When you say hey….I stayed the night in a castle, visions of a Cinderella type mountain top postcard shot come to mind. Well you don’t need to go to Austria or Switzerland to cross this one off you bucket list. Just head to the beautiful pacific northwest. Manresa Castle is one of the most enchanting bed and breakfast we have found.
We rolled up to the Castle late on a misty evening. We were stunned the next morning to throw open the drapes and we were overpowered by the dramatic view. Perched on an overlook of the San Juan Islands-the view is simply not to be missed.
The Castle is steeped in history, and finely restored. From the Castle’s Website:
“The Castle was completed in 1892 as the home of Charles and Kate Eisenbeis. Mr. Eisenbeis was a prominent member of the early Port Townsend business community. His business interests were diverse including a bakery, brick works, lumber mill, brewery, bank and a hotel.
In keeping with his status in the community, Eisenbeis built what was the largest private residence ever built in Port Townsend, consisting of 30 rooms. Locals referred to the building as the “Eisenbeis Castle;” its design was reminiscent of some of the castles in Eisenbeis’ native Prussia.”
The rooms are spacious with “bizzillion” foot tall ceilings. Room furnishing are a bit understated. But the common rooms, especially the library and the bar are impressive.
What would you expect? The food is fit for a king! Chef Chad Woodland is a master! Loved the fresh pacnorthwest seafood! Here is a link to the menu.
We kept saying to each other…wouldn’t this be such a cool place to get married. You bride to be’s looking for a great place for a location wedding..look no further. Imagine the bragging rites: Yeah…I got married in a Castle.
Port Townsend is a quaint Victorian seaport, located across the sound from Seattle, WA. The area is chock full of fun. Port Townsend has it all: wineries, golf, whale watching, and even a rain forest!
Getting there is half the adventure:
By car: From points south, you follow Highway 104 across the Hood Canal bridge and take the SR 19 exit to Port Townsend. If you are coming from the west, follow scenic Highway 101 to the SR 20 turnoff to Port Townsend. From points north, you can take the coastal roads on Whidbey Island and board the ferry at Keystone.
Wow, this place sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing! I hope I get to visit it someday!
Wow!! I LIVE in the Pacific Northwest and had no idea this was here. :-) Now I simply must grab a friend and go exploring. :-)
Oh, this looks very, very nice. Thanks for bringing this gem to our attention!
Wouldn’t you know … I found this just AFTER my trip to Port T.
I love the San Juan Islands… had no idea there was a castle there!
I’m also in the Pacific Northwest and hadn’t heard of the Manresa Castle — will definitely let my stepdad know, as he’s obsessed with castles!
Thanks! It is really special.
Amazing – I used to pass by there near daily (when I did the WA State ferry mail run all around the Sound) and always thought it was a private home. Never dreamed you could stay there – and their rates are very reasonable too (just $119 dbl with a water view!)
Likewise if you want to treat yourself here in the beautiful Pacific NW – why not go big and stay at “The Empress Hotel” in Victoria B.C. – it’s where the QUEEN stays when she visits the island.
It’s been many years now, but I once was visiting Victoria with a friend and we already had reservations at another (moderate budget) hotel, but went to the Empress for “High Tea”. Whilst sipping our tea and munching on petit fours, I suddenly wondered… “gee, I wonder how much it costs to stay HERE?” We then decided to inquire and made a pact that if wasn’t more than $50 more than our other hotel – we’d book it! And… it was just $30 more! So stay at the Empress we did – albeit our room was the size of a W.C. but hey! I mean the QUEEN stays there, so it was quite a treat!
Its where the Queen stays…now thats a recommendation. Cheers.
Who knew? This sounds like an amazing place to stay and visit! I will definitely keep it in mind next time I am in the Seattle area. Thanks for sharing this find.
FUN! I had no idea this existed and yes, I’ve always wanted to be a princess!
I love castles in general! I knew that the US had castles, though they are rarely spoken about. I know about Hearst Castle and another on the east coast, but had never heard of this one. Thanks for the tip!
I had no idea this existed. Gotta love a place you have to take a seaplane to get to.
You bet. It is well worth the visit.
You can get there much easier by ferry. Seaplanes are cool too.
Arriving by sea plane… how cool is that!
B&Bs are great and would love to do one in a castle! Plus you arrive by plane as well? What a great experience and a beautiful area!
Awesome. I never really thought we had castles in the U.S.
Kali’s dad lives in Port Townsend, so I can vouch for the fact that it’s an awesome little port town (very unique personality). I had no idea there was a castle there, though! I love castles, so we’ll definitely have to visit this place the next time we’re up there. :)
Scotland, move over.
We live in Port Townsend about four blocks from “The Castle” on Castle Hill, but we never have visited it until tonight. We had a fabulous dinner, well worth what we paid and I don’t think I’ve ever had such good service before. After dinner we took a bit of a self guided tour of the hotel’s common rooms. Just gorgeous! I highly recommend it. As for the rest of our fair town, if you come here, don’t forget to visit Fort Worden and the downtown, where An Officer and a Gentleman was filmed. There are some nice beaches, too, on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The rainforest is a good two hour drive to the west and if you go out that way you can stop at Hurricane Ridge on the way, if you don’t mind scary winding mountain roads!