriving with a dog basket stocked with a sheet set, treats, and a local area guide to Lincoln City. WiFi is included. The room decor is comfortable and consistent, in keeping with the Cape Cod exterior, maintained to the standard that Westover Inns has held across its coastal properties for decades.
The Grounds
The Looking Glass is a three-story exterior-corridor property. Each room opens to an outdoor walkway with access to its own private deck. Parking is free on site, though the lot runs tight for oversized vehicles, and it is worth confirming availability for larger rigs before booking. The bay-facing side of the property sits steps from the Siletz Bay waterfront and the National Wildlife Refuge tidal flats. A grassy common area at ground level provides outdoor space between the building and the bay edge. Taft District restaurants and shops are a short walk from the front entrance.
The Experience
Lincoln City's two-sided geography defines the experience at the Looking Glass: Siletz Bay on one side, the Pacific on the other, with the property sitting at the hinge point where the two meet. The Siletz Bay tidal flats lie adjacent to the property, where great blue herons and egrets feed at low tide. The beach at the inlet, where the bay current meets the ocean, is calmer and less crowded than the open coast to the north. Lincoln City runs a Finders Keepers program that places hand-blown glass floats on its beaches year-round; finding one is a local ritual that organizes at least one beach walk of any stay. Continental breakfast each morning is included. Cascade Head, a protected Sitka spruce headland with elk meadows and wide ocean views, is about twenty minutes north. The Taft District neighborhood around the inn holds its own small restaurant scene.
Details
Lincoln City, OR 97367
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Looking Glass Inn have WiFi?
Yes, Looking Glass Inn has WiFi.
What is there to do near Looking Glass Inn?
Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge: 0.1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Cascade Head Scenic Research Area: 10 miles, about a 20 minute drive. Roads End State Recreation Site: 7 miles, about a 15 minute drive.
How far is Looking Glass Inn from Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
0.1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Looking Glass Inn from Cascade Head Scenic Research Area?
10 miles, about a 20 minute drive.
How far is Looking Glass Inn from Roads End State Recreation Site?
7 miles, about a 15 minute drive.
How far is the Looking Glass Inn from the beach?
The Looking Glass Inn is in the Taft District, steps from the Siletz Bay beach at the inlet where the bay meets the Pacific. The bay-side beach is about a one minute walk from the property. The open ocean beach at the inlet is also accessible on foot from the same area.
Is the Looking Glass Inn pet friendly?
Yes. The Looking Glass Inn welcomes pets in select rooms. Pet-friendly rooms arrive with a dog basket stocked with a sheet set, treats, and a Lincoln City area guide. A pet fee applies. Pet rooms can book out during peak seasons; book early if traveling with a pet.
Does the Looking Glass Inn have a pool?
The Looking Glass Inn does not have a pool. Most rooms include a two-person whirlpool tub. The Siletz Bay beach and the Pacific coast are each a short walk from the property.
Is parking available at the Looking Glass Inn?
Yes. Free on-site parking is included with every stay. The lot can run tight for oversized vehicles and trailers; confirm availability before booking if you are traveling with a large vehicle.
Does the Looking Glass Inn include breakfast?
Yes. Continental breakfast is included with every stay, every morning, year-round.
Does the Looking Glass Inn have EV charging?
EV charging is not available on site at the Looking Glass Inn. The nearest public charging stations are in Lincoln City; check PlugShare for current availability and locations.
Do the rooms at the Looking Glass Inn have fireplaces?
Yes. Most rooms at the Looking Glass Inn include a gas fireplace and a private deck with bay or ocean views. Suite configurations also offer separate sitting areas.
How far is the Looking Glass Inn from Cascade Head?
Cascade Head Scenic Research Area is about 10 miles north of the Looking Glass Inn via US-101 and Savage Road, about a 20 minute drive.
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Things to Do Near the Oregon coast
Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge
0.1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
Steps from the Looking Glass Inn. A protected tidal estuary where Siletz Bay opens to the Pacific, the refuge draws great blue herons, egrets, dunlins, and migratory shorebirds to its tidal flats year-round. A short trail runs along the bay edge. At low tide, the flats are visible from the inn's bay-side rooms and accessible from the adjacent beach.
Cascade Head Scenic Research Area
10 miles, about a 20 minute drive.
About 10 miles north of Lincoln City via US-101 and Savage Road, about a 20 minute drive. A protected headland of old-growth Sitka spruce and grassland meadows managed jointly by the Nature Conservancy and the US Forest Service. The upper trailhead at the Cascade Head Trailhead reaches open headland with 900-foot elevation and wide Pacific views. Elk are regularly seen in the meadows. Whale sightings are common from the headland in spring migration.
Roads End State Recreation Site
7 miles, about a 15 minute drive.
About 7 miles north via US-101, about a 15 minute drive. A wild and relatively uncrowded beach at the north end of Lincoln City, away from the tourist concentration on the central coast. Sea stacks, tide pools, and a natural arch are accessible at low tide. The cove at Roads End is sheltered enough to hold calmer water than the open coast, making it a reliable spot for beach walking in most conditions.