Friday Harbor House

Friday Harbor in the Puget Sound, Washington © Edmund Lowe | Dreamstime

A guaranteed way to feel deeply at peace with your life is to book a room overlooking the San Juan Channel at the Friday Harbor House Inn on Washington State’s San Juan Island. Throw open your windows and indulge in a bottle of moscato with mango from your mini-fridge as you watch the ferries and sailboats glide past.

Rooms also have a fireplace and jetted tub for two, so you may be hard-pressed to venture beyond your door. But the view — and the ambience — are equally captivating on the hotel’s lawn, which also overlooks the ferry terminal. Salty breezes drift up from the water as you enjoy the hotel’s delicious buffet breakfast with items like house-made granola and locally roasted coffee.

The hotel is also just steps from downtown Friday Harbor, the island’s largest — but quaint — community. Shops, restaurants and tour companies (for sailing, kayaking and whale watching trips) are within a few minutes’ walk.

The downstairs Bluff Restaurant is captained by the deft Chef Aaron Rock, who emphasizes the local bounty in his seasonal cooking. Your multicourse dinner may include halibut or salmon plucked from local waters earlier that day, complemented with wine from Washington state vintners.