A classy hotel for the classy town of Kirkland

Heathman Hotel - Exterior

I’ve long been a fan of Portland’s Heathman Hotel, so when I heard they were opening a “branch” in my home state of Washington, I couldn’t wait to visit.

Wisely, they’ve chosen the community of Kirkland as The Heathman Hotel’s newest home. As the only city on the Eastside located on the waterfront, in this case Lake Washington, Kirkland is an affluent community with a thriving downtown of shops, restaurants and galleries.

There is plenty of public art, parks, beaches and the 400-seat Kirkland Performance Center.

Now it has a classy hotel, too.

Heathman Hotel - Owner's Suite

This is The Heathman’s first sister property, located in the heart of Kirkland’s downtown waterfront. It’s 20 minutes across the bridge from Seattle and five minutes from Bellevue. The day my hubby and I visited, we were having our car serviced at the nearby Infiniti of Kirkland.

Its 91 guest rooms include 15 suites, and views are of the lake, mountains and city skyline. The decor is understated and elegant, classic yet modern. Lots of natural stone, wood and metal complemented with rich textures and warm backgrounds. Outside, the hotel blends in with the historic buildings of Kirkland, with its brick and stucco finish and use of arches and balconies.

I’m big on beds, and The Heathman offers a unique bed menu called the Art of Sleep. Simply put, it means guests may select their bed type preference upon check-in: European Featherbed, European Pillow-top or Tempur-Pedic.

Chef Brian - Heathman Hotel

Other amenities include the hotel’s Personal Concierge service, a lobby/lounge for daily afternoon tea, complimentary high-speed WiFi, twice-daily maid service, fitness center and the 5,000 square-foot Penterra Spa. Signature treatments include the two-hour Penterra Rituals that include a foot ritual, five gems body balancing, healing massage therapy and choice of aromatherapy elixir oils.

Trellis is the on-site restaurant headed up by Executive Chef Brian Scheehser, who blends modern cooking techniques with the rustic and robust cooking style of a wine country restaurant. Formerly at the Sorrento Hotel’s Hunt Club in Seattle, Scheehser has his very own private garden in nearby Redmond.

His three-acre spread at the nearby South 47 farm provides a year-round bounty of produce for Trellis’ farm to table dining.

My husband and I enjoyed a Saturday mimosa brunch at Trellis. He indulged in Eggs Benedict with Berkshire ham, sauce Hollandaise and Yukon potato hash. I enjoyed the Wine Country Platter that featured hand-crafted Fra’mani salumi, Jasper Farms farmstead cheese, red onion & thyme marmalade, grapes and rosemary crisps.

The dinner menu includes such entrees as Pacific Seafood Soup, Pan Seared Salmon, “La Pasta” Tagliatelle and a New York Steak grilled with herb butter and served with shoestring fries.

Oh, and a wine list with more than 200 selections.

Next time we’ll spend the night.

Pictured top to bottom:
The Heathman Hotel is at 220 Kirkland Avenue
The Owner’s Suite
Chef Brian Scheehser in his private garden

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