Beautiful historic hotel

My husband recently stayed at the Centralia Square Grand Ballroom and Hotel while he was at the halfway point of the big bike ride from Seattle to Portland.  I met him there and from the minute I drove into the parking lot of the hotel, I was totally jealous of his chance to stay at the hotel.  When I walked in, I discovered that he had already gotten to know Neil, one of the owners of the hotel. Despite being completely swamped by bike riders arriving and needing to be shown where to park their bikes and check in to their rooms, Neil was running around with a smile on his face and was cheerfully telling stories about the hotel’s recent renovation.

Thankfully for me,  I also got a chance to stay at this beautiful hotel, just a month after my husband’s stay.  When he and I arrived at the hotel and were pulling our suitcases to the front entrance, we passed Neil on the sidewalk. Without missing a beat, he greeted us by name and offered to help with the suitcases.  He remembered all the details of my husband’s last visit, including the room number of the room that he had stayed in.  Neil clearly is passionate about this hotel.

On his first visit, my husband stayed in a small room with a full-sized bed. Many of the rooms in this hotel are authentic to what a 1920s hotel room would have been by size.  They also do not have individual bathrooms, but share toilet and shower facilities with other rooms on the hallways. All rooms do have air conditioning and free wi-fi though.  If you’re looking for a fancy, modern hotel, this is not it. If you want to experience the beauty of a hotel from the 1920s and enjoy the romance of history, this is for you. It features lots of original features, brought back to their 1920s glory.

On my visit, we were staying in a room with a king-sized bed and an attached bathroom with clawfoot bathtub.  Love! Our bed was comfortable with nice linens.  The room also had comfy bathrobes for us to use and nice fluffy towels.  Shampoo, soap and earplugs are also provided.
Our room had beautiful exposed brick on one of the walls and a lovely view of the park across the street.

If you are traveling with more than two people, there are three suites at this hotel that feature both king-sized beds and attached bathrooms with either clawfoot tubs or marble showers. Walls are relatively thin in this hotel, so I wouldn’t probably visit with a baby, but would definitely come with preschool age kids on up.

This is a beautiful, clean hotel that is preserving a part of history. If you love historic buildings and want to support the attempt to keep them around, this is a great place to visit.  It’s also a great way to show your kids a different style of architecture and discuss how people used to live!

In addition to being a hotel, this building houses a large ballroom and a smaller ballroom. If you’re looking for a place to have a wedding or other event, the owners are committed to making your dream come true at reasonable prices.  Check out the website for more details. If you’d like a tour of the ballroom, that’s available if an event isn’t currently going on.  There is also a nice outdoor seating area for sitting and relaxing and enjoying views of small town life in downtown Centralia.

*This review is based on one paid stay (my husband’s visit) and one complimentary stay (mine and my husband’s).  All opinions posted here are ours and ours alone.

Relive History

This boutique hotel is perfect for those who are interested in accommodations that are less traditional than corporate hotels or motels. This family owned boutique hotel provides a step back in time with claw foot tubs, original bath fixtures and restored woodwork. For those on a budget, there are rooms with shared bathrooms down the hall- make sure you look closely at the website and choose your room to meet your expectations. Because this hotel is a revitalized 1920’s space, modern conveniences such as TV are not provided. There is Wifi so you are able to access online streaming direct from your hotel room or the amazing outdoor, heated deck space on the second floor. Many room views overlook a beautiful park and one of the best restaurants in the area is located on the first floor of the building. For the discriminate traveler- this hotel offers you a unique lodging option! Remember each room is unique so become familiar with the images and description on their site