Emerald Valley Inn — Hotel in Port Angeles

My partner and I chose to stay in the less expensive Cape Alava with two twin beds. When we pulled up there were cute pumpkins, gourds and straw bales decorating the entry. It was handy to have a small microwave and mini fridge (& freezer.) The room was clean and welcoming. I liked the mounted power sources on the nightstand and main table/desk. Although the room is small, the extra long and sturdy coatrack, tables and built-in ledge above the beds kept it feeling tidy. We don’t have a lot of toiletries and the glass shelf above the pedestal sink and large toilet tank was big enough to store our items. The bathroom fan is intense/loud which I didn’t mind, but hoped it wasn’t too noisy for our neighbors. I didn’t hear our neighbors fan so it was probably ok. I’m from wet western Washington so a bit of mildew smell in buildings is a given. Being this is in the heart of the rainforest, I expect it. There’s an air purifier in the room so they are doing the best they can to mitigate it, but if you have a strong dislike or allergy to it, keep it in mind especially during cooler/damper weather. The mattresses are new firm foam…not sure of the brand, but probably similar to purple or Casper, etc. My partner is used to a soft mattress so we got a foam topper for him to use. I just used the thicker pillow to accommodate side sleeping with less shoulder “sink-in” and I thought it was super comfy. The bedding was really nice quality cotton as well, plus cute gray pinstripes. The mattress sits directly on the metal frame, no box spring. There is a little fenced stable area where there’s an adorable donkey (Donna), two cute goats (Cookie & Sprinkles), two enormous emus, a bunny, brood of chickens and a cute elusive cat. The grounds are lovely with the rustic charm of the area, native trees and views of the Olympic mountain foothills. It’s a only a few minutes from downtown Port Angeles & a few minutes to Lake Crescent. There is also a gas station/corner store a couple minutes away if you don’t want to go into town for something you forgot. If you need to have fast internet to work/stream movies, etc, you might be disappointed. There isn’t a TV either, which I was thankful for. Most areas in the Park have spotty cell/internet and sometimes your cell provider will think you’re in Canada, since it’s right across the water. The natural beauty of the peninsula is a perfect place to unplug and tune in to nature and be in the moment, so I didn’t miss the lack of fast technology one bit. If you’re the type that can’t handle being without these things, you may want to stick to staying in Pt Angeles proper. Granny’s Cafe, on the premise, is take out only and pay attention to their hours. They are closed Tue and Wed. The food is delicious and made from scratch. There’s a cute little gift shop where you place your order, featuring local artisans. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The tomato bisque soup is incredible! The morning we checked out, we got tall fluffy pancakes with real maple syrup. The best thing was the cook was listening to a Cocteau Twins album and it couldn’t have been more perfect. I kinda felt like I was in Twin Peaks! All in all,...

I'm trying to be generous with my stars, but this place was not a win for us at all.

Firstly, upon opening the door after an easy contact free check in (and a very long day), we were hit with the smell of mildew/mold immediately. I thought the room may just seem that way because it had been damp out and the heat had been turned way down. We turned the heat up, got ready for bed, and assumed it would be better in the morning.

The next day bright and early we received a text from the staff asking how things were. I was honest and told them that the room smelled very strongly of mold/mildew. I am only allergic to two things - mold and mildew. When I woke in the morning, I could barely breath out of my nose and my face was swollen so much that it was embarrassing to be in public. A few hours in the fresh air and magically the symptoms were completely gone. The staff was kind enough to run an ozone machine for a bit while we were gone that morning, and it did smell better when we returned. We stayed away from the motel as much as possible during the day so that I wouldn't have to breathe the air inside.

I woke again the next morning even worse than the night before with my eyes nearly swollen shut. I told my wife that we had to leave because I couldn't stay even one more night here. I asked for a refund for our final scheduled night and staff said they were going to credit us for the second night (which was cheaper than the final night we had booked). I didn't care much, I just needed to get out of there.

Overall, the place looks MUCH better on the website than in person. The beds are awful - drooping in the middle and just generally super cheap - no support at all. The linens had ink stains in one bedroom and the other had a big stain on the comforter (which staff changed at our request). The shower is very narrow and the mildewy smelling shower curtain touches you the whole time you're showering. The window in the one bedroom had black colored mold/mildew in the corners and around the edges. Lastly, it is very far from town, and the closest place to eat is 15-20 minutes away if the restaurant is closed (weird hours). I'm not sure how this place got so many high ratings. There are far nicer airbnbs to rent in the more immediate Port...

Highly recommend! If you’re considering visiting Lake Crescent, stay at Emerald Valley Inn instead of the official “lodge”.

We were pleasantly surprised at how easy and modern their self-check in process was - everything was done by text, including questions during our stay. Wi-Fi was reliable, even though we didn’t use it much.

We stayed in #2 Boulder Creek. Beautiful room!Our room was perfectly sized for two people, clean, well-kept. The bed was so cozy that we didn’t use the blankets we brought. Bathroom was clean and stocked. Nice touches like hangers, baggage stand, blow dryer, tea, coffee maker.

Granny’s Cafe is on the grounds and is awesome for quick, tasty food without having to drive into Port Angeles. It happened to be closed for breakfast during our visit due to staffing shortages (this was happening everywhere). Emerald Valley Inn texted guests about this first thing in the AM with recommendations for nearby alternatives. They also graciously granted us an extra hour beyond check-out to make up for us driving to Lake Crescent Lodge’s dining room. We did have lunch there - yum! Get the grilled cheese with soup and you’ll be happy you did.

One more thing - cannot understate the ease and convenience of having your car literally outside your room. So easy for quick in and outs, and of course checking in and out.

Lake Crescent is only a few minutes away. And Port Angeles is really close too in the other direction - we spent one evening and the following afternoon there and it was a easy, quick drive. Thank you to the Clallam County sheriff who flashed his lights at me and point downward with his finger when I was going just a bit too fast!

I am always a light sleeper, and bring a small noise machine with me no matter where I go. If you’re a light sleeper too, you may be sensitive to cars driving past on 101. The inn is set back quite a ways, so you only hear it faintly and for a moment. Once you drift off, can’t even tell. Never heard our neighbors between 10pm - 9am.

Thanks Emerald Valley Inn! See...