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For a recent family trip to Washington, I booked a stay at Alderbrook Resort. Overall, we had an absolutely lovely time.
However, I would have appreciated seeing a more detailed review or two, before booking. Since reviews are few and far between, I am posting one myself. Hopefully, you will find this Alderbrook Resort and Spa review useful.
Click here to watch my Alderbrook Resort video on YouTube
About Alderbrook Resort
The resort, nestled along the Hood Canal, was founded in 1913. Twelve years later, the business was sold to Clara Eastwood and Eloise Flagg, known as the “Alderbrook Girls.” They owned the property until after World War II. After the girls sold the property, the resort went through several upgrades and owners. In 2001, it was bought by North Forty Lodging.
Alderbrook Resort and Spa is located in Union, Washington, about an hour north of Olympia.
Alderbrook Resort and Spa
The Accommodations
When you book a stay at Alderbrook Resort there are several different types of accommodations. You can stay in a guestroom in the main resort or you can book a cottage.
When booking we almost picked the one bedroom, but we are so glad we went with the two-bedroom cottage. It had one king bed, one queen bed, and one sofa bed.
Cottage is a great word to describe where we stayed. While we could technically fit six people in the two-bedroom cottage, I wouldn’t want to do that. It is just too small.
The room with queen sized bed had plenty of room for storing stuff. You could even put a pack n play or portable crib in there.
The king-size room didn’t have much space for anything but the bed. There was an armoire where you can store your clothes. Bring your own hangers since they only provide two.
The living room was also small. If you have someone stay on the sofa bed, it should be a small person or child. Ideally, they wouldn’t pack much stuff.
The Food
The resort is pretty much the only place to eat in the immediate area. Hook and Fork is in Union but is only open Thursday-Sunday. You could drive to Shelton, which is about 20 minutes away if you are looking for more dining options.
On site, there is the main restaurant. They serve brunch until 2pm. Dinner service starts at 5pm. Aside from The Restaurant at Alderbrook, there is The Lounge. You can only dine in the lounge if you are over 21 but you can order to-go. They also have a small spot called The Drinkery which is where you can get coffee, wine, and beer, along with some grab and go food items. The Patio is another dining option but it is only open Thursday-Sunday.
There is something for everyone on the menu from the picky kids to the vegetarian mom. Since the resort is on the water in the PNW, there were several oyster and salmon options on the menu as well.
During the busy season, make a reservation if you want to eat at The Restaurant at Alderbrook. This is a go to place to eat for locals and people visiting the resort so they can get pretty busy.
If you stay in a cottage, you have a kitchen so you can cook your own meals. We opted to cook most of our meals. It’s a good way to save money and you don’t need reservations.
Should we visit in the future, we will opt to dine more than cook. The kitchen has everything you need to make a meal, but then you have to do the dishes. And who wants to do that on vacation? Plus, the resort food was really good.
Things To Do
There are a good number of things to do at Alderbrook. You can rent boats, swim in the canal, go on a boat tour, go to the spa, hang out at the indoor pool, play golf, lounge by a fire pit, make s’mores, hike, play yard games, or even stay in and watch TV (They have cable, you can hook up a smart device with Chromecast, and you can order movies on demand. They also have a DVD player so you could bring a DVD from home.)
We stayed at the resort the last week of June. It was still pretty cool outside and we had an entire day of rain.
When it wasn’t raining, the kids spent a lot of time playing in the courtyard. The resort has soccer balls, volleyballs, a croquet set, and cornhole.
Aside from just playing outside, we went to the pool.
I am very appreciative of the indoor pool, but it could really use an upgrade or two. They need to resurface the floor. It was very slippery. New chairs and tables would also be nice.
Pro tip: Bring your own towels. The ones they provide are small and not very absorbent.
Answering Your Questions About Alderbrook Resort
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