The Lodge at St. Edward Park is one of Seattle’s newest luxury hotels. Mickey and I were lucky enough to stay here when passing through Seattle on our PNW road-trip and I’ve got a full review of this lovely property.
Formerly a seminary, The Lodge – a historical landmark within the state park – has been restored and remodeled into a beautiful 84 room hotel. The property does a phenomenal job juxtaposing a showcase of its’ rich history with new contemporary, chic style. Beyond that, this hotel has several other features/amenities to offer, some you won’t find elsewhere.
Unmatched Customer Service As commonly sought after while traveling, I value customer service at a hotel above most other variables. From the minute we arrived at The Lodge, all the staff was very welcoming and helpful. This is sort of a luxury in itself these days, as high quality hospitality can be hard to come by. Mickey and I both agreed that of all the accommodations we stayed at throughout our trip, The Lodge had some of the best customer service. From the front desk, to the spa, to the bartenders, to the valet on staff at 3am when we needed our car for an early departure – they killed it. It was also refreshing to see that all of the staff seemed to really enjoy working at this hotel, it says a lot about the management and ownership. This was noticeable in the way their friendliness was translated into professionalism when interacting with the guests.
Cleanliness Probably one of the only variables to beat customer service, in my opinion, is the cleanliness of the accommodation. There is nothing worse than that uneasy feeling of a dirty hotel room. With this hotel being so new, everything on the property was spotless. The bathroom in particular really contributes to the comfort of a hotel room feeling clean and I’d say the bathroom in our room at The Lodge was easily the cleanest and had the most updated appliances. I remember scrolling their Instagram page when first researching hotels in Seattle and fell in love with their aesthetic. The picture below is one found on their Instagram and I was delighted to find out that the property was actually as clean and bright as it looked in all their photos. There is nothing worse than a catfish when you’re excited to visit a new hotel.
Amenities Now for the fun part. Aside from its’ guest rooms, the hotel has plenty to offer on property.
Spa Let’s start with the spa. Their Vita Nova Spa is the perfect place to relax during your stay. Even walking through the door, the smell and calm, inviting staff had me feeling instantly relaxed. They offer a variety of massages and treatments, an infrared sauna and a private outdoor lounge. Whether you’re a fast traveler like me looking for some R&R between the craziness or staying for a long getaway focused on relaxation, you can never go wrong with a visit to the spa.
Restaurant A delicious farm-to-table restaurant, Cedar + Elm, with a northwest inspired menu. We dined for dinner and had the pleasure of meeting the head chef prior to our meal – he suggested ordering a flatbread made in their wood fired oven and it did not disappoint! We ordered a few appetizers and shared fish entrees (we literally ate seafood everywhere we went on this trip) and all of the food was fantastic! They use fresh ingredients from their garden, including a bee farm for honey, so how could it now be?!
Fitness Their is a gym on property equipped with and full basketball court. I would say this is great for kids but even my 26 year old boyfriend also took advantage of this amenity LOL. As far as other opportunities for exercise is concerned, the property has access to trails through the state park for enjoyment. I really enjoy going for a morning walk/run, it can be especially tricky when traveling, and having such easy access to nature was perfect for this. I’d say this is one of the best perks about this hotel being located a bit out of the city, especially if you are traveling as a family and don’t want to be in the crowded downtown at all times.
Bars There are two bars on property and both are worth the visit. Father Mulligan’s Heritage Bar, named after the seminary’s first president, is their beautifully bright lobby bar with a swanky aesthetic. The signature drink is a smoky old fashioned. I don’t normally like an old fashioned but of course we had to try it and I was pleasantly surprised! Probably the first old fashioned I have actually enjoyed. The Tonsorium Bar, named after the seminary’s barbershop, is located on the first floor (the lobby is technically on the second floor). This bar has more of a speakeasy, late night vibe. Since they are my favorite, I have to mention the super fancy coffee machine *queue espresso martinis*. My favorite part about this bar is that they have local musicians come play live music.
Others There are a few other features of the hotel that can’t go unmentioned. They restored the seminary’s old library and made it into a cozy gathering area with a TV, books and tons of games. We didn’t get to spend much time in the library but it was the perfect place for some quiet time or for entertainment. We didn’t attend any conferences or events but the property offers over 9,000 sq ft of event space, both indoor and outdoor. The hotel manager, Corey, showed us around the property so we were able to take a peak inside most of the meeting rooms and event spaces. I really appreciate that during restoration of the property, they focused on to maintaining some of the original seminary. Now, things like restored wood tables, photographs and parts of the structure are displayed throughout the hotel. Lastly, the hotel offers an art gallery displaying some of the owners private collection along with local artists’ work.
