I love a good vacation, but sometimes I don’t have the time (or money quite frankly) to go on a week or longer vacation. Enter: a staycation. The thing about taking a staycation is that I want to feel like I am going somewhere, not just down the street to the Courtyard Marriott on the corner where business travelers usually stay a night or two for work, ya know? So, usually that means taking a little drive or seeking out a place a bit out of the city with an escape esque vibe. I always look for a place with a spa, a few restaurant options, and if the hotel/resort is highly ranked or if they have any awards. There’s nothing worse than spending money on a mediocre experience. I also love little details that really make the experience worth it like included valet parking, quality soaps/shampoos in the room, and a provided wine hour. It can be hard to take a staycation during the week, however a lot of places will offer weekday specials so that is something I always like to keep in mind.

A couple weeks ago I had a bunch of you Seattle locals give your feedback on your favorite local spas, part due to my annoyance with Seattle’s full service spa seen/my dream to open my own spa, and part due to me just trying to find a good spa to celebrate Payton’s birthday. We have this tradition where we take each other to the spa for our birthdays every year and we have exhausted all the full service spas (with facilities because we like to make it a day long experience) that are close to us. From the feedback I got, so many of you said that you go to the Salish Lodge and Spa out in Snoqualmie. So, I figured I would just have to try it out myself! Anytime I head to a spa, you know I have to share so here is my recap of our experience.

We decided to not just do the spa, but we also booked one of their Spa Level River King Rooms with a view, because how can you go to the Salish and not get a room with a view of the falls?! The nice thing about the Spa Level rooms is that the spa is on that level (duh) but you also get access to Club 268. The club includes all-day access to the spa (soaking pools, steam room, saunda, and relaxation room…the works), a light breakfast in the morning, and a lounge with drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the evening. So really, if you book a room on this level you don’t even need to book a spa treatment, however, we really wanted to live like queens so we booked ourselves treatments as well. I had one of their Spring Awakening specials, the Citrus Apricot Body Scrub, and Payton got a massage. We also dined at both of their restaurants, The Attic for dinner, and the Dining Room for breakfast.

The Room

Their rooms were actually newly renovated last June in 2018 and Payton and I were both impressed with the new layouts and decor. Granted, we had not seen the rooms before but they felt super cozy, clean, and bright. We also had the most incredible view of the falls just outside of our window.

 

We also were able to check out some of their suites…we might have to come back and book one of these. They are gorgeous!

The Spa

The spa was conveniently located on our floor only a few doors down from our room. They have all the works, which is something Payton and I both consider a must when going to the spa. They have a sauna, steam room, a couple pools, and a relaxation room. The whole spa seemed very Japanese inspired to me with all of the wood, which I really loved. It’s hard to find a spa that has a co-ed area with pools and other facilities so that is definitly a perk here.

Like I said earlier, I got the Citrus Apricot Body Scrub which was honestly just what I needed. It left me feeling so soft and smooth. They even gave us a little foot revitalization sampler in our room when we got back to our room which was a nice extension of the spa scrub experience.

I happened to noticed they have Comfort brand skincare which is what my facialist Rachael at Antonio the spa uses so I love that. You can often tell the quality of the spa often by the products they carry.

The Dining

For dinner, we sat at The Attic for a solid 3+ hours chatting over espresso martinis. They don’t have them on the menu, but they made them for us anyway. We ordered the focaccia bread, steak, and crab mac n cheese. HIGHLY recommend the mac n cheese. Maybe some of the best we have ever had! The Attic is the perfect cozy spot for a date night or a more casual eating experience.

For breakfast, we were treated to the most gorgeous room and food that overlooked the falls in the Dining Room. The Dining Room is a higher end restaurant which would be great for a nice romantic dinner or a Mother’s Day brunch. I got the lox and Payton had the eggs benedict which were both to die for. If you go for breakfast, as for the “mile high honey” as well as a blood orange mimosa. P.S their honey is straight from their beehives which are located right on their property.

Club 268

Club 268 is named after the 268 ft. falls which the property sits right above and is the “ultimate Salish experience.” The best part about the club access is that you can use the spa facilities your whole stay without even booking a treatment. Payton and I also took advantage of the club lounge where we drank champagne, ate some meats and cheeses, and played scrabble.

If you are looking for a staycation not far from Seattle, book a night at the Salish. I can’t wait to go back.

What have been your favorite places to staycation?