Acanthus Suites - Explorer's Suite

Spacious Studio Downtown. Explorer's Suite (in a 5-unit building). Unit Sleeps 3 people.

The Explorer is one of 5 separate Suites to rent among the Acanthus House. The Explorer is located on the ground floor and equipped with a Queen size bed (an air mattress is also provided in the room) and kitchenette (no oven). This Suite offers a 3/4 bathroom with walk-in tiled shower. It is fully furnished with chairs, new small appliances and an electric fireplace. Wi-fi and a Smart TV is supplied for guests to log-in to their preferred streaming services.

Guests will find that one block from Acanthus Suites will bring you into the heart of downtown Friday Harbor, offering many delicious restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, ice-cream shops and art galleries, all within walking distance. On Saturday mornings the local San Juan Island Farmer's Market is a 5-minute walk from the Acanthus Suites!

Any or all Acanthus Suites can be rented for different group sizes!

The Acanthus House is one of Friday Harbor's first important historic homes. Built in 1913, it was a wedding gift for a wealthy merchant’s daughter. It has been beautifully restored. Located in historic downtown Friday Harbor; only 3 blocks from the ferry dock and Port of Friday Harbor and is an excellent option for those coming to explore the island and have a comfortable place to rest at night.

The internet / Wi-fi at this house should be sufficient for streaming video, phone calls, remote work and video conferencing.
Internet Speed Test Results… Download Speed: 204 Mbps -- Upload Speed: 57.9 Mbps -- Ping: 56 Ms
(Average of three tests that were conducted October 2024)

Parking available to guests.

**The Acanthus House rooms do not have Air Conditioning but do have a fan during summer months.**

**The Acanthus House rooms do not have kitchens or laundry facility but is close to restaurants and a laundromat.**

This Suite has good cell phone reception.

This is a Non-Smoking building.

Please be advised, yard maintenance may occur during your stay.

Vacation Rental Reviews

• Lovely visit

  Stayed 6 days ending in June, 2025

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  a guest from kennedy, NY recommends this vacation rental

  After 36 hrs.of flight delays and no sleep, we arrived and were gratefully allowed to check in
  early. Found it to be charming, quiet and just what we needed for our week-long stay on Friday Harbor.

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• What a gorgeous house!

  Stayed 4 days ending in April, 2025

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  a guest from Bridgeport, WA recommends this vacation rental

  First of all, this house must have been stunning before it was "cut up" into rentals. That being said, the remodel work is amazing with lots of care being taken to keep the feel of this home. Secondly, the place was immaculately clean. Also, the mattress was just right! Easy to find in the dark coming off the ferry; a short walk into town. A wonderful jumping off place for SJI, but also for the other islands if you want to check them out. One note: the kitchenette doesn't have a stove/burner, just a microwave, so if you plan on cooking The Explorer might not be for you.

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• Super Nice Place

  Stayed 2 days ending in March, 2025

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  Brenda H from Gresham, OR recommends this vacation rental

  We loved staying at the Acanthus. Lots of thoughtful touches. Spacious and beautiful, and well thin walking distance to shops and restaurants.

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• Weekday Excursion from the city

  Stayed 2 days ending in October, 2024

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  Dotti S from Seattle, Washington recommends this vacation rental

  The property is beautifully and the room was very comfortable and decorated nicely. I recommend bringing coffee as none is supplied and I really missed my cup of Joe while I got ready for my adventures. I will definitely be back.

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• Explorer Suite

  Stayed 9 days ending in September, 2024

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  Vicki A from Kansas City, MO recommends this vacation rental

  We enjoyed our stay and our suite was clean and spacious. I liked that it is quite & away from the heavy traffic areas. We will be staying again next time we visit.

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• Interesting stay in a great location

  Stayed 3 days ending in September, 2024

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  a guest from Santa Rosa, CA recommends this vacation rental

  Unique room, the old living room and dining room of a house. Comfortable and nice old woodwork built-ins. Location easy to walk (or bike) to anywhere in town.

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• Charming, inviting, and conveniently located

  Stayed 2 days ending in August, 2024

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  Heather D from Westerville, Ohio recommends this vacation rental

  Acanthus Suites (Explorer's Suite) was a great choice for our Friday Harbor stay. We brought our vehicle over for island explorations but enjoyed walking to the grocery, restaurants, and our whale watching trip from this convenient location. The suite was spacious, clean, and had everything we needed to enjoy our time on San Juan Island.

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• Wonderful walkable stay on San Juan Island.

  Stayed 2 days ending in August, 2024

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  Jill F from Seattle, WA recommends this vacation rental

  This was a great spot for my kids and I. The adventurer suite was spacious and comfortable. The suite was exceptionally clean. We loved walking to eat in town and easily could have left the car back in the mainland now that we know about the hop on hop off trolley. We would definitely stay here again.

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• Explorer's Suite

  Stayed 3 days ending in July, 2024

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  Lisa M from Ashburn, Virginia recommends this vacation rental

  This is a great location and lovely property with easy walking distance to downtown and plenty of parking. The bathroom door did not close completely, which was a minor issue with a teenager... loved the decor of the Explorer Suite. We wore worried about no AC, but the weather was perfect in July so didn't need AC. Fans were provided, which was nice. I would definitely recommend this property to others.

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• Lovely place to stay

  Stayed 2 days ending in June, 2024

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  Jonathan V from Seattle, Washington recommends this vacation rental

  Felt like we were in the captain's cabin of a boat while on land. Highly recommend a stay here and enjoy a relaxing vacation on the SJI and Orcas.

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• Perfect location

  Stayed 2 days ending in August, 2023

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  a guest from Seattle, WA recommends this vacation rental

  We wanted someplace walkable near town. This was exactly what we needed. And the beautiful craftsman details in the unit made it lovely to spend time there too. Couple of quirks- bathroom door didn't close completely and there was a livingroom lightswitch on the outside of the front door. Wasn't an issue...just odd! Would certainly stay here again

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• Lovely apartment right in town

  Stayed 3 days ending in August, 2023

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  Dan H from Danville, CA recommends this vacation rental

  Just a 5 minute walk to the harbor, this apartment is a terrific getaway for a couple.

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• Very nice place

  Stayed 4 days ending in May, 2023

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  Costello N from N/A, CO recommends this vacation rental

  Very nice place, I liked it for sure I’ll use it again Thank you

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• Lovely

  Stayed 7 days ending in August, 2022

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  Deborah V from Eugene, OR recommends this vacation rental

  The suite was clean and well-appointed. It had plenty of room and was walking distance to town. It was a pleasure to stay here.

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• Great place to stay in Friday Harbor!

  Stayed 2 days ending in July, 2022

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  Mary R from Sonoma, California recommends this vacation rental

  My suite was charming, clean, convenient to downtown Friday Harbor... a nice change from a hotel room! I also looked at the other rooms in this lovely Craftsman home, and they were nice too. So I'd be comfortable booking anything that this property company has available!

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• Great location in Friday Harbor

  Stayed 7 days ending in July, 2022

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  a guest from Westminster, CO recommends this vacation rental

  My husband & I enjoyed our stay in the Explorer room of the Acanthus suites. It’s a house that’s been converted into several guest rooms. Everyone staying was very respectful of each other & it didn’t seem too loud other than the house being old with squeaky floors. Our room was spacious & clean. While there was no kitchen, we did have plates, utensils, a small microwave & fridge. The fridge wasn’t very cold but it was sufficient for a few items. A few suggestions for the property; blinds or curtains over the small, square windows. Every morning the sun would beam in & directly hit your eyes while in bed. I would also suggest providing a bath mat/towel outside the shower & maybe some board games/cards. There’s so much empty shelves in the room. Instructions for the tv were not in the room when we arrived but we figured it out. Probably just an overlooked item. All around we had a great stay. We were walking distance to the ferry landing & rental car companies. We spent most of our time doing water activities & visiting Orcas & Lopez. The San Juan Island Brewery was amazing & literally walking distance right behind our house. We had an amazing trip!!! Location can’t be beat!

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• Great place

  Stayed 4 days ending in May, 2022

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  Patrick Z from South Jordan, UT recommends this vacation rental

  Fantastic experience

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• Acanthus Explorer's Suite

  Stayed 2 days ending in May, 2022

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  Michael C from N/A, CO recommends this vacation rental

  Such a lovely space, with amazing built-in wooden cabinetry, coffered ceilings and hardwood floors. Very clean. Incredibly convenient location to all downtown stores and amenities.

  • Manager Responded on 5/18/2022

    We are so happy to hear of your pleasant experience at the historic Acanthus Suites!

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• comfy home

  Stayed 2 days ending in April, 2022

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  Xuezhong W from Bellevue, Washington recommends this vacation rental

  I stayed with my kids in this historical house for two nights and we loved it. It's comfy and feels like home. It's within 5 min walk to downtown.

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• Great stay!

  Stayed 3 days ending in November, 2021

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  a guest from Seattle, Washington recommends this vacation rental

  Lots of room and very cozy. The second room has a dining table and writing desk and it was great to have some room to spread out. I loved staying in this historic home. Super close to everything in town.

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• Perfect Stay in Friday Harbor

  Stayed 4 days ending in August, 2021

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  a guest from The Colony, TX recommends this vacation rental

  I would book this in a heartbeat for my next trip to Friday Harbor. Not only is it a perfectly charming Craftsman suite, but it is within easy walking distance of everything! The front porch was a lovely place to unwind and reminisce about your day with other travellers at the house. It was a wonderful feature of our vacation!

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• Perfect walkable location

  Stayed 3 days ending in August, 2020

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  a guest from Ventura, CA recommends this vacation rental

  I enjoyed my stay in the explorers suite. The room was spacious and everything functional was updated (fridge, microwave, faucets etc) while the carefully selected decor had you feeling you’ve been swept to a simpler time. Turns out that I was sharing the house with a family with young boys and didn’t hear a peep, nor did they hear anything from me.
  
  Check-in was spectacular. Code entry and not having to keep a key in my pocket was ideal.
  
  I want to focus on the location. This place has ample parking for your vehicles which you will not need to use to get anywhere in Friday Harbor. You are close to King’s grocery store and even closer to a convenience store that has late-for-Friday-Harbor hours. This house is situated right at the edge of downtown Friday Harbor and every shop and restaurant is walking distance. If you do not have a car, it is VERY doable to walk straight from the dock to this unit.

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• Will stay again

  Stayed 4 days ending in July, 2020

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  Anthony A from Spokane , WA recommends this vacation rental

  Everything was great

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• Loved our Explorer's Suite!

  Stayed 2 days ending in August, 2018

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  Dana E from Sunnyside, WA recommends this vacation rental

  The room and all the accommodations were perfect. We flew in on Kenmore Air and walked the short distance to our suite. The customer service was excellent, calling us early in the day to let us know we could check in much earlier than scheduled. A great place to stay to explore Friday Harbor, all within walking distance and also the surrounding area. Trolley and taxis were very accommodating. Would highly reccommend.

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• The perfect getaway and vacation home!

  Stayed 4 days ending in September, 2017

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  Janie R from Nashville, TN recommends this vacation rental

  We absolutely loved our stay in the Explorer's Suite. It was exactly what we needed for our vacation- a comfortable, cozy and accommodating room with all that we needed. It was just off Spring street, walking distance to all of the restaurants and attractions which we loved. We even got stuck on the island an extra day and the management was so accommodating letting us stay an extra night. Thank you for making our getaway so relaxing, easy and highly enjoyable! San Juan is breathtaking and we will be back soon!

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• Charming rental

  Stayed 3 days ending in September, 2017

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  a guest from West Vancouver, B.C. recommends this vacation rental

  Clean, quiet, spacious, good parking,within walking distance to town and very convenient
  . Owner replaced the heater with no inconvenience to us.
  Nicely equipped so we could make coffee and a light breakfast.
  Also enjoyed sitting on the front veranda while having our G&T.

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• Wonderful

  Stayed 2 days ending in June, 2017

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  Wendy W from Wheaton, Il recommends this vacation rental

  We truly loved our experience in the Explorer's Suite. The decor was lovely. It was within walking distance to the town. Staff was responsive to needs.

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