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The Chrysalis Inn
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
11 reviews for The Chrysalis Inn
I just wrote a review for the Woods Coffee Kiln Room. We have hosted client visits and have recommended The Chrysalis twice now. The corporate rate and location made this an absolute no-brainer. The location is close to our offices in Fairhaven, and the rooms are very comfortable and classy. I think it is worth the extra money for a full view or the Bay.
I have not personally stayed at the Chrysalis but have heard rave reviews from our clients. We combine the Kiln Room at Woods Coffee for meetings and the Chrysalis for accommodations. If the Chrysalis does not have a meeting room then I believe a business package combing the Chrysalis and Wood's Kiln Room would be very attractive for some businesses. While I did not get any complaints from our clients, they did mention the train (the train runs very close to the Inn).
The Chrysalis by itself is a great luxury but the location makes it spectacular. It is located on the boardwalk. One can walk to Boulevard Park, watch the sunset, walk into Fairhaven (1/2 mile tops) or even downtown Bellingham (probably a couple miles). The Inn is only a couple of miles at most from the train station. A nice romantic getaway could include a train to Bellingham and a couple days at the Chrysalis.
Several years ago my girlfriend gave me a spa treatment. This was first rate. I'm not really the kind of person that indulges in a spa treatment but I enjoyed the experience. I cannot imagine a spa being any more luxurious than what I experienced at the Chrysalis. The spa technician put me at ease immediately. The experience was very relaxing. My favorite part was the shower that contained something 8 shower heads.
Dear Chrysalis,
I was so happy to give you four stars but it has been about a month now since I sent you an email asking about July 4th rates however, I have yet to hear from you. Was it something I said?
I'm not sure we're going to work out if we can't communicate.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/11/2009
This is a wonderful hotel.
Ok, Ann was right, there are train tracks near the hotel but from one who… Read more »
This is a spa review. For the holidays, I booked three manicures for two other women and me. I booked about 2 weeks in advanced and was lucky that they still had a time available for three simultaneous appointments.
Upon check-in, we picked one of three scents (iced pear, white tea and ginger and another option which I forget) that would be used to pamper our hands. The spa felt very luxurious - we got dressed in soft white robes and spent a few minutes in a nice steam room. Then we enjoyed some nice tea (or water) by the fire in the waiting room. They also have all the nice extras in the changing room for people who want to take showers, style hair, use mouthwash and hand lotion, etc.
We were the last appointment of the day, so they waited until they had all three chairs ready for us until they invited us in for our manicures. I do not blame them for the timing, rather I am just glad they had three appointments together and that we could all sit right next to each other during our treatments.
Note: For pampering novices like me, allow for plenty of extra time to relax before and after your treatment, especially if you have someone picking you up and dropping you off like we did, so you don't have to drive with your newly manicured hands. :)
We sat down on massage chairs in a room that might have a nice view in the daytime (so I'll have to come back and check it out again). This was my first manicure but it felt more like a spa treatment. It included a nice hand and arm massage, and some time in a hot Parafin wax and a hot towel. My manicurist was a little slower than the other two (I think she might be newer) but I am glad that she spent the time to correct her slight mistakes so my nails would look good.
All in all, we felt very pampered. It was a wonderfully luxurious experience gift to enjoy with others. A week after the treatment, my nails still look great. The spa has a variety of services and the staff said that the massages and pedicures were even popular with men too.
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This is our favorite night away destination from Anacortes. It is a wonderful boutique hotel right on the water. The rooms are terrific. We have stayed in the full view and side view rooms and found both great. The tub and shower in the room are luxurious. The train has never bothered us. If you like to walk or run, there is a terrific path/trail/pier that passes right by the hotel. I took a nice four mile run in the morning while my wife had a massage in the spa. She said it was the best massage she has ever had. We have always found the service to be top notch. The included breakfast is good with fresh eggs, potatoes, and homemade breads. Finally, one of the best features of the hotel is the ability to take a nice five minute walk into Fairhaven to shop and eat.
This is a spa review but I will mention I stayed here for one night 4 years ago and the bed were ridiculously comfortable, the bathrooms were lavish and I cannot imagine money better spent in any other hotel in Bellingham if you can afford it.
As far as the spa goes I've been here twice. Once for a manicure and just recently for a hot stone massage. I am sure there are more luxurious spas in Western WA but in Whatcom county this is as good as it gets. The space is quiet, they have a relaxation room you go to wait for your services. In that room they have snacks, water, tea and quiet. The dressing rooms/bathrooms are nice but I wish they were a little bigger. The dressing area is a bit tight when there are more than 2 people in it. But other than that I love their steam room, stone showers and amenities they provide (shampoo/cond, lotions, hair products, styling tools, etc...). I also like that they have keys provided for each locker so you don't have to worry about your stuff.
When I had a pedicure here it was great. They have you sit in these big massage chairs that you can control with a remote. They are nice, but I wish they weren't heated as I get sweaty when sitting in that warm room AND in a heated chair. My back was damp. But other than that I have no complaints about the service. They also had a person going around and offering heated neck wraps while you got your pedi/mani.
For my hot stone massage it was also very nice. I was a little off-put as they set up my appt with a male masseuse and I personally, would rather have had a female. I have a hard enough time getting naked in front of a complete stranger so they can give me a massage, the fact that its a man makes it more uncomfortable for me. They didn't ask me for a preference on the phone when I made the appt so I assumed they just try to assign corresponding sexes. Obviously I was wrong. I really like massages though, so I tried to keep an open mind, though I didn't really feel that relaxed most of the time. He was VERY professional and VERY polite though, any discomfort was truly my own. Aside from that I did get a really great massage, except he never touched my buns which I find weird cause usually they do that. I've had a hot stone massage at another local place and they did it a little differently. I added a scalp massage treatment to my service, which I wasn't sure about because my last hot stone massage they included my scalp/neck area so I thought it might be a more intense thing, but it wasn't really except they wrap a hot towel around your head. In the end I didn't think the $40 add on was worth it. Also the masseuse was kind of weirding me out cause he was talking goofy and saying things like "what brings joy into your life?" while I was getting the treatment. Now I don't mind talking, but I would like it to feel more natural not all new-agey and mystical. I just want to relax. After a few more things like that I just didn't want to talk much. He would say stuff like "relax, come back into your body" when I needed to turn or at the end. Just not my style, so I would probably avoid this masseuse in the future and certainly specify that I would prefer a woman.
I also like the choice of aromatherapy scents before you go in the spa, they have 4 choices. The sandals they provide are nice too. Overall the massage was very well done, with the exception of those few things I mentioned.
We stayed in a side room with a partial view of Bellingham bay. The view was wonderful from our window seat, and we spent the better part of two days sitting in the window seat and reading. The rooms are very tastefully decorated, and as someone has already mentioned the layout of the room with the sliding screens in the bathroom are wonderfully romantic.
The staff were very friendly and helpful. We ordered room service and the ham and brie sandwich though a bit hard to eat without making a mess was delicious. We also had the pate assortment which was delicious, except for the mushroom pate which had an oddly grassy taste and texture.
There is a complimentary breakfast buffet, which you should definitely take advantage of, the staff are friendly, and the food is plentiful. The buffet on the days we were there were: cofee, juices, cereal, oatmeal, hot dish (frittata on one morning, scrambled eggs and sausage the next day) muffins, bread, bagel, yogurt and fresh fruit. The atmosphere in the restaurant is relaxing with a lovely view. You can either eat in, or sit on the patio under the grape arbor.
All in all a wonderful getaway.
Wow - this was a spectacular hotel. Too bad the train noise made it uninhabitable. Should have known from the big sign at the front desk and the complimentary earplugs. I would give it five stars if it weren't for the noise. Loved the whirlpool in the bedroom and the romantic window seat. So sad it is literally 15 feet from a very active train track.
Nothing will make you feel more like sleeping (or like a white imperialist) than a room at the Chrysalis.
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I stayed in one of their rooms for my christmas vacation and the noise was horrible (and I am not refering to the train). I was kept up all night by a horrible banging that the night staff did not seem to care about. I wrote a letter voicing my concerns with the noise and the way I was treated and the manager seemed to be simpathetic to the situation. I will return to try out another night.
I also had an in room massage which ended up being pretty uncomfortable. My fiance and I both got a massage in the room at the same time. They placed us both with members of the opposite sex (which is perfectly fine) but the man that was massaging me seemed very uncomfortable. The massage was very light and he was very caucious about where he touched me. The woman that did my fiance was very good. I would prefer to use the spa rooms over the in room service.
I have also has a few deep tissue massages in the spa that they did not apply enough pressure. I have also had issues with the noise level of other guests. All and all the spa service is pretty good. I will return
This is a spectacular hotel. We have stayed here twice - once in a water view and once in an 'end' view room - both are wonderful. Yes - if you hate train noise then you should go stay at the Holiday Inn on I-5. Honestly - this place is quieter than most hotels because it's right on the water and it doesn't cater to large groups or kids/teens. Walk four blocks and you are in very cute downtown Fairhaven with restaurants, shopping, entertainment, etc. The new bayside trail is steps from the hotel. The views are some of the best in Washington State, (we sat in the 'window seat' alcove for two hours just watching the boats out in the bay and the sun go down.) We have not tried their formal restaurant but the complementary breakfast every morning is very nicely done - best I have had in a hotel. My wife is getting addicted to the spa tubs in every room - "no dear, we cannot take it with us..." It's not inexpensive - but you get more than you pay for.
The Room: As soon as I approached the registration desk, I was impressed by the lobby decor. It is modern, elegant and romantic. I skipped the elevator and instead took the stately spiral stairs to get to my room. The room is superclean and beautifully decorated. Waterfront overlooking Bellingham Bay, so even in November, the grayest and wettest month of the year in Bellingham, the lovely and dreamy water view was still visible from my room thanks to large wall windows. The architecture is marvelous. The Bay could be seen from the living area, the bedroom and even from the bathroom. There is a built-in sliding door in the wall separating the bedroom from the bathroom. So if the door is slide open, you could see water view through the wall windows in the bedroom while taking a bath. Genius!!! The luxurious bathroom is enhanced with two oh-so-soft microfiber bathrobes and three pairs of slippers (still in sealed packages), making me feel totally indulged.
The Spa: In the waiting area, there are combs (individually packaged) and perfumed hand lotions (single-use sizes) so that you could fuss over yourself while waiting. Instead of a sauna, it has a steam room which I was invited to use while waiting for my massage. Being so used to sauna, I was hesitant at first, but the steam room felt much more relaxing than a sauna. I could fall asleep in there, something that would have been impossible in a sauna.
The atmosphere: Although it was raining the whole time I stayed there, I was completely content sitting at the window seat with a cup of aromatic coffee in my hands, feeling the warmth on my back from the blazing fireplace, and gazing out to the beautiful Bellingham bay and San Juan islands. It was perfectly serene and royally cozy.
PS- There was complimentary breakfast, but I can't comment on that. It was over by the time we got up. wink wink!! I was warned about the trains because the hotel is located nearby a railroad track, but I was totally oblivious of any noise. It must have been blended in as part of the ambience.
