South Pier Inn

So happy we picked an independently owned hotel. The care and service we received was remarkable! Perfect location along the water and for bridge viewing. We were on the first floor an no complaints about the view. It was perfection. We saw several large ships. You can see rooms and exterior on line. What I really liked about South Pier are the small, thoughtful touches. Binoculars, robes, two luggage racks, umbrella, waters in the room. They have fresh cookies and baked goods in the lobby. Complimentary postcards and stamps. This is a small but hidden gem. Conveniently located you could want the downtown area if you wanted but you are also on the “beach” side of the bridge. When we walked along the back side of the property we found the cutest little south pier garden. There are outdoor chairs and a fire pit out front but also chairs out back to watch the sunset over the mountains. Our bed was comfy had a topper on it and my husband raved about the pillows. I am sure I am forgetting things hut highly recommend. Felt the price was reasonable for the amenities. Thank you for lovely stay!

Wonderful place to stay! Our favorite when in Duluth. Get the bridge view room and watch the ships from the room or patio

Area, atmosphere.

My sister and I recently stayed at the South Pier Inn in Duluth, right at the foot of the world famous Aerial Lift Bridge, and the experience was fantastic. Our suite featured a balcony, a whirlpool for two, a gas fireplace, cozy robes, and a spectacular view of the water and the ships as they entered the harbor.

The front desk staff were incredibly helpful and welcoming. The continental breakfast also exceeded our expectations, and the breakfast area offers beautiful views of the harbor while you start your day.

One of the highlights of our stay was the complimentary daily walking tour along the ship canal led by Rand, a truly gifted storyteller. The tour is filled with Duluth history and fascinating stories. If you attend on consecutive days, you may hear entirely different details depending on the questions people ask.

My sister and I enjoyed the experience so much that we’re already planning to make this an annual girls’ trip.

Staying at The South Pier Inn in Duluth Minnesota (May 20-22, 2026) was a wonderful experience due to the friendly and helpful front desk staff (Tyler, Lucas & Isaiah), amazing views of the bay, city and lift bridge, delicious continental breakfast options, relaxing hot tub in the room, comfortable bed, clean room & bathroom with soft robe and towels, beautiful tulips & other flowers in Betty's garden along the bay and the Inn location is an easy walk to Canal Park. Watching the lift bridge and the cargo ships go in and out of the bay from The South Pier Inn room was a memorable experience. I highly recommend reserving a room on the lift bridge side of the South Pier Inn. You'll be glad you did!!

My partner and I were in the duluth area for our friends’ wedding, and this hotel was the perfect place for a weekend getaway. Walking distance to all the fun shops and restaurants in canal park, but just far away enough to be calm and quiet. The view from the lakeside room was incredible, perfect for bird watching (pigeons and seagulls mostly). We would highly recommend this hotel and will stay here again the next time we’re in the area. A bit pricey but worth the splurge, imo.

What a great hotel in a fantastic location. Our room was very nice, spacious, great bathroom with walk in shower, very clean and amazing views! Everyone at the front desk was very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was good, just a continental breakfast but very fresh and good.

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South Pier Inn is our go to spot in Duluth. Close to Cannel Park and a great view of the ships coming in and out of Duluth. Comfortable room and the ones that face the harbor or cannel have a large spa type tub. The rooms offer a quiet setting as there is no common hallway. The only noise one may hear is the larger ships saluting the bridge and the lift bridge returning the salute back. The check in and out is a great staff and in the morning they offer a modest simple serve yourself breakfast.

quiet- nice daylighting- friendly atmosphere- lovely private yard area and front seating outside. Access to Canal park and downtown by foot--walkability!!

The hotel is at the quiet end of the Lift Bridge. A quick walk to the tourist area, yet in a quiet and wonderful location.

The rooms are beautiful, comfortable and immaculate with great attention to all of the details.

The staff are very helpful and have good suggestions to make your stay even better

The bed was comfortable

We just returned home from an amazing stay in Duluth MN at the South Pier Inn. The room was wonderful, the view sublime, and the staff was friendly, helpful, and delightful...from cleaners, to front desk, to owners! We will be heading back again in the fall for another stay, and to enjoy the outdoor patio and firepit while waiting for massive great lakes freighters to glide by just a few yards away. If you're a history buff, join part-owner Rand on one of his morning walking tours. He shares fascinating stories about the canal, the bay, shipping, the city, ship wrecks, the one-of-a-kind aerial lift bridge, and all sorts of interesting and unusual facts he has stored in his head!

The room was very nice and clean. The view was amazing and seeing the ships come in up close was a highlight for sure!! The staff was helpful and friendly. Getting to the hotel was easy. Definitely plan on staying again.

The room was very lovely, clean and comfortable. The hotel was quite full when we stayed but it was very quiet! We enjoyed a wonderful walk around the property and across the lift bridge. The view from our room was amazing and the location couldn't have been better for ship viewing! We truly enjoyed our stay!

We stayed at the hotel 12th and 13th of May. The location is great, right by the lift bridge so you can see the bridge lift go up and down and the ships passed in and out of the harbor from your room or from your deck. The rooms were nice, a separate room for the bedroom from the living area, so if someone wants to stay up and watch TV, your partner can go to sleep uninterrupted. The rooms are very clean and our room had a kitchenette with a mini fridge, microwave, and a sink, as well as a hot tub and a fireplace. There was a continental breakfast and warm cookies in the lobby every day. You are within walking distance from the Canal Park with lots of good restaurants, shops, museums the aquarium and many other attractions.

We stayed at the hotel 12th & 13th of May. The location is great, right by the lift bridge so you can see the bridge lift go up and down and the ships pass in and out of the harbor from your room or from the deck. The rooms were nice, a separate room for the bedroom from the living area, so if someone wants to stay up and watch TV your partner can go to sleep uninterrupted. The rooms were very clean and our room had a kitchenette with mini fridge, microwave, and sink, as well as a hot tub. There was a continental breakfast and warm cookies in the lobby every day. You are within walking distance from the Canal Park with lots for good restaurants, shops, museums, the Aquarium and many other attractions.

South Pier Inn far exceeded my expectations. rare for me. i was there mainly to see the ore boats, so i booked in advance and got room 202 facing the bridge. the picture online looked nice enough, but when i entered the room its hard to describe how happy i was. the view was amazing and i can't really imagine there are too many accommodations in that area, of that caliber, with a better view. the room itself was fantastic, nicely appointed, spotless. the cherry on the cake was that the reason i wanted the view was in case something came through late at night, I wouldn't have to get dressed and walk down to the canal. low and behold, the james r barker departed at 9:45, not on the schedule, late for me, and all i had to do was slide out onto the balcony and take it all in. the "barker bark", loud as it is, is even louder on that balcony. just fantastic. wouldn't change a thing.

Great room and location just thought it was a little expensive. I am from Las Vegas and have never paid 500.00 for a room that was kind of basic. That fireplace was nice and the tub was dirty. We have to clean it before we used it.