Wake Up to Homemade Breakfast Carried to Your Door
Wake up to a knock and the smell of fresh baking: tell the owners the night before what time you want breakfast, and there is a good chance it arrives at your door the next morning, with warm muffins, scones and waffles and eggs cooked to order carried over from the kitchen while the pines outside are still cool. That single touch is what guests at Pinecone Motel remember, and it is the reason this unassuming roadside motor inn in Penobsquis keeps winning guests over with the warmth of its owners. You are eight kilometres east of Sussex on Route 114, deep enough into the pine grove to hear birdsong and crickets rather than the highway, yet only a couple of minutes from the Trans-Canada when you want to push on.
This is an owner-run place that does the simple things properly. Across 20 spotless ground-floor rooms you will find comfortable beds guests single out, quiet air conditioning from a mini-split heat pump, satellite TV and a small kitchenette corner for snacks, plus a private bathroom with a bath and shower. The owners, a husband-and-wife team, run reception, bake the breakfast and check you in themselves, and guests describe them coming to the room to explain the TV and the heat pump, or setting aside snacks for a late arrival. Don't picture a polished modern hotel. Picture a clean, characterful, budget stopover where free parking sits right in front of your door and the welcome is the whole point.
Clean Ground-Floor Rooms in a Quiet Pine Grove
The motel is a low, single-storey block tucked under tall pines, with red-shuttered windows, a carved Pine Cone sign by the road and a wide lawn dotted with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs. Every room is at ground level with parking directly outside, which makes loading the car and reaching your door genuinely easy, and the building has no stairs to climb. Inside, the surprise guests mention again and again is how clean it is for an older motel: spotless rooms, comfortable beds, satellite TV and a tidy private bathroom with a bath and shower, with enough in-room fittings to keep snacks cold and warm a drink. The owners have been quietly modernising too, de-carpeting some rooms, repainting, fitting new locks and refreshing bathrooms, while keeping the nostalgic roadside character that gives the place its charm.
Be straight with yourself about two things before you book, and you will likely leave a fan. The decor is rustic rather than contemporary, and the Wi-Fi, while free throughout, is genuinely slow and occasionally drops, so download your maps, music and shows before you arrive. The flip side is a peaceful, well-kept stay that punches well above its budget price, with a campfire the hosts will help you set up, a barbecue and picnic grounds, and that homemade breakfast each morning. If you want quiet, ask about the rooms set back from Route 114, and if you are travelling as a small group, the Queen Room with Two Large Double Beds gives you extra sleeping space for a modest step up.
A Characterful Fundy-Region Stopover near Poley Mountain
What turns a tidy roadside motel into a returner's favourite here is the combination of genuine hospitality and a handy location. You are in rural Kings County, the gateway between the Bay of Fundy and the Trans-Canada corridor, with the campfire grounds, barbecue and grassy pine-shaded lawn part of the appeal once you arrive. Outside, the hosts will help you get a fire going under the pines, point you toward the nearest bakery, and send you off with directions for the day. It is the kind of place road-trippers crossing the Maritimes remember long after the chain hotels blur together.
The motel makes an easy base for the region. Poley Mountain, southern New Brunswick's main ski and snowboard hill, is a genuine 15 to 20-minute drive (not the 400 yards some listings wrongly claim), and Fundy National Park, home to some of the highest tides on earth, is about a 45-minute run down Route 114 toward Alma. The town of Sussex, the self-styled Covered Bridge Capital of Atlantic Canada with its hand-painted murals, cafés and craft breweries, is just a few minutes west, and the dramatic clifftop drives of Fundy Trail Provincial Park make a rewarding longer day trip. One honest note for planning: payment is Visa, Mastercard or cash only, and there is no restaurant on site, though the Timberland restaurant next door and Sussex's dining are close at hand. Choose Pinecone Motel if you want a warm, characterful, well-priced Fundy stopover and care more about how you are looked after than about thread counts.
Why Book Pinecone Motel?
Pinecone Motel is strongest for road-trippers, couples and Fundy-region travellers who want a clean, friendly, budget stopover with a real homemade breakfast and free parking, and who value genuine owner hospitality over fast Wi-Fi, a restaurant or modern decor.
Breakfast to your door
A homemade made-to-order breakfast (muffins, scones, waffles and eggs cooked to order) that the owners will often carry right to your room at the time you ask for it.
Owner hospitality guests rave about
A husband-and-wife team who run reception, cook the breakfast and go out of their way for guests, the strength every review returns to.
Free parking, Fundy-region base
Free on-site parking in front of every ground-floor room, with a campfire and barbecue grounds, near Poley Mountain and minutes from the Trans-Canada Highway.
Best-fit guests
Best for road-trippers and couples touring the Fundy region who want a clean, friendly, well-priced stopover with a real homemade breakfast, and who don't need fast Wi-Fi or modern decor.
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Interesting Points About Pinecone Motel
- Tell the owners your preferred breakfast time and they will often carry the homemade meal straight to your door, with one guest sent fresh muffins, scones and waffles to the room at 7am exactly as requested
- The grounds include a fire pit ringed with Adirondack chairs, and the hosts come out to help guests get a campfire going under the pines on a quiet pocket of lawn above Route 114
- Two errors that travel listings repeat are corrected here from on-the-ground checks: parking is free on-site directly in front of the rooms, and Poley Mountain is a genuine 15 to 20-minute drive away, not the 400 yards some listings claim
- Owners have been quietly refreshing the older rooms, de-carpeting some, repainting and fitting new door locks and refreshed bathrooms, while keeping the original roadside-motel character intact
Rooms & Accommodation at Pinecone Motel
Queen Room
Sleeps 2 · 25 m² · Queen bed · Garden view · Non-smoking
The entry tier and the easy pick for two, a 25 m² ground-floor room with a queen bed, a seating area to spread out in, satellite TV, a fridge, microwave and toaster, and a private bathroom with a bath and shower, all looking onto the garden. Guests single out the beds here as genuinely comfortable. Best for solo travellers and couples who want a clean, peaceful, budget stopover and the made-to-order breakfast delivered to the room. Choose this if the seating corner and the lowest rate matter more than extra beds.
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Queen Room with Two Large Double Beds
Sleeps 4 · 25 m² · Two double beds · Garden view · Non-smoking
The roomier tier, a 25 m² ground-floor room with two large double beds, satellite TV, a fridge, microwave and toaster, and a private bathroom with a bath and shower, looking onto the garden. Guests single out the beds here as genuinely comfortable. Best for families and small groups who want extra sleeping space without paying much more, or two travellers who like their own bed. Choose this over the standard Queen if the second double bed earns its modest price step-up for your trip.
Check PricesIs Pinecone Motel Right for You?
Best Suited For
- Road-trippers and stopover travellers: a clean, friendly, ground-floor base on Route 114, minutes from the Trans-Canada, ideal for a one-night break
- Breakfast lovers: a homemade made-to-order breakfast each morning that the owners will often deliver right to your door
- Couples: rated highly for two-person trips, with a warm welcome and a quiet pine-grove setting
- Fundy-region visitors: an easy base for Fundy National Park, the Fundy Trail and Sussex's covered bridges
- Winter skiers: Poley Mountain, southern New Brunswick's main ski hill, is a 15 to 20-minute drive away
- Value seekers: beds guests call genuinely comfortable, spotless rooms and free parking at a budget price
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- You need fast, reliable Wi-Fi: it is free but slow and sometimes drops, so download maps and entertainment first
- You want a modern, contemporary room: this is an older roadside motel with rustic decor, though spotlessly kept
- You want an on-site restaurant or bar: there are none, but the Timberland restaurant is next door and Sussex dining is minutes away
- You rely on cards other than Visa or Mastercard: payment is Visa, Mastercard or cash only, so bring a backup
- You are travelling with a pet: pets are not allowed, and the motel is non-smoking throughout
- You need an in-room coffee maker or hairdryer: some rooms do not have these, so pack your own if it matters
Amenities & Facilities
In-Room
- Air conditioning from a mini-split heat pump, plus heating
- Private bathroom with bath, shower and free toiletries
- Fridge, microwave and toaster
- Satellite TV, radio and alarm clock
- Desk and carpeted floors
- Not available: In-room coffee maker or hairdryer (not in all rooms)
Food & Drink
- Free homemade made-to-order breakfast, often delivered to the room on request
- Fresh muffins, scones, waffles, eggs cooked to order, cereal, fruit, yogurt, toast and tea or coffee
- Barbecue grills and a picnic area on the grounds
- Not available: On-site restaurant or bar
Grounds & Outdoors
- Fire pit and campfire, with the hosts helping you set it up
- Large grassy area with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs
- Garden, terrace and deck
- Not available: Pool, gym or spa
Connectivity
- Free Wi-Fi throughout, though slow and sometimes patchy
Parking & Transport
- Free on-site self-parking directly in front of the rooms
- Saint John Airport (YSJ), about 75 km, roughly an hour by car
- Greater Moncton Airport (YQM), about 80 km, roughly 55 minutes by car
- Not available: Airport shuttle
Policies & House Rules
- Payment by Visa, Mastercard or cash only
- Children of any age welcome (children 7+ charged as adults); no cots or extra beds
- Check-in 15:00–23:00; check-out by 11:00; late arrivals by prior arrangement
- Not available: Pets
- Not available: Smoking indoors
On Route 114 in Penobsquis, near Sussex
Pinecone Motel sits at 12808 Highway 114 in the rural community of Penobsquis, in Kings County, southern New Brunswick, about eight kilometres east of the town of Sussex. The single-storey rooms are set back in a pine grove on the bay side of Route 114, with free parking in front of every door and the Trans-Canada Highway only a couple of minutes away. Some travel listings file the property under Sussex because it is the nearest recognised town, but the actual address and postcode are firmly in Penobsquis on Route 114. It is a classic Fundy-region road-trip stopover, quiet enough to hear birdsong and crickets at night.
This stretch of Kings County is the gateway between the Bay of Fundy and the Trans-Canada corridor. Sussex, the self-styled Covered Bridge Capital of Atlantic Canada, is a few minutes west with hand-painted heritage murals, cafés, craft breweries and a distillery, plus the 8th Hussars Regimental Museum and a golf and curling club nearby. Poley Mountain, southern New Brunswick's main ski and snowboard hill with 32 trails and a 200-metre vertical drop, is a genuine 15 to 20-minute drive (not the 400 yards some listings claim). Further out, Fundy National Park is about a 45-minute drive down Route 114 toward Alma, home to the Bay of Fundy's record tides, and the clifftop lookouts of Fundy Trail Provincial Park make a rewarding longer day on the coast.
Almost everyone arrives by car, which suits the motel and its free on-site parking. There is no passenger rail in Sussex, though Maritime Bus serves the town with a daily link to Saint John. The two nearest airports are Saint John Airport (YSJ), roughly 75 km and an hour away, and Greater Moncton Airport (YQM), about 80 km and 55 minutes via Route 1 and Route 114. For more options across the country, browse our other stays in Canada.
- Town of Sussex: 8 km · a few minutes' drive west. The Covered Bridge Capital of Atlantic Canada, with murals, cafés, breweries, a distillery and shops.
- Trans-Canada Highway access: About 2 minutes' drive. Quick on and off the highway, which makes the motel an easy Maritime road-trip stopover.
- Poley Mountain: 15–20 min drive (not 400 yd). Southern New Brunswick's main ski and snowboard hill, with mountain-bike runs in summer.
- Fundy National Park: About 45 min drive · ~32 km via Route 114 toward Alma. The Bay of Fundy's record-breaking tides, coastal trails and waterfalls.
- 8th Hussars Regimental Museum: 7 km · in Sussex. Heritage of Canada's oldest cavalry regiment, a short drive from the motel.
- Sussex Golf & Curling Club: 5.8 km · short drive. A local golf course and curling club, with a driving range a few minutes from the motel.
- Fundy Trail Provincial Park: Longer day-trip drive toward the coast. Clifftop lookouts, a suspension footbridge and dramatic Bay of Fundy ocean-edge driving.
- Saint John Airport (YSJ): 75 km · about an hour by car. The nearest airport, with Greater Moncton (YQM) a similar distance to the north.
Getting to Key Locations
Photo: Tango7174, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fundy National Park
45 min drive
About a 45-minute drive down Route 114 toward Alma, Fundy National Park sits on the Bay of Fundy, where the difference between high and low tide can reach the height of a four-storey building. Coastal trails, waterfalls and the famous tidal flats make it the marquee day trip from the motel, and it is the single biggest reason road-trippers use Pinecone Motel as a base.
View on Map
Photo: Leonora (Ellie) Enking from East Preston, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0
Poley Mountain
20 min drive
A genuine 15 to 20-minute drive away, not the 400 yards some listings claim, Poley Mountain is southern New Brunswick's main ski and snowboard hill, with 32 trails, a 200-metre vertical drop and over 100 acres of skiable terrain in winter. Once the snow clears it becomes a mountain-biking destination, which makes the motel a practical year-round base for the hill.
View on Map
Photo: LeonardoDog, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fundy Trail Provincial Park
A longer day-trip drive toward the coast rewards you with clifftop lookouts, a suspension footbridge and one of the most dramatic ocean-edge drives on the Atlantic seaboard. Guests at the motel single it out as worth the detour, and it pairs naturally with a wider loop down to Fundy National Park and the Bay of Fundy shore.
View on MapHow to Get to Pinecone Motel from Saint John Airport
- Leave Saint John Airport: From Saint John Airport (YSJ), the nearest airport, pick up your rental car or arrange a taxi. Most guests reach Penobsquis by car, as there is no passenger rail and only a limited bus link into the area.
- Join Route 1 eastbound: Take Route 111 then Route 1, the Trans-Canada, eastbound toward Moncton, and continue roughly 60 to 70 km to the Sussex area.
- Exit for Sussex onto Route 114: Take Exit 198 for Sussex and Sussex Corner, then follow Route 114 east through Sussex toward Penobsquis, a few minutes on from the town.
- Arrive at the motel on Route 114: Pinecone Motel is at 12808 Highway 114 in Penobsquis, on the right as you head east, with free self-parking in front of the rooms. From Greater Moncton (YQM), take Route 2 and Route 1 westbound and exit onto Route 114, about 55 minutes.
Sussex, Penobsquis & the Fundy Region
Penobsquis and neighbouring Sussex sit in the green farm country of Kings County, the gateway between the Bay of Fundy and the Trans-Canada corridor. Sussex calls itself the Covered Bridge Capital of Atlantic Canada, and its compact downtown is worth an afternoon: dozens of hand-painted heritage murals, independent cafés, Sussex Ale Works and a craft distillery, plus the 8th Hussars Regimental Museum telling the story of Canada's oldest cavalry regiment. Just up the road, Poley Mountain is the region's main ski and snowboard hill in winter and a mountain-biking destination once the snow clears, while the motel's own pine-grove, farm-country setting, all birdsong, crickets and campfires, is part of the appeal.
Within an hour you can reach Fundy National Park, home to some of the highest tides on earth, where the water can rise the height of a four-storey building, and the spectacular clifftop driving of Fundy Trail Provincial Park. Summer, from June to September, is the season for Fundy road trips, warm evenings on the campfire grounds and the Atlantic Balloon Fiesta in Sussex in September, when 30 hot-air balloons lift off twice daily over Princess Louise Park. Some guests say you can see the balloons from the motel deck. March and November are the quietest and cheapest months, and winter brings a steady stream of Poley Mountain skiers. Bring a car, build in a night or two on a Fundy loop, and tell the owners your breakfast time the evening before.
Watch: the Bay of Fundy tides
The world’s highest tides at Hopewell Rocks, filmed on the ocean floor at low water and again once the sea returns, with a clear explanation of why the Fundy tides run the way they do. It is the classic day out from Route 114.
Is Pinecone Motel worth booking?
Yes, if you want a clean, friendly, budget roadside motel near Sussex where the owners cook a homemade made-to-order breakfast and often carry it to your door, with free parking in front of every ground-floor room and a campfire under the pines: guests single out the staff and the comfy beds, and it ranks the top-rated of four hotels in Sussex. Skip it if you need fast Wi-Fi, a modern contemporary room, an on-site restaurant or card payment beyond Visa and Mastercard, as none of those are here.
What Guests Say About Pinecone Motel
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Fabulous
Guests consistently single out the genuine, hands-on owner hospitality and the homemade made-to-order breakfast, frequently carried right to the door, as the best things about Pinecone Motel, with spotless rooms, comfortable beds and a quiet pine-grove setting earning repeat praise. The hosts draw the warmest feedback of any part of the stay, with the comfortable beds close behind. The honest trade-offs are an older, rustic building and free Wi-Fi that is slow and occasionally drops, which most guests happily forgive for how well they are looked after.
I rolled in late and warned the manager I would miss the usual breakfast time, so he kindly set aside some snacks for me. A really thoughtful touch.
Glen
Two nights here, and although the building shows its age, the owners clearly look after it beautifully. A continental spread was set out in the office each morning and the hostess fried our eggs exactly how we like them. The one downside was the Wi-Fi, which was very slow.
Such warm, welcoming hosts who make you feel completely at home from the moment you arrive. The bed was wonderfully comfortable and the homemade breakfast is a lovely touch.
Spotlessly clean rooms, and the couple running the place could not have been more welcoming or helpful. Breakfast was made to order, and the spot works well for Fundy National Park and Fundy Trail Provincial Park. The only catch was the Wi-Fi, which did not work during my stay.
A genuinely pleasant stay. Our host went well beyond the basics, popping by the room to walk us through the TV and the mini-split heat pump, and breakfast turned up at our door at 7am just as we had asked. Very impressed.
A handy one-night stop while passing through. The couple who run the motel are lovely and the breakfast hit the spot.
The kindest hosts we could have hoped for. They happily helped us extend our stay and carried breakfast straight to our room each morning. Honestly, there was nothing I would change.
It exceeded every expectation. A campfire is on offer and the welcoming hosts came out to help us get it going, and a hot breakfast was brought round to the room in the morning.
Good to Know Before You Book
Breakfast can come to your door
The complimentary homemade breakfast (muffins, scones, waffles and eggs cooked to order) is a genuine highlight. Tell the owners your preferred time the evening before and they will often deliver it to your room, sometimes setting snacks aside for a late arrival who will miss the usual breakfast window.
The Wi-Fi can be slow, so plan ahead
Wi-Fi is free and available throughout, but the signal is patchy and occasionally drops out altogether, which is the one recurring grumble in guest reviews. Download your maps, music and shows before you arrive so a weak connection does not catch you out.
Visa, Mastercard or cash only, and free parking
Payment is by Visa, Mastercard or cash only, with no other cards or methods accepted, so bring a backup. Parking is free on site and sits directly in front of the ground-floor rooms, which makes loading the car and reaching your door easy.
Check-in is 15:00–23:00, so call ahead if late
Check-in runs from 15:00 to 23:00 and the owners are well known for accommodating late arrivals by prior arrangement, so let them know your timing. Cancellation and prepayment terms vary by rate and room type, so check the conditions for your chosen option before you book.
Photos of Pinecone Motel
Frequently Asked Questions
Pinecone Motel is at 12808 Highway 114, postcode E4G 2Y8, in the rural community of Penobsquis, about eight kilometres east of the town of Sussex, New Brunswick. Some travel listings file it under Sussex because that is the nearest recognised town, but the actual address and postcode are firmly in Penobsquis on Route 114. The Trans-Canada Highway is only a couple of minutes away, which makes it an easy Fundy-region stopover.
Fundy National Park is about a 45-minute drive, roughly 32 km down Route 114 toward Alma, where the Bay of Fundy has some of the highest tides on earth. Poley Mountain, southern New Brunswick's main ski and snowboard hill, is a genuine 15 to 20-minute drive away, not the 400 yards that some listings wrongly show. The town of Sussex is just a few minutes west.
Yes, a complimentary homemade breakfast is included. The owners bake fresh muffins, scones and waffles, cook eggs to order, and lay out cereal, fruit, yogurt, toast and tea or coffee, usually from around 7am. It is a genuine highlight, and if you tell them your preferred time the evening before, they will often deliver breakfast right to your room.
Yes, parking is free on site at Pinecone Motel and sits directly in front of the ground-floor rooms, so you can park by your door. Despite an out-of-date entry on one listing that says otherwise, free self-parking is confirmed and most guests arrive by car for a Fundy or Trans-Canada road trip.
Wi-Fi is free and available throughout, but it is honestly slow and patchy, and some guests report it dropping out entirely, which is the one recurring complaint in reviews (it is the weakest-reviewed part of a stay here). Download any maps, music or shows you need before you arrive so a weak connection does not catch you out.
Exact nightly rates depend on the room type and your dates, and the current price is shown before you confirm. There are two room types: the Queen Room, with a queen bed and a seating area, and the Queen Room with Two Large Double Beds for families or small groups. Both are 25 m² ground-floor rooms with a private bathroom, air conditioning, a fridge, microwave, toaster and satellite TV.
Pets are not allowed at Pinecone Motel and the motel is non-smoking throughout. Children of any age are welcome, though children aged 7 and over are charged as adults, and cots and extra beds are not available. Bring a backup payment method, as the motel takes Visa, Mastercard or cash only.
You can reach Pinecone Motel by phone on +1 506-433-3958. Check-in runs from 15:00 to 23:00 and check-out is by 11:00, and the owners are well known for accommodating late arrivals by prior arrangement, so call ahead if you will be late. Cancellation and prepayment terms vary by rate and room type, so check the conditions for your chosen option before you book.
Other Great Stays in Canada
More Stays in Canada
Browse our other Canadian hotels and guides when you are planning a wider trip beyond Sussex, Penobsquis and the Fundy region of New Brunswick.
Ready to Book Pinecone Motel?
An owner-run pine-grove motel near Sussex where a homemade made-to-order breakfast comes to your door, with free parking in front of every ground-floor room and a campfire under the pines. The owners' welcome is the reason guests come back.
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