Pretend You’re in a Wes Anderson Movie at This Whidbey Island Escape
The Life Aquatic meets high thread-count sheets on a Washington Island
Brothers Matt and Mike French, the visionaries behind the effortlessly hip Pioneertown Motel in the Southern California desert, have a knack for turning off-the-grid places into magnets of cool. Last spring, the duo, along with Ace Hotel Group alum Eric Cheong, reimagined a historic inn on Washington’s sleepy Whidbey Island.
The result: an adult summer camp with salty-dog, nautical soul. Set on the shore of Penn’s Cove, Captain Whidbey’s accommodations include a Captain’s Suite above the main tavern, where you can spot whales from your bed; and secluded cabins, each curated by a distinctive Northwest designer, such as Filson.
Courtesy of Meraki Narrative
Arriving at Captain Whidbey is part of the adventure. From Seattle, it’s a 20-mile drive to Mukilteo, where you can hop a 20-minute ferry, drive over stunning Deception Pass Bridge, fly in on a seaplane, or boat to the inn and tie up at the dock. And this summer, Seattle’s cult ice cream artisan, Frankie & Jo’s, will be hosting a dockside pop-up.