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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Tuesday Travel Classics: The Majestic Hotel

Our Travel Classics feature takes us back to the United States’ Pacific Northwest this weekend for a stay at The Majestic Inn and Spa in Anacortes, Washington. . .

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Telling friends that we celebrated The Scout’s birthday a few weeks ago at this charmer in the middle of the Historic District in Anacortes, a city about an hour and a half north of Seattle, their response is the same: 

VeniceSanJuanIsl 265“Anacortes? Isn’t that where you catch the ferry to the San Juans and Victoria, B.C.?”

One and the same! 

But if you’ve only driven to the ferry, you’ve missed some great Northwest history and a true Travel Classic hotel.





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One of our favorite places in this wood-framed charmer -- that houses a spa, bar, restaurant and meeting rooms -- is its teeny-tiny top where there’s a surprisingly spacious sitting room for the use of guests.  From its comfy chairs there’s a 360-degree view that takes in a bit of the San Juan islands, Guemes Channel, the town’s sprawling commercial district and its Cap Sante Marina.

The hotel building dates back to the late 1800’s; a time during which the town was booming with hopes of being the transcontinental railroad terminus.  Staff members told us that this enormous building was moved to its present location in the early 1900’s from one several blocks away. The move, done by horse teams pulling the building on log skids, spanned an entire summer.

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Guest rooms have been modernized and an elevator carries guests to all but the top, the fifth, floor these days. 

JEBdayWA2013 003We’d opted for one of the favored corner rooms on the top floor which required climbing a flight of stairs. . .but the room and its deck made that climb worth it.

(It was too cold to sit outside but we often stepped outside to enjoy the view from our perch high above town. That’s our deck just on the roof line.)

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Our room, one of 21 in the hotel, had a sitting area and wet bar with small refrigerator, television, and en suite bath.

A French press coffee maker was provides and the front desk provided as many packets of fresh ground coffee as we wanted.

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JEBdayWA2013 002We paid $147, plus tax, for a mid-week stay in February. Rates on this room can go as high as $309 in mid-summer (and these corner view rooms go fast).

The hotel’s popularity has prompted the construction of an annex, scheduled to be opened in late Spring 2013.  We suspect those rooms will also be luxurious, but we’ll be opting for the old building every chance we get.

What's there to do in Anacortes? Come back on the weekend when our travels will take us out and about in this charming waterfront town and nearby Guemes Island  in our WAWeekend series.

If You Go:

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The Majestic Inn and Spa, 419 Commercial Ave., Anacortes, 98221, toll-free 877-370-0100, www.majesticinnandspa.com

Have a Travel Classic to recommend? Use the comment section below or if you’ve received this in your inbox, send us a quick email. Happy Travels and thanks for stopping by today!

7 comments:

  1. My cup of tea but what a shame you couldn't spend more time out on your terrace--you will have to go back! :)

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    1. That's one of the drawbacks to Northwest travel: great views, beautiful decks and bad weather to keep you from enjoying the two together!

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  2. Your posts are always so interesting.I've never been in USA but I suppose there are endless of beauties and variety of landscapes and possibilities. The season you have choose to visit Greece is the best!You will certainely check it ! Big hugs Olympia

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    1. Olympia, we can hardly wait to board the plane! Thanks for your visit today.

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  3. What a view to enjoy on a summer evening though the prices sure get steep!! It's a very handsome building. I didn't know this place existed but as with many people we were focused only on the ferry.
    I'd like to visit this area when all the tulips are out.

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    1. Tulip season is scheduled to begin in 10 days Leigh. Hop a plane and come on down!

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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