Captain Whidbey Inn

The charming grounds and historic building get a 4. We stayed in one of the cabins because my son was with us (they only allow kids in the cabins). The furnishings were a bit old/​outdated, but it was clean and comfortable. Maybe a bit overpriced for the accommodations but, overall, we enjoyed our stay.
Food at the restaurant for dinner was very good but service was slow. They have a continental breakfast, which was fine. We ordered a warm breakfast one morning and, unfortunately, the eggs and potatoes were over salted.

We stayed in one of the cabins two weeks ago. The cabin was quaint and lovely. The roaring fire in the fireplace was very romantic along with a beautiful view of Penn Cove as seen from the cabin’s deck. We were very surprised to read the review of the restaurant in the Seattle Times today as stating that dinner was ‘hit or miss.’ Both of us have traveled the world and dined in the finest restaurants. We found Chef Ryan’s culinary creations outstanding and certainly equal to or better than any of the finest restaurants. It was a memorable weekend and one in which we will do again!

The grounds, history and scenery are 5 stars. The accommodations are however one star.
I’d highly recommend utilizing the restaurant and grounds for drinks, gatherings, weekend brunch, etc.
The rooms are a different story. We stayed in a lagoon room so we could have a private bathroom. We really liked the outdoor seating area and views. We understood it was a rustic theme with pine paneled walls and no television, an added bonus for family time. We however didn’t expect the rooms to have all original fixtures from the 1970’s. Everything was basically very worn-​out, including the pillows.
I think it’s important to mention everyone was very friendly and I’d love to stay here if the rooms with updated with better beds/​bedding, bathrooms, outlets, heating/​cooling, windows with locks and lighting.

A very sweet and quaint historical lodge. Sits right on the water with incredible views. The staff was very accommodating. Be aware, if you stay in the main house you are sharing a bathroom and the floors are old and creaky, but it really just adds to the charm. Highly recommend during off seasons.

Very disappointing. Old, dingy way too expensive. Don’t bother.

First the positive– the property is beautiful, rustic and all around lovely. I read some reviews complaining about the lack of TV and the shared bathroom situation, however both of these were made clear to me prior to booking.
We paid a little more for a lagoon room which has a private bath. The room was rustic but comfortable. The heat didn’t work in our first room but we were moved with no fuss to an identical room with heat.
The negative can be summed up as terrible customer service. When we got in it was dark. We checked in and were informed by the person checking us in «your room is on the other side of that brown building, around the corner». Too bad for us it was dark, and there were several brown buildings. After bumbling around in the dark we found our room.
The continental breakfast was ok. Nothing amazing, especially considering they have a full kitchen but it was standard hotel fare.
We went out for a day of exploring the island and came back around 5 to a room that had not been cleaned or made up. While we surmised this was due to our room switch, my husband called the front desk to check in. The lady who answered the phone told him she didn’t know if rooms were made up daily. When he informed her we were ok with the room as is but would at least like some fresh towels she told him she would have to check with her supervisor…
An hour later he called back down to check in on the towel situation and to order some dessert (we had a $ 15 dining credit) for take out. This time he was told she could bring us some fresh towels. He went down to the main building through the wind and rain to grab our dessert. It was not ready when he got there, but he was eventually given two desserts, on plates, to bring back to our room. As an aside the dessert was dated but yummy.
Finally, some of the policies they have seem very sever. $ 300 lost key charge (yes they still have keys), 7 day cancellation policy. Something that would be great for them to include in their reservation confirmation would be ferry schedules.
Overall I love this location but the customer service and overall vibe make me feel like an unwanted guest. Shame as I would’ve loved to love coming here. As it is we got a Groupon and I still feel we overpaid.

One of the reasons I booked a room at Captain Whidbey was because my boyfriend and I are awful planners and decided to visit Whidbey Island for the fourth of July less than a week before the holiday. Almost every hotel in the area was booked out, but we were fortunate to find a room here at a really good rate.
When we checked in, the front desk attendant was very friendly and helpful. It was a pretty quick check in process. At times during our stay, we noticed the desk attendant was not always there, so you would have the ring the bell for assistance. We never experienced a problem getting in contact with them.
The room is small. Really small. There’s room for two people, a suitcase, and that’s about it. Definitely not a room you can do cartwheels or yoga in, if that’s what you’re into. There’s a small sink in the corner, and the restroom is shared. Yes, you’ll have to exit your room and walk down the hallway to a shared bathroom and a single shower.
The walls are paper thin. An elderly couple was in the room next to us, and we could hear everything they said… and one of them coughing up a lung all night. It was also really hot, so we had to use a coat hanger to prop open the window, which was right above the kitchen.
The food in the restaurant below was really good, but pretty pricey. It was difficult to find a staff member in the morning to order food from. The view is wonderful though.
Overall, it was a pretty good experience. It’s a charming place and has history to it, but I probably wouldn’t stay here again because I was bothered by the paper thin walls.

We stayed one night and loved it. Yes, it’s old, but not run down by any means. It was very romantic and with no TV in the room you really feel like you’re stepping back in time. We walked the beautiful grounds, ate great food in the restaurant, and had awesome drinks in the bar.
I’m not a fan of bed and breakfasts because I’m not very social and don’t enjoy sharing a bathroom… But the Women’s restroom had two stalls and a private shower area that was clean and well maintained. And I knew what I was getting in to when we booked the room and already had my mind made up that this was going to be about relaxation and romance.
We were not at all disappointed. We recommend it highly.

I had the most wonderful experience at this beautiful Inn. The setting is like something out of a movie. The Inn itself is built of log and stone, with wood floors and it remains how it was originally built. It is a strikingly preserved piece of history. There are several different types of accommodations. If you stay in the Inn itself, it is European/B&B style where you have to share a bathroom. (We decided against this but when we return we plan to stay in the Inn because of its rare charm and beauty) There are cabins which face sunrise, and Lagoon rooms that face the Lagoon. We stayed in a Lagoon room with a very pretty view. It was very quiet and I slept like a baby. Fortunately there are no TVs to ruin the ambience! The food and the effort made by the staff was excellent. We ate four meals, the two best were the dinner meals when we enjoyed the filet and salmon. I will post more about the food on the restaurant site. The first morning I went out to watch the sunrise on a beautiful morning. Incredible! If you are a visual person who loves nature, quiet, beauty and history, you will love this place. Please see my photos …

What a disappointment! Old, run down, and way overpriced !
Time to retire Captain. No apparent attempt made to spruce up the otherwise Motel 6 like room (lagoon view).
It seems most establishments in this area are similarly priced, but this one has run out of reputation. Quaint only goes so far. We Relied on long known local area reputation.
We are in our 60s and expected more. This was a huge disappointment! l
UPDATE: after a nights sleep, and cold continental breakfast, we asked for a bottle of water since the sign in our room stated if you wanted one just ask at the front desk. Front desk girl looked like we
Asked for the moon! «We don’t have any»
Seriously: Try camping. The amenities are better, and the campers are more friendly.
I take back my ONE Star.

I bought a deal from groupon for a 2 night stay. It would be nice though if they published that the rooms have no bathrooms and its on share basis between nearly 8 rooms. The place had a rustic feel but we were disappointed because we were not told about the bathroom sharing thing when we bought the groupon. Note to the owners– Please don’t hide stuff when you offer deals.

Two-​night stay from a Groupon. It was OK.
It’s an old hotel, so it’s kind of an experience. The main rooms are just tiny little rooms, and you share a common area and a bathroom. It’s decorated well and you can feel the age. The unused rooms are roped off and there are antiques all over, so it kind of feels like you’re staying in a museum. The lobby’s really cozy. We stayed there around Christmas and it was decorated pretty homey, and they lit up the fireplace for us.
The walls are paper-​thin, so you can hear your neighbors crystal clear. Also, I guess the floor is paper-​thin too, because you can hear everyone downstairs in the restaurant and lobby. Like the dudes who were cleaning up and moving chairs or something at like 3am, or the ladies who wake up at 7 and start chatting. It kinda sucks.
If you stay here, I feel like the cabins have to be the way to go. It was a nice enough place, but I would never stay in one of the main rooms again.

This was the third time we stayed at Captain Whidbey Inn. We were only going to be there one night but the web site said we needed to stay at least two nights in the cabins. After I called the inn I was informed that we could stay only one night if we wanted. That was a nice accommodation.
After making our way to the cabin, we discovered that the sliding glass door into the bedroom wouldn’t lock. We didn’t have anything valuable with us so we made a joke out of it, leaving the key inside so we could «break in» when we returned. We didn’t view it as a negative but I understand some people wouldn’t feel comfortable with an unlockable door. The cabin was just as we remembered it, complete with a pre-​set fire and matches. That came in handy later in the evening when we turned out all the lights, opened the windows and listened to the waves lap against the shore.
The food in the restaurant was a bit of a disappointment. Though it was prepared well and nicely presented, the flavor was fairly bland. I had the lamb and my wife had the filet. Both dishes had good portions but definitely needed more flavor. The seafood chowder was the same, however after a little salt and pepper it turned out just fine. The peasant bread served with dinner was fantastic when paired with the lemon butter. The desserts were flavorful yet slightly unimaginative.
The complimentary continental breakfast was good and the quiet ambiance matched the rustic, romantic mood we were looking for. Naturally, the view was amazing.
Since we’ve been here two other times and had excellent experiences before, I will chalk this visit up to poor timing and it being off-​season. We’ll go back again and if the experience mirrors our first two times, I’ll adjust my review accordingly.

I’m a local and attended with other locals. The facility is nice and exemplary of Whidbey’s history, the service staff was not from the area.
We ordered cocktails, wine, and food. The first round was wonderful, delivered in a timely fashion. We watched as other customers received their orders (who had arrived after us) before we even had the chance to order more drinks.
The food was steep in price, but delicious nonetheless. Beautiful views and one of a kind architecture.
Overall we enjoyed our time. The fine details that differentiate the mediocre from excellent need to be reviewed by higher management.

Me and my fiancée had a great experienced!
I first booked the biggest room at «Inn’s room» and then after reading the description I realize it doesn’t have its own bathroom. It is a bummer for me, I called and upgraded our room. Our previous room was $ 187.00/King bed No bathroom so I upgraded to King bed w/​bathroom for $ 192.00 no problem at all. So our new room was Lagoon Room 24 its the biggest room have own bathroom and high celling. The room was clean and there were things that will reminds you of 19^th century!
The typewriter and sawing machine that they use as a counter in the bathroom!
The stuff was very helpful and respectful. It was so quiet and good for couples like us that want a quite get away but not too far from home (Newcastle WA).
They have good food at their restaurant and the server was great (I forgot his name) the food was great and the drinks!
Thank you «The Captain Whidbey Inn Stuff» for making our mini romantic get away memorable and the view was gorgeous!
We sure be back with our kids since this place also good for children.
I highly recommend this place. Just FYI if you book to one of the Inn’s room you will have to share bathroom so if you don’t like that idea add more $ 10-​$ 15 to have own bathroom!
Thank you again!

A charming historic Inn and expectedly rustic. I had read that there were shared toilet/​shower facilities in the hall and a wash stand in the room — and actually expected a pitcher and bowl! But no, there is hot and cold running water in the room. :)
I hauled my suitcase up a tiny uneven stair case, past a library and sitting chairs, and peeked into the yet unoccupied rooms as they were simply roped off such as you would find in an historic building you were touring. The floors creaked and the floor in my room slanted slightly. The view across the way was the gorgeous view of Penn Cove, the view I had was the charming garden. There are chairs all around the grounds and the gardens for sitting and just unwinding.
I had learned of this place through an online voucher and am perfectly charmed by it as a place to unwind and unplug (even if they have WiFi). As I was solo, the small flat pillows were adequate and the feather topper helped with comfort. The rooms are tiny, so be careful not to stub a toe on the bed.
The Continental breakfast that is included is excellent. Hot water (an electric kettle nor just warm water in a flask) for tea and a good selection of tea, coffee, juice and milk for cereal, a wide selection of pastries, yogurt, hard boiled eggs and fresh sliced fruit. Not those defrosted round balls that come in giant 20lb bags. I loaded up a plate, took my coffee and made a bee-​line for the outdoor sitting in view of Penn Cove.
Dining in the restaurant is recommended. The Seafood Chowder is excellent with fresh mussels and clams and the pan fried oysters were fabulous. Lightly breaded and cooked just right. You could taste how fresh the Pacific oysters were in all their glorious buttery goodness. Portions are substantial. I actually asked if they had made a mistake and brought me out a bowl of chowder.
Why not the perfect five star?
1. I could not tell who the staff were. Is that person standing there a staff member or a guest? A little disconcerting when you come down for dinner and you look around to see only patrons at the tables and hear voices in the kitchen. Then someone walks up to you from behind. The same person that mans the desk also seats you. Perhaps a name badge?
2. Rustic is fine, but I don’t find ramshackle drawers charming. Make sure they don’t stick and maybe put slides on them so they slide out easily.
Suggestion: If you are there for a romantic getaway — get a cabin or the newly built Lagoon rooms — don’t stay in the Inn. Did I mention the floor creaks? Loudly?
I will be back. :)

I am a local, so have not stayed at the inn, but have visited numerous times mainly for drinks and lunch during the Spring and Summer months and have generally had a satisfactory experience, secondary to the wonderful outdoor ambiance. Food quality is overall average considering the price and modest menu, but this place really suffers with surly and incompetent staff. While dining with friends in December, we had the worst service imaginable, orders were cold, undercooked and wrong despite waiting for 30 minutes and several trips back and forth from the kitchen. While there, we observed two other tables leave for the same reason. The place only had a handful of diners at the time, so it wasn’t because they were busy, the staff were just poorly trained and indifferent. Even the final bill had to be corrected several times before they got it right. Perhaps this is a off season phenomenon?
This seems to be representative of the facilities culture as I have also found the old battle ax planted at the computer terminal by the front door to be surly as well. When asked if a photo on the lobby wall was the namesake of the Inn, (Capt Whidbey), she simply continued surfing the Internet and curtly said, «I Have no Idea» without further explanation or breaking her gaze from the screen. I had other questions about the engaging interior, but it was clear, this person was both ignorant and indifferent to the historical significance of the Inn. Charming ambiance in all regards, but the operating culture of the staff prevents this place from being all it could be. For a better dining experience go down the road to Christopher’s or Knead and Feed instead.

We ate in the bar. Muscles were the best we’ve had. Next time that’s all we’ll order.
Steak au Poivre was excellent.

Food: I have seen the so-​so food reviews on here. I think they have a new chef. I overheard several people complimenting their dishes. As someone who eats out a lot in Seattle, I enjoyed my dinner & wine in the tavern. A tad pricey but super convenient if staying on the grounds or worth checking out the menu if you are swinging through to see the old inn.
Accommodations: The Captain Whidbey inn was cozy, bed was comfy and the staff was very nice. The main lodge was nice to sit and relax by the fireplace. Plenty of spaces to sit outside and enjoy the view and grounds when it’s nice out. I loved it. It is a very old, rustic inn so the floors creek in the main lodge but what do you expect from a place listed as a historical site, which you can actually stay at.
We need to support great, unique places like this that are being replaced by boring chain hotels that lack personality. This inn has several type of accommodations such as private cabins and another building overlooking a lagoon and very pretty, rustic grounds. It was definitely worth it for the experience.
If you are still reading my review, you should book yourself a night or two there. Bring a book & enjoy the surroundings because TV’s didn’t exist when the rooms were built. Another thing that didn’t exist in the main inn when it was built… each room having a bathroom. This is not uncomfortable nor a big deal! The main inn is european style where you share a men’s and women’s bathroom. It made no difference than having my own. It had two enclosed stalls and a private shower area/​dressing room. It was always super clean and never occupied when I needed to shower. I will definitely go back again.

I had a living social voucher for this place, and I read all the reviews before we left which I think helped us have a good time: namely, we avoided their restuarant and brought our own food/​ate meals out.
The inn is old and unique and charming. If you are not a fan of old, antique, but instead prefer the modern aesthetic, then this probably wont be to your liking. The grounds are amazing, and we stayed in the historic inn rooms which were utterly charming. We have spent time in European hotels (read: tiny), so were not bothered by the small size of the rooms. We thought the rooms were cozy and delightful. Tho, we did fortunately only pack one suitcase between us, any more than that and you wont have any room to move around in these rooms.
The historic inn rooms also have the Euro-​style shared bathroom for the entire floor, which is the reason it gets 4 stars from me. I dont particularly mind sharing a bathroom, but then again I only got to shower once over the last 3 days. So there you go.
There are other rooms available, and we checked out some of the cabins which are private and more spacious. We are big fans of the rustic thing, so we will definitely be back to this place and I want to bring my dad, who I know will LOVE it.
You cant beat the location, right on Penn Cove, and breathtaking water views. We sat outside to eat our breakfast and watched the bald eagle fly overhead, and evening time the seals came out for swims and the hummingbirds dive-​bombed the bushes around us. We loved every minute of it.
Food options: we brought our own wine and snacks to enjoy outside at one of the many waterfront tables and had a nice relaxing evening in at the inn. We also had mussels for lunch at Toby’s, which is a tavern the locals love. The mussels everywhere on Penn Cove are great, so pick a place and make sure that is what you order. If you order something else, you do so at your own risk. The breakfast served at the inn is meh. Good fresh fruit selection, and hard-​boiled eggs and yogurt, cereal and muffins. Fine I guess. No decaf coffee for us wussies.