Help me find a resort!

July 7, 2010 9:23 PM

I need a hotel or a resort, a very special resort. Within a 5 hour drive of Seattle (but not on the ocean itself -- we're going there later in the summer), a big comfortable lobby/lounge to play games, read, talk. Something nice outside, but really, in the Pacific Northwest, that's pretty much a given. Old and funky is fine, new and posh also fine. I'm looking for something memorable.

There really are no other parameters. TV or none, pool or none, good food or vending machines. Money is only an issue if we get into the many many hundreds a night. The key is the lounge, where it really does feel good to hang around together.

posted by kestralwing to Travel & Transportation (15 answers total)

Rent a ski lodge near Snoqualmie Pass (or similar) during the summer. They're huge, cheap, luxurious, well equipped, full kitchens, etc, and the lounge(s) are big enough for a dozen or more people. You'll want to bring your own food though.
posted by -harlequin- at 9:28 PM on July 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

Timberline Lodge east of Portland OR.
posted by Joleta at 9:30 PM on July 7, 2010

Point No Point in Sooke, BC. A bit pricy, but worth it when the weather is good.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:45 PM on July 7, 2010

The Lake Quinault Lodge has a great lobby/lounge area that's easy to hang around in all day. Here are a few pictures, found on flickr.
posted by Balonious Assault at 9:52 PM on July 7, 2010

Salish Lodge, above Snoqualmie Falls
Freestone Inn, in the Methow Valley
Sun Mtn Lodge, also in Methow
Good luck!
posted by sapere aude at 10:11 PM on July 7, 2010

How about Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood? It's open year round and getting a reservation for a room in the summer isn't all that hard. I've stayed there and it was amazing. And yeah, there are lots of big open public areas, which during ski season would be crowded as hell but in summer are very nice.

I think you could reach it in five hours from Seattle, or maybe six. (It's about 3 hours from Portland.)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:37 PM on July 7, 2010

As others have said, Timberline is exactly what you're asking about. It's four hours from Seattle and (contra Chocolate Pickle) no more than 90 minutes from Portland.
posted by dersins at 12:21 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

The Paradise Inn at Mt. Rainier also has a great main lobby, with couches, tables and great little areas to hang out. We were there only one night, but really enjoyed it.
posted by chiefthe at 4:44 AM on July 8, 2010

I was thinking of Timberline Lodge, as well. Especially since the exterior was used in The Shining.
posted by dormouse at 4:51 AM on July 8, 2010

The rooms at Timberline are kind of pricey and ugly. Do the virtual tour at their website.
posted by codswallop at 5:14 AM on July 8, 2010

Rosario Resort on Orcas Island. (It's not the ocean, it's the Sound!)
posted by ErikaB at 5:40 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

Timberline Lodge is your answer. The rooms are pricey, but not, in my opinion, ugly. They're rustic and quaint. The lodge, and its view of the peak, are breathtaking. I could spend weeks there and never grow tired of exploring the lodge or the mountainside.
posted by unclejeffy at 6:02 AM on July 8, 2010

Oooohhh check out the many cool and funky hotels that McMenamins has to offer. They renovate old theatres and schools and such and the spaces are unique. several of the hotels have movie theaters, and one has a disc golf course on the front lawn.
posted by OHenryPacey at 8:35 AM on July 8, 2010

Salish Lodge!

(Holds special significance for Twin Peaks fans)
posted by brand-gnu at 8:41 AM on July 8, 2010

I attended a wedding at Mountain Springs Lodge and stayed two nights. It was a wonderful hang out place for friends and family. It is near Leavenworth, Washington.
posted by coolsara at 3:29 PM on July 8, 2010