Roche Harbor Resort

Had my wedding there this last weekend. Absolutely wonderful!!! The accommodations were perfect. The food was ridiculously good. The service was outstanding. We had accommodations at the top of the hill and the staff were so accommodating with golf cart rides up and down the hill. Gotta say a special thanks to Jenn the catering manager, Cheryl who helped us with the ceremony itself, and Laura who helped to make sure my new husband didn’t get any food with pine nuts (very allergic) and who also helped to keep my glass full on several occasions. I had so so so many compliments from guests on the venue we chose. It also didn’t hurt that the weather was more beautiful than anyone could have ever imagined. But the grounds and flowers were maintained so well and everything was just so beautiful. Thank you so much Roche. We plan on being there for our anniversaries to come.

Three years since my last review of the hotel and I am excited to say there has been a facelift on the hotel. We did not stay in the hotel, but of course came over for dinner and found that some $$$ has been sunk into the hotel making it worth the rates they charge. There is a new hotel manager as well and she was genuine and helpful. Had dinner upstairs with excellent service as well as meal.

I had an absolutely awful experience at this venue and resort. Came here for a wedding and spent a night at the resort. The staff was caught going into people’s belongings at the wedding and one waiter tried to steal a camera at our table. My family was treated absolutely awful here. The staff kept clearing away our HALF FULL drinks that WE PAID $ 11 per drink for! The resort itself is a disgusting pithole… There was dry rot and mold everywhere… You have to SHARE bathrooms with your entire floor, door knobs don’t work, and the hotel as a whole is structurally unsafe. If you have your wedding here I can promise you that you and your guests will be treated poorly, you will be unsafe, and you will certainly not get your money’s worth. Stay away from Roche Harbor resort!

A spectacular place to get away for the weekend or longer. We rented a slip on the dock to park the boat. The dock staff were friendly and helped with the docking. There is store right off the dock, and many interesting places to visit nearby to the marina.

I came here for my lovely sister’s wedding and everything was beautiful. I have no complaints about any of the accommodations, food, staff or setting. I would have rated Roche Harbor as a 4 – 5 until I noticed a huge extra charge hit my checking account this morning, as I was getting ready to leave for a vacation of my own.
When I reserved my room for this stay, a two bedroom condo that I shared with my brother and his wife in April, I was charged for one night and my brother was to pay for the remaining night upon check-​in — which he did. There was a pretty significant wind storm the day we checked in, and we were told that the credit card system was off-​line. Fine. His credit card was swiped old-​school with an imprint taken and we were sent on our way, receipt in hand. When I called about the error this morning, the front office manager, Cindy, was unapologetic and seemed annoyed by my frustration when she told me that they no longer had the credit card imprint and that my brother would need to call and have this sorted out with them. She was dismissive and short tempered and I could pretty much hear her eyes rolling through the phone.
I understand the problems that can come from having systems down when operating a business, but it should never be the burden of the customer to sort those problems out, and they should definitely never be made to feel like a jerk when trying to iron out your errors.

Gorgeous historical grounds and amenities = a wonderful stay for hubby and me.
Check out their website — very informative.
Calling to reserve a room is super easy and they actually ANSWER THE PHONE. (Wish other companies would follow suit…)
I loved walking around the property and checking out the plaques with pictures from 1800 – 1940. So cool.
There are plenty of food options on the property — from a grocery store to a café to casual to fine dining. Loved that!
Zip San Juan (the company that takes you zip lining) picks you up directly from the resort which is sweet, but make sure to call as far in advance as possible as they fill up quickly!
–1 star because I felt it was a tad expensive, our maid did not get to our room and for this price I’d like a gym option. Running isn’t really possible as it’s so hilly and there isn’t a path next to the small, curvy driving roads.
But we will DEFINITELY be back next time we’re at Friday Harbor!

Great dock staff amazing experience. There is not a better destination in Washington to experience beautiful people, gorgeous yachts (some real biggies!), wonderful food and great marina services.
great Wi-​Fi, cell service and lots to do at the resort. I will keep coming back.

RHR is special place for my wife and I – we visited several times while we were engaged, and ultimately chose the location as the site and venue for our wedding. Although getting to Roche Harbor during peak summer constituted an ‘adventure’ for many of our guests, it fortunately proved a delightful one. For us, the perks of choosing RHR were many: amazingly beautiful location, cute anachronistic setting (sing song bells on the hour included), great hotel amenities, excellent cuisine, and activities abound. We couldn’t design a better location in our dreams! The few downsides posed by RHR we found tolerable — including high cost of accommodations (routine breakfast/​dinner is actually acceptable; wedding catering is — unsurprisingly — of the wedding genre), and the particular frenetic atmospheres one might expect during peak summer given the numerous yachts moored in the harbor.
A year later, we’re overjoyed to be returning as husband and wife — no wedding to plan — just us and the lovely surrounding.

I have often stopped here by kayak or car for lunch and ice cream, but this time I came up to research a vacation rental for sale and scouted around for a place to stay.
Thanks to Andrew, at the front desk, I had a tour of the Haro Hotel (John Wayne and Roosevelt stayed there) and ended up in one of the historical cottages. I had my dogs in tow and was grateful to find out that Roche Harbor is dog friendly — it seems everyone has a dog.
The bed was great, I had WiFi, the view of the harbor fantastic, and being the off season, it was quiet.
I road my bike a few miles, had a nice meal in the restaurant, stayed an extra night and will probably return again.

spent a fantastic weekend at Roche Harbor Resort. Wife and I came to celebrate her Birthday and when we walked into the room there was a gift bag on the bed with a bottle of wine, 2 souvenir wine glasses, chocolates and a card. This place is top notch for service, views and all around relaxation. We stayed in the McMillin suites and couldn’t be more happy. The room boasts amazing views, claw foot tub, fireplace, huge bathroom and the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept on.

I’m staying in a room in the Quarryman building and it’s fabulous! BUT my first night was at the old Hotel DeHaro building, which was, um, not fabulous. More like the Hotel DeHorror — dark, dusty, musty, and creepy. Did I mention creepy? Yeah, like The Shining creepy. Now to be fair, my boyfriend, who is more sensible and generous than me, was only put off by the smell. And we both had some good laughs about the ridiculously uneven floors. Still, I suggest you skip the haunted house and book a room outside of the main building.

Snagged a livingsocial deal to stay here to celebrate our anniversary. Walked into our condo to a bottle of wine, chocolates & a nice card. Loving that!
We stayed in 206 condo. Nice & spacious with a great view of the harbor. Yes it’s a little outdated but that doesn’t bother me as long as it’s clean & well kept which it certainly was.
We were a little nervous about staying in November but it was actually perfect, luckily it didn’t rain so we were able to explore a little of the island. Definitely check out English Camp, we also hiked Young hill which gave us amazing views at the top. Don’t miss cattle point lighthouse, it’s a drive but I’ve never seen a more amazing view from there. Breathtaking!
Staff was very friendly & helpful at RHR. Thank you!

There is an impossible amount of things I want to say about this place. But the charm and wonder of this is exploring it on your own.
I will say, skip the hotel. It’s fascinating to walk through but for as much as you pay you should enjoy your own bathroom. We opted for a rental house, the whale watch, and it was absolutely breathtaking. I can’t think of anything I didn’t love about this place. Well, there was the issue with the refrigerator door and the closet being too close. But I digress.
The grounds are very well maintained and it was a joy to explore. The docks and their million dollar yachts, the flag ceremony and the lush gardens. Beautiful. The sculpture park was… interesting, but the totem pole at the end was sweet.
The restaurants were nothing to write home about. I think next time I would just cook a bunch of bacon and live off that for the weekend. But again, it’s the experience and you need to explore it on your own. I refuse to spoil it. So take that weekend trip you’ve been putting off. Also, rent a moped because I didn’t and I should have. Heh.

Roche Harbor is one of my favorite places. I have been spending the 4^th of July, birthdays and anniversaries there since it was just a local unknown hideaway. With the new amenities and the lovely expansion there is no better Marina to enjoy a sunset on San Juan Island!
The resort is a wonderful weekend getaway or a magnificent location for a group, they have the facilities to host ANY event.
Keep up the great work!

I’ll tell you what, this place is the most ridiculously expensive horribly run business existing on earth.
The only reason why it is still open, it’s because they can effort not to give a … dime on how bad the place is.
The building is decaying!
The floor has 4 inches of inflection in the middle of the room! They had to CUT THE DOORS so that it could shut. Our stroller was rolling down the room, so much it was inclined! I mean… is there anybody showing up for safety inspection once in a while?
If that place was in Europe, the authorities were going to shut it down for not satisfying the proper safety requirements. Here, of course, you can get around that. Then things happen, and people cry!
The bay where the place stands is outrageously gorgeous and it would really deserve having a resort reflecting that beauty.
Just take it down! You don’t because it is antique? No, it is not antique, it is in decomposition!

⁹⁄₂ Update: Hotel Administration contacted me and took the feedback well. They also compensated us for the inconvenience. The review has been re-​adjusted based on our latest/​greatest customer service interactions.
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If there is one thing you take away from the review: do NOT stay at Hotel Haro. EVER.
Overall the resort grounds are charming and family oriented. But hotel itself is really a disaster.
The hotel hosts a lot of weddings — mostly during weekends/​holidays. The challenge with that is music will be BLASTING from the parties from 7pm till 12midnight, with drunk, loud, and inconsiderate guests walking down the walkways, common areas, corridors, and balcony LOUDLY all hours of the night and stumbling to find their way back. They slam their doors, and drunkenly argue with one another. We had several of them pounding the doors cause they didn’t know where their (fellow) drunk kids or friends were (well not in our room!). Also had several hangout outside the balcony to chat it up loudly as if it’s a bar and not 2am.
And where is the hotel staff in all if this? No where. Tried to dial the operator or front desk and it was not staffed. And even when another hotel guest talked to them earlier that night — they did not do anything.
The facilities itself were old, dirty looking, and without any charm. It badly needs a renovation /​upgrade.
If you want a weekend at a frat/​animal house, this place is recommended. Actually, I would rather recommend Cancun for that purpose.
If you don’t want to be tortured by excessive noise, all hours of the night, by drunks, I would recommend you stay elsewhere. We stayed in a beautiful B&B last year in the Island. For a small price difference, you get wonderful breakfast, great facilities, and get to keep your sanity. Priceless.

If you’re looking for a break from the natural serenity of the state parks, Roche Harbor is the place to get a vibrant resort experience. Reservations recommended, but with an entire dock used for Mediterranean tie, it’s rare you can’t get in.
Services: US Customs; showers; laundry; ³⁰⁄₅₀ power; water; grocery; marine store (power boat oriented); Kenmore Air
For the kids: visit the ice cream shop by the pier; take a short walk across the lawn to the playground; next to that is the pool, which is free to overnight marina guests and open to day-​moorers for a reasonable fee; take a short hike through the graveyard up to the mausoleum (or take the teens at twilight and give them a good scare!); catch shrimp on the dock; visit the pier at sunset to watch the Colors ceremony; take a long walk or bike ride to visit the llama; visit the airstrip; and lots more if you get just a little creative! The only activity I don’t recommend is the beach near the playground, which is a sucking mudpit at high and low tides.
For the adults: Visit the artisan shops by the pier; don’t miss a massage at the spa; provision at the grocery store; grab a burger at the Lime Kiln Café; have a formal dinner at McMillan’s; visit the open-​air art park; take a walk over to British Camp, a pre-​US army camps with several buildings still standing and restored; purchase some fresh caught seafood on the pier; and for large groups and rendezvous, you can even rent the party barge.
This place has something for everyone, even the Catholics, where the Tarte family ensures a Catholic mass at the consecrated church Our Lady of Good Voyage every Sunday throughout the summer.
It’s a resort, so you’ll pay resort prices.

My BF planned a weekend getaway for my birthday and took me here as a surprise. And what a surprise it was!
Our room was really perfect. The bed was super comfortable, one of the best I’ve ever slept in. We had a big flatscreen TV, gas fireplace, and the room had a balcony that faced the harbor. The sunsets were stunning. I can still see them in my mind. Our room also had a separate sitting area.
The bathroom had heated floors, a huge bathtub that I took a nice soak in, and everything was clean. The towels and bath products were heavenly.
The robes were great quality and put to good use.
They had board games available to borrow if we wanted.
Ambiance wise, the décor was comfortable and not chitzy or cheap. There wasn’t anything on the walls or in the rooms that made us uncomfortable.
The only con was that room service isn’t available.
I didn’t interact with any of the staff so I don’t have any comments about them. My BF said they were great at the front desk, remembering his name when he went to checkout.
The last day we were there, the winds were fierce and just beat up anything they came across. Be prepared for that.

We stayed in a 3 bedroom condo with 5 adults and 2 kids. It is old and outdated but very clean and well maintained. The staff are very friendly! The beds are comfortable and bathrooms clean! We got to wake up to a wonderful view!
There wasn’t a lot of parking by the condo we stayed in. There were dvd’s at the lobby to rent which was nice. The dishes were all clean and everything we needed available to us!
Would definitely stay here again!

I haven’t been to this resort since I was a kid, which was about 20 years ago. I didn’t stay in the historic hotel this time, but I have stayed in it before. The historic hotel itself is what it sounds like, meaning it has old décor and has a musty smell. It’s also interesting that they still have shared bathrooms in the historic part of the hotel.
That being said, on this trip I was lucky to find a Groupon for the resort and I stayed in the newer Quarryman Hall suites, which are more modern, equipped with a gas fireplace, flat screen tv, dvd player, 2 queens or 1 king bed and a balcony with a marina view. Oh, and prviate bathrooms are included in the suites. ;-) The room is very nice, comfy and relaxing and offers bath products from their Afterglow Spa just below the suites. (I have an appointment at the spa for a massage tomorrow, so I’ll update my review after I have my massage.) While the suites are considerably more expensive than the historic hotel rooms, it is definitely worth it.
As far as their restaurant, McMillan’s Dining Room, it was amazing. It was some of the best food I’ve ever had. I tried the five course meal with crab bisque soup, salad, scallops, lamb and warm cobbler. Although the portions were smaller, it was a lot of food. Very tasty, filling and satisfying. I would recommend people come to Roche Harbor just for the restaurant!
Our stay was pretty quiet, but that’s expected since we are at the end of the winter season and it’s still quite cold. Nonetheless, it was very relaxing. I can’t wait to return this summer when there’s more activities to do and more people!