Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa (Pacific City, Oregon)

Head Out. Stay In. Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa in Pacific City is a stunningly beautiful destination, designed for relaxation and rediscovery. Immerse yourself in warm hospitality and unpretentious luxury.

Long shot of pink and violet sunset at Haystack Rock, Pacific City, Oregon. A few people are walking on the beach in the distance.

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Lodge Life
Oceanfront Rooms
Spirit of Headlands
Adventure Awaits
Tidepools Spa & Wellness Center
Dining at Meridian at Headlands
Contact Headlands
Pacific NW Food, Wine & Dining

When I was a little girl, I lived on the Oregon coast for five glorious summers. One of my most enduring memories from that time is of standing on the edge of the world, looking out into the great vastness of the Pacific Ocean and wondering if somewhere out there, there was a little girl on the other side of the water looking out and wondering about me.

Recently, Mr B and I were invited to stay at the newly opened Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa in Pacific City, Oregon, and as I sat outside on our room's lovely little private balcony enjoying a few moments of splendid solitude, I found myself once again looking out into that great unknown, and listening to the wind race and the waves crash, and remembering those two little girls an ocean and a lifetime away.

Wooden deck chair from behind, overlooking Haystack rock and a misty ocean.

Lodge Life

Many thanks to the Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa for hosting our stay.

Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa is a stunningly beautiful destination, expressly designed as a place to relax, recharge, restore, and rediscover. From the moment you walk through the massive glass and wood front doors, you will find yourself surrounded by warm hospitality, rich wood finishings, and unpretentious luxury.

Wood beam and glass entrance doors to Headlands Resort. Large metal geese in flight as handles.

Located adjacent to Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area in Pacific City, Headlands Coastal Lodge has been twenty years in the making. Owners Mary Jones and Jeff Shons spent those years designing and redesigning the lodge, with the goal of creating a luxury destination that takes full advantage of the Oregon Coast’s rugged natural beauty, and highlights the incredible views of Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock.

You can find the personal influences of Mary Jones and Jeff Schons throughout the lodge. For example, the “Haystack Rock Wall“ showcases a rotating collection of the work by local artists - all featuring the iconic rock. Local art lines the halls and adorns room walls as well.

Looking down long hallway lined with wood beams and paintings of coastal scenes.

Looking down long hallway lined with wood beams and glass windows.

Mary, who teaches cooking classes to lodge visitors, keeps a kitchen garden just off this gorgeous, hardwood hall.

Looking out window onto kitchen garden with raised boxes growing various herbs on patio.

Oceanfront Rooms

Each and every one of the 33 oceanfront rooms at Headlands comes with a balcony and an unobstructed view of Haystack Rock (the Pacific City one, not the Cannon Beach one).

Interior of lodge room, with boxy striped cushions and couch.

Each and every one of the 33 oceanfront rooms at Headlands comes with a balcony and an unobstructed view of Haystack Rock (the Pacific City one, not the Cannon Beach one).

Editorial: As a lifetime Oregonian, I have never understood why a state with nearly thirty names for rain cannot come up with two unique names for two geographically distinct monolithic rocks adjacent to the beach. C'mon, people!

Metal railing, Haystack Rock in distance, with overcast, midday ocean. — The view from our balcony. [Room 111]

Uniquely, Pacific City is one of the few places in Oregon where you can drive right out onto the beach. Automobile beach access is literally right next door to Headlands, making it particularly appealing for those who may have mobility challenges.

Mattress firmness is always a personal issue. That being said, Mr B and I sleep on a lot of hotel mattresses, so I can say with some authority that the mattresses at Headlands are some of the most comfortable we've ever slept on.

Bed made up with white and brown linens, with large, dark brown padded headboard.

Mr B and I were absolutely fascinated with the glass-walled shower in our room. The cast iron soaking tub is comfortably sloped and long enough to stretch out in, and generously accommodating for both solo or companion bathing. One of us (not naming names or anything) took both a shower and a bath in one night!

Cast iron soaking tub with wooden soap ladder and brass fittings.

Let's take a closer look at this shower set-up, shall we? I mean, this is so cool! You can stand in the shower and look out onto the beach - while you shower!!

Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa | The Good Hearted Woman

Our room came with a host of luxury amenities. Mr B and I were both intrigued with the high-tech "Do Not Disturb/Make Up This Room" door card system. To alert resort staff that you are away and your room is ready to be made up, guests need only press "Heading Out" on a switch just inside their room's entry door to light up a small green "go" light on the room number placard in the hall outside. Conversely, pressing "Staying In" lights up a red "stop" light, letting staff know that you'd like some privacy.

Clock with weather information below picture of geese flying over a quiet coastal scene.

Additional room amenities include a gas fireplace, Bonavita brewing system and freshly ground coffee, Smith tea service and tea kettle, bluetooth lantern speaker, in-room safe, iPad for requesting services, and complimentary WiFi. Well-placed bike hooks and surfboard racks can also be found in every room. In fact, I couldn't think of a single thing they forgot to include, but if I had, I'm pretty sure someone would have gotten it for us!

Surf board hooks hanging on wooden wall.

As if there weren't already enough to love about this place, the entire lodge, as well as many of the guest rooms, are dog-friendly!

Woman sitting in a chair looking at her phone with a large dog laying at her feet.

Spirit of Headlands

Everywhere you turn at Headlands, you will see the subtle influence of the cackling geese: soaring gracefully across the wrought-iron front door pulls, the front entry desk, the room placards and restaurant menus; even the art on the guest room walls. The cackling geese not only provide a striking logo image, but offer a metaphor for the spirit that Headlands espouses: rugged, beautiful, and ready for adventure. We found the background on these exceptional birds quite interesting.

Pacific City is the only wintering spot in the world of the Semidi Island Aleutian Cackling Geese. Each year, the geese fly south more than 2,000 miles from their small Alaskan nesting islands to Oregon’s North Coast. Every evening during their annual Pacific City stay, they leave the grassy pastures in the Nestucca Valley and soar across a mile of ocean to roost on Haystack Rock—the same towering monolith that Headlands guests can see from their rooms and cottage.

Headlands offers guests surprises around every corner. The stunning "live metal" in the image above can be found in the main lobby's huge, gender-neutral restroom.

Each of the lodge's three floors also has a "honor pantry," well-stocked with top-shelf snacks and local favorites, like as Tillamook Ice Cream pints and One Fork Farm Caramels.

Honor pantry fridge contents, including ice cream and more ice cream.

Adventure Awaits

Most luxury hotels offer complementary concierge service, but Headlands, embracing the adventurous Pacific Northwest spirit, takes the idea to the next level.

"Adventure Coaches" help guests plan specialized adventures - everything from kayaking, clamming, and cooking classes to hiking, biking, and beach bonfires. (Don't worry if you didn't bring a bike: you can get a loaner in the lobby.) They'll even pack you a lunch from the hotel restaurant! The day Mr B and I spent with the Headlands Adventures Coaches was wet and blustery, so we chose a cooking class over kayaking.

Adventure center office with map of Oregon coast in background.

Tidepools Spa & Wellness Center

Whether you're in the mood for a good workout, a relaxing soak, or just some quality me-time, Headlands in-house spa and wellness center can accommodate your needs.

Rolled white towels stacked outside glass spa doors.

Tidepools offers both indoor and outdoor exercise options, including a well-stoked weight room, Pilates classes, beach yoga, and surf lessons. (Yes folks, we really do surf here in Oregon.)

Collage: Interiors of Tidepools Spa, including tile and wood lined sauna, lemon water, and massage table.

If you're in the mood to relax, you can get a massage or facial, or take a soak in the outdoor hot tub and enjoy the striking ocean view.

Dining at Meridian at Headlands

Meridian at Headlands offers guests a Pacific Northwest-focused menu in a casually elegant setting. Ingredients are locally sourced from the ocean, local farmers, and Mary's Herb Garden. (I'll be posting more about Meridian, as well as a recipe from Executive Chef Andrew Garrison, in upcoming posts.) Briefly, the meals we had there were fresh, well-composed, and beautifully presented.

Rolled lox, pickled onions, arugula greens, and capers on beige plate at Meridian. Grey coffee cup in background.

Finally, as far as Oregon coastal accommodations go, Headlands has a decidedly high-end price-tag, but Mr B and I both agree that it is well worth it. Headlands Coastal Lodge would be a perfect destination for a special occasion or well-earned getaway... or when you just need to stare out into the ocean for hours on a windy winter evening and wonder who's on the other side of the world.