The Tokeland Hotel: Destination nowhere offers good food and a cozy refuge
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"They say there are three things that make a hotel and restaurant successful," says Scott White, who, with his wife, Katherine, owns the historic Tokeland Hotel in Pacific County.
"Those three are location, location, location, and we are nowhere."
Mind you, this is an ironic observation. Yes, they're nowhere, but nowhere is the ideal location for visitors seeking turn-of-the-century charm, good food and cozy refuge from ocean storms. Built on a peninsula overlooking Willapa Bay, just minutes from Pacific Ocean beaches, the Tokeland Hotel acts as a gathering place for locals as well as travelers. A large dining room dominates the first floor, its dark wood brightened by a gas fireplace and an entire wall of windows with peaceful views of grasslands and the bay. Discreetly spaced tables create both a sense of communal dining and privacy while local high-school girls attentively serve guests.
The homemade, homegrown food is prepared by former Marriott chef Robin Frye. But on weekends, the Whites do much of the cooking — stick-to-the-ribs fare such as biscuits and gravy, blueberry pancakes and, for Sunday supper, cranberry pot roast.
From jeans to sequins
Ambience and cuisine attract diverse diners. One night this fall, couples dressed in jeans enjoyed romantic, candle-lit dinners while two tables down, gussied-up teenagers in sequins and a tuxedo celebrated before a homecoming dance.
Before or after meals, guests retire to the Fireplace Room. Just off the lobby, its original brick fireplace radiates the deep, reassuring scent of wood smoke. A huge moose head over the mantel lends dignity to a place where relaxation reigns. There's no TV, so people curl up on the couch and read, play board games or sit by the windows, staring through rain-smeared glass.
Up a narrow staircase, 17 small and comfortable rooms feature old-fashioned décor and comfy quilts. Bathrooms are in the hall, close by, clean and modern. The old wood floors echo footsteps, soothing sounds of contented humanity padding back and forth.
Antiques scattered throughout the hotel create the look of an old English coach house, and in a way, that's what it's been since it was built in 1885 by a family with the apt name of Kindred. Steamers once brought guests to the bay where they were picked up and driven to the hotel by carriage.
Through the years, the hotel had various owners and was finally abandoned in the 1980s, falling into serious disrepair. The Whites, frequent visitors as their kids grew up, were appalled by the changes and decided to buy it.
"The day I signed the papers, I called Katherine at home in Seattle and told her I was going to stay at the hotel that night," remembers Scott White "The electricity was out and the weather was really nasty, but I slept like a baby. I felt totally at peace."
Nevertheless, returning the hotel to glory proved labor intensive and expensive. "The hotel was moldering," White says. "The lawn was gone, filled with Scotch broom."
Katherine White recalls a porcupine in a back room, a skunk in the basement, and upstairs, mushrooms sprouting from a mattress.
"Once, we were moving an old washing machine and it fell through the floor!" She laughs now, but not then.
"I just sat down and started bawling. We lost power all the time, there were leaks everywhere, and now there was a big hole in the floor. I thought, 'What have we done?' "
They would soon find out. After adding new plumbing, a new roof, and wiring, they refurbished the guest rooms. Then, on Mother's Day 1990, the Tokeland Hotel reopened.
"Everyone was pretty excited, and there was a line outside to come in," Scott White recalls. "People came up to me and said, 'I remember coming here 50 years ago. Thank you!' "
Blessings among the demands
Although the hotel makes constant demands on the couple, blessings abound.
Every Friday, they commute 3½ hours from Seattle to Tokeland, staying through Sunday afternoon. During the drive, Katherine reads to Scott, and they've gone through dozens of novels this way.
"The hotel has been wonderful for our marriage," says Scott. "We do this together."
The Whites have also become part of a small, tight-knit community. Their staff is almost entirely made up of locals, and on July 4th it seems the entire town turns out for a party on the hotel's lawn.
By the world's standards, the Tokeland Hotel might be situated precisely nowhere, and clearly the Whites aren't getting rich, but they have been enriched by their business, as have many others.
Regular guests Jeni Cate and Suzanne McNeilly, co-owners of the Seattle business Changing Gears, offer bicycle tours and gourmet cooking classes. Several times a year, they snap up all the hotel rooms for their cooking students, take over the Tokeland's kitchen and prepare an extravagant dinner. The happy feast is held in the dining room.
"The Whites are so accommodating to us, and to everyone," says Cate. "They are the epitome of hospitality. The whole staff is that way."
McNeilly explains their return visits this way: "I fell in love with the Tokeland. It's an easy place to be. When I'm there, I'm home."
IF YOU GO
The Tokeland Hotel, 100 Hotel Road, Tokeland, Pacific County; Phone: 360- 267-7006
Getting there: From Seattle, take Interstate 5 south and Exit 104 to Highway 101 and Aberdeen. In Aberdeen, follow the signs to the Westport (Highway 105) exit. At the Westport junction, follow the signs to Tokeland. From the highway turn-off to Tokelan, drive two miles. The hotel, a large gray building surrounded by meadow, is on your left.
Rates: Off-season rates: $45 (double occupancy), $40 (single occupancy). Summer rates: $65 (double occupancy), $55 (single). Reservations required.
Dining: Fall and winter, the dining room is open for breakfast and lunch, 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Thursday. Weekend hours (Friday-Sunday) are 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Things to do: Hike the ocean beaches or take bike rides along country roads and nearby cranberry bogs, a big industry in the area. Kite flying, crabbing and clam digging are also big draws. Browse through the history-rich towns of Westport, Grayland, South Bend and Raymond.