SANDUSKY, Ohio – Sandusky is home to two of the biggest, best-known hotels in Ohio, Hotel Breakers on the Cedar Point beach and Kalahari Resort, with a massive waterpark just south of town.
The small lakefront city is also home to a growing collection of smaller, unique properties that may appeal to a wider variety of travelers, from families to couples to urban pioneers.
The new properties include a sleek downtown hotel, renovated roadside motel, two RV parks and a houseboat village.
Related: A Sandusky summer: Exploring downtown’s resurgence in one of Ohio’s best small towns
Hotel Kilbourne, with nine rooms in a historic building on West Water Street, opened in 2016 and proved there is interest in downtown lodging.
Fast forward to June 2024, when Sandusky natives Jen and Ed Torres opened the 10-room 419 Boutique Hotel on downtown’s E. Market Street.
“The area has been booming lately,” said Ed Torres, a carpenter by trade, who did much of the renovation 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’s across the street from their house – and turned it into a small hotel.
Each of the 10 overnight rooms, all on the second floor, has a kitchen and sleeps four. Torres plans to add a four-bedroom penthouse suite, with views of Lake Erie, next year. He’s also hoping to add a restaurant on the first floor.
The hotel is renting through Airbnb, with rooms starting at about $180, including fees. Eventually, the property will have its own website and direct booking capability, Torres said.
The property is a block from another relatively new lodging option, the Washington, open since 2022, with eight overnight suites in a 1890s-era mansion.
Also new in Sandusky
About 2 miles east of downtown, husband and wife team Lisa and Justin Brady, both former Cedar Fair executives, purchased the old Mecca Motel, gave it a complete renovation and reopened it in April as the 25-room Explorer Rest & Recreation.
In addition to rooms with king and queen beds, the motel also features family suites with queen bunk beds that sleep five, plus three two-bedroom suites and a three-bedroom house.
The motel, on U.S. 6 (Cleveland Road W) is close to both Cedar Point and the Cedar Point Sports Center.
The motel also will be adjacent to the Sandusky Bay Pathway, the multimodal trail that will eventually connect downtown Sandusky to Huron and beyond.
In addition, there’s a Berardi’s food truck onsite, serving up sandwiches and the restaurant’s famous French fries.
Room rates start at about $130. Information: explorerlodge.com
Stay on the water
Local entrepreneur Joe Lisa last year opened an overnight houseboat village in Sandusky Bay, near the entrance to Cedar Point. This year, he’s doubled the size of his houseboat fleet, including two with ensuite bathrooms.
There are a total of 20 properties to rent at SolStay, including three cottages on land and 17 on the water, on a quiet cove (mostly) protected from Lake Erie storms.
Most of the houseboats were built atop pontoon-boat bases and include a bed and small living space.
New this year: Five Lux boats, with air conditioning and heat, a small refrigerator and smart TV. Two of the five have bathrooms.
(Note: The houseboats without restrooms use a common bathhouse.)
Also here: kayak and paddleboard rentals, a hot tub and a floating sauna.
Nearby: Pipe Creek Wharf, a new waterfront restaurant, which opened this summer on River Avenue, a short walk from SolStay.
Rates start at $150 per night. Details: solstaylodging.com
Read more: New SolStay houseboat village offers on-the-water overnights in Sandusky
Bring your own bed
Sandusky is also home to two new luxury RV parks, including Bayfront Resort at Cross View, which opened in 2023 on First Street, on waterfront property between downtown and Cedar Point. The park features 39 RV spots, plus 10 waterfront cottages available to rent. The property also includes a small outdoor pool. Information: bayfrontresortohio.com
South of town, across U.S. 250 from Kalahari Resort, Sandusky RV Resort opened in May with more than 200 RV spots. The property features a heated pool and hot tub, playground, pickleball courts and a small fitness center.
Developed atop former farmland, the park doesn’t feature many trees – although a spokeswoman said trees will be planted in the coming months. Information: rvcoutdoors.com/sandusky-rv-resort
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
