I used to be shocked to study that Captain Whidbey, nestled among the many majestic evergreens of the Pacific Northwest, was based by the identical group behind Pioneertown Motel, set in opposition to the dusty backdrop of the Mojave Desert—however I shouldn’t have been. Each site visitors in nostalgia for the American West, each prioritize a casual-aesthete model, and each are housed in historic constructions.
Captain Whidbey, on Puget Sound’s Whidbey Island, is the newer undertaking, however it feels just like the older, extra refined brother to Pioneertown. “Our expertise in Pioneertown helped body our strategy to Captain Whidbey and guided us in direction of extra of a ‘restoration’ mentality. Not solely did we restore the bodily property, however we goal to revive the tradition and hospitality of the previous,” say the homeowners, brothers themselves, Matt and Mike French.
The 2 tapped Eric Cheong, an architect who used to work for the Ace Lodge group, to hitch them in re-opening the 112-year-old resort. The very first thing they did? Nothing. Fairly than rush into development, they determined to spend a summer time on the town to get a way of native rhythms and higher perceive the inn’s position locally. Renovations began within the winter, and after simply 5 months, they have been in a position to open its doorways once more, up to date, refreshed, and able to attraction.
Let’s check out the outcomes.
Pictures by Alexandra Ribar, courtesy of Captain Whidbey.
