Walla Walla Wine Country Grandeur at The Marcus Whitman Hotel
/Disclosure: This trip was sponsored by The Marcus Whitman Hotel and Visit Walla Walla in exchange for my review. All opinions are mine!
What are some of your favorite Washington State adventures? For many, Walla Walla and the Washington Wine Country are high on that list - but I personally hadn’t made my way out to that corner of the state since I was a kid, Last fall I had the pleasure of experiencing wine country with some fabulous blogger & writer gals thanks to the Marcus Whitman Hotel.
The Marcus Whitman is a historical fixture right in the heart of downtown Walla Walla - so much so that a 1928 city ordinance that no other building can be taller than it still stands today! The hotel has won Hotel of the Year by the Washington Wine Commission and its Marc Restaurant has been recognized for its award-winning wine program. What I’m trying to say is…it’s grand from top to bottom and it’s been that way the whole time!
The Luxury Tower Suite was no exception. I did a cartwheel from the living room to the bedroom haha. It’s so spacious and luxe that it was almost intimidating. I slept with the bedroom doors closed to make it feel a bit cozier. I actually also watched the eclipse (an almost total solar eclipse from Walla Walla!) from the bedroom. It was such a cool experience and even indoors, it got considerably darker and colder during those few seconds of the eclipse.
We got a tour of the hotel on our first day, including the unfinished top floor leading out to sweeping views of the city from the rooftop. Such a cool vantage point of Walla Walla! If you want a little more history on Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and the hotel itself, check out the second floor; the unrestored key cubbies, clock, and phone booths behind and next to the front desk; and the lobby’s terrazzo floors.
The Marcus Whitman Hotel hosts Sunset Terrace dinners in the spring and summer, and we had the honor of dining at one of the last ones for 2017. It was such an incredible dinner with wine and food pairings sourced from local farms and wineries. The sunset that night did not disappoint! I highly recommend making your reservations now for one of these Sunset Terrace dinners in 2018; it’s an intimate plein air patio space and sure to fill up quickly!
One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to eat all the things - I like to call it a “Tummy Tour.” This trip, our tummy tour consisted of eating all the things and washing it down with wine. When in Rome, right? Special shoutout to L’ecole No. 41, Lagana Cellars, Sinclair Estate Vineyards, and Mark Ryan Winery for hosting us on a very special walking tour of the city. I tasted a lot of exquisite wine that day and learned a lot about the virtue of pacing yourself!
Check out my separate posts on the rest of our trip, to Passatempo Taverna and Frog Hollow Farm.
Thank you Marcus Whitman Hotel, Kiterocket, and Visit Walla Walla for such a fantastic few days on the other side of the state. I have a true appreciation for the city of Walla Walla now having experienced it as an adult, and I can’t wait to be back again soon!
Visit The Marcus Whitman Hotel website for the latest specials, events, and to book your own stay in Walla Walla Wine Country!