The Chrysalis Inn & Spa

We celebrated our son’s and daughter-in law’s wedding here that had taken place across the country a week earlier. We invited thirty family members and close friends. Chris Caldwell, the Director of Sales, Catering and Marketing was absolutely terrific to work with. She had a lot of great suggestions that made our event so special. We had appetizers, a buffet (steak and salmon) and an open bar. It was all delicious and the berry cobbler was spectacular. The setting of the Chrysalis/Keenan’s is magical. We had four large tables set up inside and the entire terrace for mingling and admiring the sunset. It was an amazing experience.

My suite the first night had debris on the floor at check-in. We had to have them vacuum before we could unpack. We were told they didn’t allow pets on the upper floors but we did see an untrained non-service dog on the third floor. They were sold out so we had to change rooms the second night to a smaller king room. This room had a malfunctioning air conditioner which didn’t cool correctly and the absolutely worst shower head I have ever had at any hotel. Difficult to get the soap off with the meager 1” wide stream. We complained about both issues to the manager but all they said is that they planned on replacing the shower heads in the future. We are Hilton Honors Gold and frequently seek out and stay at Curio properties. Management’s apathy at this property and unwillingness to make any accommodation was a big exception to our typical experience at other Hilton Curio properties. Never a smile or a welcome from the manager of this property. We were told they are always sold out so I guess the customer experience is irrelevant at this property.

Warm and inviting location on right on the Bellingham Bay. Walking in, the lobby is small but you enter through a small lounge and look right onto the bay. Front desk personnel were friendly but upon arrival after normal check-in time, our room (as well as the rooms of other guests) was not ready. We waited in the lounge area and were notified shortly that our room was available. In terms of location, you really can't beat this spot. The bay view, the proximity to nearby shops and restaurants of Fairhaven Village, and the small size of the hotel lend itself to a pleasant experience. One note about location - the train runs through very often. While it is quaint, just be content with hearing the train whistle, even during the night. Our room was overlooking the bay, which meant it also overlooked the train tracks. We didn't mind the noise, but it did wake us up during the night on two occasions. The room itself is a very ample size and had a window seat overlooking the water and pier. Great for people and boat watching! Everything was very clean. Linens were tidy, clean, and fresh. Food at the hotel restaurant was good, too! The one downside of this stay was the parking situation. Guests are required to park in the underground parking lot (under the hotel). The parking spots are small, barely fit a normal sized vehicle, and there were only about a dozen or so parking spots total. All of those things, coupled with the location of support beams in the garage, made parking a vehicle an exercise in frustration.

Terrible Hotel Manager. His name is Tim McAdams. We dined in the lobby, the fireplace is not working well and hasn't worked well in sometime. The ambience from the fireplace is lovely but it smokes. Every time staff start the fireplace, patrons have to endure the smoke. Not just the patrons, the smoke goes into the kitchen and catches under the hoods. I feel sorry for the kitchen staff! Some times the fire ALARMS go off from the smoke. Come on people. We gladly pay $100 for lunch and deal with this? Your kitchen staff have to deal with this? Unacceptable Back to my call with Mr. McAdams - He answered the phone. I stated who I was and could he please take me off speaker phone. He responded - " No, I'm on the phone all day and it bothers my ear. What do you need?" I sat there for a moment and asked again if he could please take me off speaker phone. He sounded so far away. He responded - "Nope, it hurts my ear. What do you need?" Nope? This is a Hilton property, not Motel 6. Nope? This is not how I expected a Hilton property manager to speak to me or anyone else. The man has NO Idea why I'm calling as I haven't had the opportunity to tell him yet. Until the fireplace is fixed - I'll pass on the smoke inhalation during my meal. The manager has no business in his role. I'm embarrassed on his behalf

Such a great spot to spend the weekend or a few nights. Great food at the restaurant, helpful staff, and clean and cozy rooms. Great views of the water and sunset. The parking isn't ideal but we were able to snag a close spot when someone was leaving.