Listen to this article 12 min
The hospitality industry is making a huge comeback and the wedding business is experiencing what’s being called its biggest season in four decades.
So, jumping on that segue into weddings, I hopped a ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge on a recent early morning, the first ferry ride I’ve had in a while.
I went there to attend the island wedding of banking executive Mary Bass to construction consultant Jeff Jelinek, held at the Manor House at Pleasant Beach Village, a development owned by Windermere founder John Jacobi.
It was easily the most beautiful, intimate, magical, emotional wedding I’ve ever attended.
Who knew that the banker bride had the most gorgeous, angelic professional soprano voice, and came down the aisle to the recorded music of her own solo with the Magnolia Chorale, in John Rutter’s Magnificat.
It felt very European, with the couple’s favorite Italian fare and the tables named for Italian cities.
The weekend weather was perfect, complete with a bluebird sky. I spent two days there at the Inn at Pleasant Beach, in a luxury suite with river-rock fireplace, its own outside entrance and stone steps leading down to quaint shops and restaurants.
If you have never stayed there before, it will have you wondering why not. I will definitely go back.
While there, I explored Bloedel Reserve with its lush plantings and 2-mile trail with twists and turns that delight; a nearby wildlife preserve where I spotted nothing more than an owl that stared me down; and the dazzling glass building right near the ferry dock that is the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA). This best-kept secret should be a must on anyone’s list.
Named by CNN as one of America’s best small town museums, BIMA is wrapping up a show-stopping George Tsutakawa exhibit, which drew me in for hours.
The Tsutakawa exhibit soon makes way for “Project Aurora” by renowned artist Ginny Ruffner, a two-story light show and a tapestry of jaw-dropping holographic images. This Ruffner retrospective runs from Oct. 14 to Feb. 15, 2023.
What an uplifting way to spend time — a kind of staycation. And what a wonderful way to get our heads out of the daily news of violence and shattered dreams and into at least a short time experiencing the wonder we find in nature and in the love of each other.
Another great local escape — and there are so many — is Kirkland’s Woodmark Hotel and Still Spa at Carillon Point — one of my favorite hangs over the years because of the comfy yet elegant feel.
Its location on the shores of Lake Washington, where the stunning views give a whole new meaning to the phrase “water, water everywhere.”
The surprise is that this popular boutique 100-room luxury hotel has had a very recent $1 million facelift in the lobby and patio areas, completed under General Manager Rod Lapasin and his team.
Lapasin, who has been working in hospitality for 43 years, says the spaces were redesigned with increased luxury and comfort.
“We are their friend with a lake house with all the comforts of home, while offering magnificent views of the Olympic Mountain range and stellar sunsets over Lake Washington,” Lapasin says.
Some lake house ... I should be so lucky! Everything redesigned, rearranged, reimagined and more plush inside, with subtle nature colors that blend with the many moods of the blue lake right outside the walls of windows.
The patio is much more comfy with five Adirondack chair seating areas, fire pits and Pendleton blankets for those who want to stargaze at night. The landscaping and lighting are the stuff of outdoor-living magazine photos.
The pandemic wreaked havoc on hotels, and the Woodmark was no exception. Its occupancy rate plummeted to a low of 5% to 10%.
“Nothing really prepared us for something like that,” Lapasin says. “We hunkered down, figuring how to stay open to the public, and we did.”
However, their No. 1 amenity — the Still Spa — never missed a beat.
“Our full service spa, with everything from facials, body treatments, massage and nails, was just as busy, if not busier than before Covid hit. People just craved that healing touch,” Lapasin said.
The hotel — booked for more than 100 weddings a year, plus a variety of other events which can hold up to 300 people — returned to its occupancy rate in the high 80% range last month.
Much of The Woodmark’s following comes from Fortune 500 companies that use it as a corporate retreat because of the locale and the privacy.
The pet-friendly hotel offers a fleet of beach cruiser bikes and picnics-to-go from its Carillon Kitchen eatery.
(And, can you believe, the kitchen is already being contacted by locals ordering their full Thanksgiving dinners-to-go. Talk about planning ahead.)
