Captain Whidbey — Hotel in Whidbey Island

We recently stayed at Captain Whidbey, an aged but somewhat charming hotel, and unfortunately left feeling that it was not worth the $500 per night price tag. My stay in the Lagoon Building's Honeymoon Suite was underwhelming due to several shortcomings that significantly impacted the overall experience.

Firstly, the room lacked air conditioning, which made for an uncomfortable stay, especially during warmer nights. The blinds did not seal properly, allowing light to enter the room and compromising our privacy. Additionally, the bathtub was oddly placed in the middle of the room, offering little privacy and making it feel impractical for a suite supposedly designed for honeymooners.

The room's overall quality was disappointing. The carpet was uneven, rippled, and poorly tailored, giving the floor an unkempt appearance. The walls and ceiling joists were painted with what appeared to be latex paint, applied in a haphazard manner that detracted from the room's aesthetic appeal.

Basic amenities, which one would expect at this price point, were notably absent. For instance, there was no coffee maker in the room, forcing us to wait until the main campus coffee shop opened each morning just to get a cup of coffee. This inconvenience was compounded by the poor quality of the pre-made breakfast burritos available for purchase, which were filled with undercooked potatoes, rendering them inedible.

The hotel's restaurant, which was not open for lunch except on certain weekends that were not well advertised, also fell short of expectations. Given the high price of the stay, I expected more consistent and accessible dining options. The waitstaff's service was mixed; while some staff members were courteous, we had a couple of encounters that bordered on rudeness and could be interpreted as ambivalence.

Another downside was the housekeeping service, which was only available upon request. Before you could request housekeeping, you were given a QR code to offer gratuity to the housekeeping staff, which felt presumptuous and out of place considering the lack of proactive service.

Despite these issues, Captain Whidbey has a quaint and quirky charm that offers a break from standard hospitality norms. The historic building and scenic location contribute to its unique appeal. However, these positives do not outweigh the numerous inconveniences and the overall lack of value for money.

At $500 per night, the absence of essential amenities, the subpar room quality, and the inconsistent service make it difficult to recommend Captain Whidbey. While it could be an interesting and unique place to stay at a quarter of the price, the current rates are unjustified given the experience provided. In summary, Captain Whidbey might appeal to those looking for a unique and rustic experience, but it fails to meet the expectations set by...

I'm going to open this review by pointing out that the main lodge is 21+. This is not clearly mentioned up front on their website, except in the FAQ, or if you book the room directly from them, and did not show up as a restriction when booking our room (with our 2-year old) online. If you book through a third-party site (as many of us do), you might never be aware of this until you arrive (like us). It didn't seem to be an issue when we checked in and received our key, or inquired about borrowing a pack-and-play crib, but it was mentioned once, a little snottily, during "quiet hours" (10pm-8am) around 10:05 PM, when he fussed the one and only time all night, for about 2 minutes.

I would expect that, upon check in, someone should have said something then, if it was going to be a problem, since he was visibly with us the entire time. Thankfully, this was the only mention of it being a problem, and notably from only one particularly grumpy neighbor whose stomping, door-slamming and snoring were dozens of decibels louder. I guess that's why each room has a white noise machine, huh? It certainly worked for us, to drown him out!

Other than that less-than-ideal interaction, we loved our stay at Captain Whidbey! I'd earmarked it as a place to check out in previous years, but never made it for one reason or another. The lodge itself may be a gorgeous, rustic cabin, full of creaky floors and paper-thin walls (good luck getting imtimate without the neighbors complaining!), but it would be hard to beat in the category of old world maritime aesthetic, and all of those things only add to its charm!

There's a fantastic on-site restaurant & bar (4pm-10pm) and an espresso stand (7am-2pm), and you can pretty much take anything back to your room, if you'd like. The rooms themselves are a little on the smallish side, but they are very cozy and come with fantastic views of Penn Cove. The bed is firm, but strangely very comfortable; all of us slept like babies...even the baby! Bathrooms and showers are clean and spacious, but shared, and there is only one shower per gender, so you may need to plan ahead accordingly.

The grounds also includes a sauna and wellness center, which we were warned takes some time to heat up, so plan ahead a good 30 mins if you are looking to use it. There are also multiple firepits (with wood provided), life jackets and rentable kayaks (in the summer months), and plenty of cozy places to curl up with a book and relax.

There are some caveats to enjoying your time at Captain Whidbey, but if you know what to expect, and plan accordingly, your time spent here is sure to be a...

Advice to anyone planning a wedding here: make sure your guests know what they are signing up for in terms of accommodations, including the lack of privacy in the Historic Lodge and the fact that any event in the lodge (which I imagine are common) sounds like the party is in your own room if you're staying in the lodge.||||I'm reviewing from the experience of someone who did not know what I was signing up for with the Historic Lodge, as I was assigned that room for a wedding and given no context, i.e. the fact that it had paper thin walls and shared bathrooms, one men's and one women's for the 12 rooms on the floor. To use the toilet privately you have to use the bathrooms downstairs in the restaurant.||||The Historic Lodge is more like a bed and breakfast minus breakfast being included. You can hear every conversation in the other rooms, halls, deck, and lawn out front clear as day. After traveling 11 hours to get here, I was near tears when I couldn't nap while so exhausted because of a hair dryer, footsteps, etc. I cannot emphasize enough how thin the walls are; it was as if the person next door was using the hair dryer right next to me. The shared bathrooms' shower situation was not private enough for my comfort level (clear glass door and loose curtains parting in the middle that could easily be brushed aside if someone were unsure if the shower was occupied) so I actually didn't shower while I was here :( The queen rooms are quite small but, from what I saw, some of the larger rooms in the lodge looked lovely.||||I understand many people seek this out and love it; I think the lack of privacy and quiet would be more tolerable if you were traveling from a closer distance and had a strong interest in the historic aspect.||||Pros: the beds are comfy, the room and bathrooms were clean, the decor is adorable, we saw tons of jellyfish right off the dock, the staff were mostly warm and kind, and the breakfast galette I had at the little coffee shop was really good. I think if you stayed in the lagoon rooms or cabins you would have a much better experience.||||This review is primarily written so other weddings or buyouts inform their guests about what they are getting. When you read "hotel," you assume you'll have your own bathroom and walls of normal thickness, especially for $309/night. We did not discover this on the website until it was too late and we...