In November 2019, I took my then 4-year-old Schnauzer/Poodle, Bee (aka Bee-st, Bee-lzebub, Bee-vis, Bee-serker), to see a Pampered Paws room at the Salish Lodge & Spa. She and I loved it, but at the time, I decided she was too hyper to be in a place where people were trying to relax, so I waited for her to ‘calm down’ before giving it a try.
Fast forward 7 years, I needed a quiet place to work on a BIG project (more on that in the coming months) and started looking for close-by places where Bee and I could go for one night to plow through my work uninterrupted. I wanted quiet, no distractions and, most importantly, room service.
The upper valley now has many lovely hotel options, but the Salish checked all my boxes, and its location, perched above the falls, was the PERFECT choice for my needs and project. So, I booked one of the pet rooms and told the Bee-st she had to be on her best bee-havior.
Bee: “Dat wuz da plan.”
Did you help it go according to plan?
Bee: “I plead da fif.”
Sigh…
Pampered Paws Rooms
For $75 extra per dog, the Pampered Paws package, available in Patio Rooms, includes an all-natural Bee treat…
Bee: “Dey made it just fur me!”
I think it’s for everyone, Bee-stie
Bee: “Rude.”
…a soft Salish dog blanket to take home, a keepsake collar tag, and easy access to a grassy pet area for playtime.
Our Arrival
Last Thursday, after requesting early check-in (available on a case-by-case basis), I loaded up me, the Bee and all her gear and headed off for my adventure.
By my standards, the weather was perfect earlier. Thunder, lightning and rain decided to make an appearance that morning, but dang it, the July sun returned by the time we arrived. I showed up slightly embarrassed, looking like I had a family of five with all my dog gear. But the very efficient valets clearly had seen worse, and it was no biggie for them.
Bee was on her best bee-havior, greeted everyone in the lobby with her typical enthusiasm, was great in the elevator and dragged me down the hall to our cozy nest for the night.
The Room
We were shown our LOVELY patio room while all our stuff made its way down. Mine was a corner king room overlooking the falls. The ground-floor rooms can’t quite see the falls, but I could hear them and see the river, the hydroelectric power plant and the rocks at the top.
There was a sitting area, a gas fireplace, a work desk, an outdoor area with two chairs and a fire pit (more on that later), an ENORMOUS soaking tub, and all the pooch gear for Bee. Our stuff arrived within minutes, and we settled in.
My plan was to put my head down, work, get room service and only leave to walk the dog. After organizing Bee’s crate and my computer, I sat down to give her the very cute bee treat, which she promptly rejected.
…foreshadowing.
‘Oh, well,’ I thought, she’s out of her element, she’ll calm down. So I put her leash back on and went out to explore the pooch-designated green space. The space runs along the first floor between the lodge and the river, ending at a locked gate that leads you out to the valet parking lot.
The path is shady, quiet and beautifully landscaped with several bag/waste stations along the way. Bee snorked around, did her business, tried to greet every guest in sight and I thought, ‘aha, this must be why she was vaguely unsettled and didn’t take the treat.’ I took her back to the room, confident we’d be just fine.
Beefuddled and Beewildered Bee
I called room service and got a bottle of the Salish Red Blend, ordered a cup of their Tomato soup with olive oil, basil and Macrina bread to go with the half Caesar salad I brought with me. Then I spread Bee’s big blanket over the bed, gave her a chew and settled in to work.
Bee had been nervously panting and drinking water earlier, but settled down with her chew, and I happily worked in peace for about an hour when it happened…I heard the noise every pet parent dreads.
hurk… hurk… hurk…
Followed by
GAK!!!
And turned just in time to see Bee-lezub offload everything she had eaten in the past twenty-four hours. Thank goodness I was a smart pet owner and brought that large blanket. No harm, no foul, Salish, I swear. I cleaned up and decided now was a good time to go check out the falls and give her another break from the peace that obviously offended her.
Bee: “Dis was a tactical decision.”
We went back up to the lobby and took a short walk in the sun down to the gorgeous falls observation deck. For a Thursday afternoon, there was a surprising number of people and other dogs. After another potty break, not sure where it was all coming from, given the epic arf earlier, we returned to the room, she finally settled down for a LONG snooze, and I got in several hours of work.
Room Service Dinner
Around 6, I was ready for a break. My friend Susan arrived to see the room and have dinner with me. We ordered and yapped until it arrived.
Susan got the Damn Fine Key Lime Pie Martini, which was basically dessert in a glass, with vanilla vodka, key lime, coconut, Frangelico and a graham cracker rim. I stuck with my usual glass of Adami Prosecco and went down the hall to fill the in-room carafe with water from the ‘energy station’ (it also has jars of trail mix for the taking). Bee decided that was a good time to let out a Schnauzer screech and protest my absence strongly.
Bee: “We goes together.”
Our room service arrived promptly, and we shared the Royal Ranch Burger, which came with a big pile of russet fries. Charred Yakima Corn with aioli, queso fresco and lime salt. It had a lot of flavor without being too heavy. My personal favorite, the Wedge Salad, with candied bacon, cherry tomatoes, pickled red onion and smoky blue cheese dressing and the Goat Cheese and Honey Plate.
At some point, as we ate and talked, the extremely stealthy firepit concierge (I didn’t hear them come, remove the heavy metal cover or return to put it out and replace the cover) came and lit the firepit, which was really lovely.
A Bee-stly Night in a Bee-yootiful Place
Susan left, and I worked a bit more before taking one more brief garden walk and turning in.
My only minor complaint came when it was time for bed. I did my evening routine, shut off the lights, but there was a light behind the headboard that, try as I might, I could not figure out which switch controlled it.
I think I spent 20 minutes pacing around, cursing, trying to find that dang switch before giving up and sheepishly calling the front desk. Pro-tip: if you stay at the Salish Lodge & Spa, it’s on top of the headboard on the far-left side, you’re welcome.
Unfortunately for me, my angst with the switch translated to Bee as a high-alert emergency.
Bee: “I activated the Emergency Bee-con.”
So, for the rest of the night, my maybe-vaguely-losing-her-hearing 11-year-old pup decided to be on red alert for EVERY noise, and every perceived threat she kind of heard. Needless to say, my night was less than restful. I think Bee found her calling as the Salish’s overnight security officer, responding to alerts no one else received. Sadly, my presence appears to be a non-negotiable job requirement. Oh well, I had a bad night in one of the world’s most comfortable beds.
Bee: “I stands by my findings.”
Bee’s Rating
★★★★★ for the cookie (eventually, at home).
☆☆☆☆☆ for the mysterious hallway goblins.
Melissa’s Rating
★★★★★
Would I stay again? Absolutely. The Salish Lodge & Spa isn’t an everyday kind of getaway, but between the stunning setting, genuinely thoughtful service, beautiful rooms and little touches that made the stay feel special, it’s one that’s well worth the splurge. Next time, though, Bee can enjoy her own staycation with Dad.
*Please see the Salish Lodge & Spa website for all their pet guidelines before booking a room. Disclaimer: Welcome to Highly Seasoned Stays! I’m not a professional hotel critic, just someone who enjoys discovering unique places to stay. These reviews are based on my personal experiences, highlighting what I loved, noting the occasional minor hiccup and hopefully helping you decide if a stay is right for you.
