Waterfront Luxury Hotel Bellwether A Harbor Highlight In Bellingham
When did we get our first hint that the Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham is up-, up-, upscale?
Was it when we first drove up and noticed the detached Lighthouse Suite, a 900-square-foot specialty suite shaped like a lighthouse tower?
Or was it when we walked into our (non-lighthouse) suite and saw the Thermo-Masseur Ultra Bath?
No, for us it was when we looked at the coffee machine in our room and discovered that the coffee packs were not from Folgers or Maxwell House or even Starbucks. They were from Torrefazione, the fanciest of Italian-style roasters.
The Hotel Bellwether is a Torrefazione kind of place in a town that until now was lacking a fancy waterfront luxury hotel. The Bellwether opened in August, perched on a thumb of land right on Bellingham Bay, next to Bellingham’s Squalicum Harbor. This is the city’s waterfront center, where yachts, fishing boats and water taxis bob side by side.
The Hotel Bellwether is aimed at tourists, business travelers and Canadians down for a luxury weekend. But it is also of interest to people like us - the parents of Western Washington University students, looking for a special place to stay while visiting the offspring.
Of course, people paying college tuition may not be able to afford a hotel like this, but at least until March, there’s good news on that front. The hotel is not quite finished (workers are busily hammering away on a big ballroom and conference center across the entrance drive), so the hotel is offering “pre-opening rates” through March.
That means standard rooms are $149 to $179, deluxe rooms are $189, and suites are in the $200-plus range. That’s still pricey, but apparently a bargain compared to what’s to come.
And we’ve got to admit, the Hotel Bellwether supplies a full range of creature comforts for the price. Our standard suite had a king-sized bed with a goose-down comforter, two big TVs (one in the bedroom and one in the sitting room), three telephones with high-speed fiber-optic Internet access, a gas fireplace and Italian-style wrought iron scrollwork mounted on the walls.
The bathroom alone was somewhat of a palace. Besides the Thermo-Masseur Ultra Bath, it also had a separate glass-walled shower enclosure and tiles made of marble and granite.
Some hotels strive to be “just like home.” This one strives to be just like Bill Gates’ home.
Luxury is nice, but the best thing about staying here is the location. Our room was just 20 yards from Bellingham Bay, and we spent hours staring out at the San Juan Islands in the distance. It was even more entertaining to observe life in the huge marina in the foreground. We watched yachters preparing sailboats for weekend excursions, and crabbers firing up their diesels for a day’s work on the bay.
Every day, we walked out of the hotel and hit the walkway that extended all the way along the harbor and into the fascinating shops and docks of Squalicum Harbor.
We admired two-masted wooden sailing ships, inspected pens where small salmon were being raised and walked through rows of working boats, many of which ply the Canadian and Alaskan fishing grounds to the north. We even came across a small ocean museum where we examined ling cod, sea cucumbers and starfish in an artificial tidepool.
The Bellwether has an elegant (and elegantly appointed) restaurant called the Harborside Bistro. We decided to splurge and have dinner there, and we weren’t sorry. I would especially recommend one of the chef’s specialties: A coconut-lime seafood chowder. Instead of milk or cream, the base is coconut milk and lime. Mussels and clams float in this sweet-tart base, as well as shrimp and chunks of salmon. Chili oil is sprinkled across the surface.
My favorite spot in the hotel, however, was the Sunset Lounge, which is my idea of a romantic bar. The walls are burnished wood. The decor consists of music-themed paintings and antique clocks. A pianist played tastefully at a grand piano.
A European-style continental breakfast is included in the price of the rooms. This is the only breakfast buffet I’ve ever seen that included slices of Italian prosciutto.
For those who want real elegance, the Hotel Bellwether offers a British-style high tea every afternoon. However, at $19 each, that was too rich for our blood. If you want champagne with your tea, the price is $23.
Fancy rooms and fine furnishings are only part of what puts the luxury in a luxury hotel. The rest is service, and the Bellwether could still use some work on that part of the formula. For instance, there was no doorman or bellhop on duty when we arrived or when we left. Patrons schlepped their own bags. Believe me, this would not happen at, say, the Four Seasons Olympic.
Still, this hotel is already the place to stay in Bellingham. And for a truly special occasion - a honeymoon, for instance - you might want to check out that Lighthouse Suite. Until March 31, it’s a mere $599 a night.
Make that an extremely special occasion.
This sidebar appeared with the story: IF YOU GO Hotel Bellwether
Getting there: The Hotel Bellwether sits on Bellingham Bay in Bellingham’s waterfront center. Bellingham is 90 miles north of Seattle.
Rooms: Through March, standard rooms are $149 to $179, deluxe rooms are $189, and suites are $200-plus.
Each room features a gas fireplace, CD player, color TVs, high-speed Internet access and terry bathrobes.
Reservations: (877) 411-1200 or e-mail reservations@hotelbellwether.com. Information: www.hotelbellwether.com