SANDUSKY, Ohio – Sandusky is home to two of Ohio’s largest and most famous hotels, the Breakers hotel on Cedar Point beach and the Kalahari Resort, which features a massive water park, south of town.
The small lakeside town is also home to a growing number of smaller, unique accommodations that could appeal to a wider range of travelers, from families to couples to urban pioneers.
New properties include an elegant downtown hotel, a renovated roadside motel, two RV parks and a houseboat village.
Read more: A Summer in Sandusky: Exploring the Downtown Resurgence in One of Ohio’s Best Small Towns
The nine-room Hotel Kilbourne in a historic building on West Water Street opened in 2016, proving there was interest in downtown lodging.
Fast forward to June 2024, when Sandusky natives Jen and Ed Torres opened the 10-room 419 Boutique Hotel on E. Market Street downtown.
“The area has been booming lately,” says Ed Torres, a carpenter by trade who did much of the renovation work on the hotel himself. “There aren’t enough short-term rentals or small hotels in downtown Sandusky.”
So the Torresses bought the former Buckeye Cable building – it is across the street from their house – and turned it into a small hotel.
Each of the 10 overnight bedrooms, all on the second floor, has a kitchen and sleeps four people. Torres plans to add a four-bedroom penthouse suite with views of Lake Erie next year. He also hopes to add a restaurant on the first floor.
The hotel rents through Airbnb, with room rates starting at about $180 including fees. Eventually, the hotel will have its own website and the option to book directly, Torres said.
The property is one block from another relatively new lodging option, The Washington, which opened in 2022 and features eight overnight suites in an 1890s mansion.
Lobby of the Kilbourne Hotel in downtown Sandusky.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
Sandusky natives Ed and Jen Torres converted the former Buckeye Cable building into the elegant 419 Boutique Hotel.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
The new Explorer Rest & Recreation Motel in Sandusky has 25 rooms – and a Berardi’s Food Truck.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
The family suite at the new Explorer Rest & Recreation in Sandusky features a queen bunk bed and a day bed.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
Also new in Sandusky
About two miles east of downtown, husband and wife Lisa and Justin Brady, both former Cedar Fair executives, purchased the old Mecca Motel, completely renovated it and reopened it in April as the 25-room Explorer Rest & Recreation.
In addition to king and queen rooms, the motel also offers family suites with queen bunk beds that sleep five, as well as three two-bedroom suites and a three-bedroom house.
The motel on US 6 (Cleveland Road W) is close to Cedar Point and the Cedar Point Sports Center.
The motel will also be adjacent to the Sandusky Bay Pathway, the multimodal trail that will ultimately connect downtown Sandusky to Huron and beyond.
There is also a Berardi food truck on-site serving sandwiches and the restaurant’s famous French fries.
Room rates start at about $130. Information: explorerlodge.com
Offering eight rooms for overnight rentals, the Washington is just a short walk from downtown Sandusky.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
View from the window of a luxury houseboat at SolStay Lodging in Sandusky.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
Kayaks for rent and all-weather ping pong at SolStay Lodging in Sandusky.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
Stay on the water
Local entrepreneur Joe Lisa opened a houseboat village with overnight accommodations in Sandusky Bay, near the entrance to Cedar Point, last year. This year he has doubled the size of his houseboat fleet, adding two boats with private bathrooms.
SolStay has a total of 20 rental properties, including three land-based cottages and 17 waterfront homes, located in a quiet cove that is (mostly) protected from Lake Erie’s storms.
Most houseboats are built on pontoon boat floors and have a bed and a small living area.
New this year: Five luxury boats, with air conditioning and heating, a small fridge and smart TV. Two of the five have bathrooms.
(Note: The houseboats without toilets use a shared bathhouse.)
Also available here: kayak and paddleboard rentals, a hot tub and a floating sauna.
Nearby: Pipe Creek Wharf, a new waterfront restaurant that opened this summer on River Avenue, a short walk from SolStay.
Rates start at $150 per night. Details: solstaylodging.com
Read more: The new houseboat village SolStay offers overnight stays on the water in Sandusky
Cabins for rent at Bayfront Resort at Cross View in Sandusky.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
Bring your own bed
Sandusky is also home to two new luxury RV parks, including the Bayfront Resort at Cross View, which will open in 2023 on First Street on waterfront property between downtown and Cedar Point. The park has 39 RV sites as well as 10 waterfront cottages available for rent. The property also includes a small outdoor pool. Information: bayfrontresortohio.com
South of town, across from the Kalahari Resort on U.S. 250, the Sandusky RV Resort opened in May with over 200 RV sites. The property features a heated pool and hot tub, a playground, pickleball courts and a small fitness center.
The park was built on former farmland and does not have many trees – but a spokeswoman said trees will be planted in the coming months. Information: rvcoutdoors.com/sandusky-rv-resort
The new Sandusky RV Resort, south of town on US 250.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
Swimming pool at the new Sandusky RV Resort.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
New waterfront restaurant at Pipe Creek Wharf in Sandusky.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
