Here's a newsflash: (well, not really to those who regularly read my blog) I'm a pretty busy gal. Like everyday is an adventure and full to the brim of the milk pail kind of gal. And let me preface this whole post by saying that I love my super full of existential wonder and experiences life, but even the busiest bee enjoys a bit of a restorative perch on the side of the honeycomb from time to time.
Apparently my friends possess this sentiment regarding my constant flurry of activity and the hub's too, for we were gifted with a gift card to go stay in The Historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington. We live about an hour from downtown Spokane, so our escape to the hotel was not a long in distance one, but boy was it a change in scenery and of pace.
The Davenport first cracked open its doors in 1914 and was one of the finest hotels in operation in the United States for quite some time. It was the first hotel with air-conditioning! The place is just steeped in history too, and apparently haunted by more than one apparition, including its founder, Louis Davenport.
One nice thing about the hotel, aside from it's many, many luxurious amenities, is that it narrowly escaped demolition. The Davenport shut down in 1985 and was purchased, restored, and re-opened in 2002 by some local entrepreneurs. I love those kind of stories!
Being a Poirot and Miss Marple enthusiast, I have to say, as I walked into the Davenport's old-fashioned finery, I felt like an extra in Bertram's Hotel. As we have a sorta non-traditional living schedule, I made arrangements to stay at the hotel during the week. We arrived on a Wednesday for a two day stay and as I strode into the hotel's foyer, I internally squeed with glee because there were no other souls around. We wandered from ballroom to boardroom, unimpeded or unaccompanied and just took in the whole hotel like it was our own personal dwelling.
The walls throughout the hotel are lined with pictures and display cases that tell the story of the place. Everyone from presidents to Bing Crosby have stayed at the hotel. Bing was from Spokane, so in one display case they had his pipe and dressing gown. My attention was honestly drawn by the massive ring of skeleton keys that one of the poor employees had to lug around. Imagine the percussion that thing would make!
Next to the elevators, worn into the marble floor, is a set of footprints from the bellboys standing at the ready over the years. I slid my feet into those depressions and imagined what it must have been like to be a bellboy. With the pandemic still around, there were no bell hops or that much staff at all around the hotel. Being a bit on the self-sufficient side, this lack of helpers didn't bother me in the slightest.
Our room was on the tenth floor and it had a lovely view of downtown Spokane. The city is a bit like a restored time capsule with all its brick edifices and constant trains running through the heart of the town. I really enjoyed the fact that our many windows looked down upon the rooftop terrace meeting place. Even though our room was super soundproofed, I could still hear a bit of the trains and music from the rooftop gathering place. It was lovely.
Speaking of lovely, the room itself was YUGE! There was a king bed of the you really want to jump on it kind, a sitting area, and best of all, a marble bathroom with a massive tub. I spent a lot of time in that tub.
And honestly, we spent most of our time in that glorious room, for that is what we needed. As we are always busy working and volunteering, it was so glorious to just exist in a pleasant, luxurious space without the temptation of tending to a task. The hubs and I just languished on the couch and ordered food to our door from time to time.
There are a few restaurants in the hotel complex. Upon check in the front desk clerk gave me a piece of paper with a bunch of QR codes on it. I just read the codes with my trusty phone and had menus pop in front of my eyes. I still smile thinking about the seafood soup they brought me. There was an herb mixture in that glorious bowl of soup that I had not partaken of before. I must recreate it, I must!
Being of the country dwelling type, we also had a glorious time with the DoorDash app, because the only door dashing we do at my house is bolting into the out when the cows escape. I like the delivery of Chinese food type of door dashing much better.
And just like that, our two day escape had elapsed. We ended our restful retreat with a coffee meetup in the fantastic lobby with a friend of ours who lives in Spokane. Spending two hours chatting with a pal while sipping an iced Americano and listening to big band music was just swell I tell you, just swell.
So if you ever are in the downtown Spokane area and want a cool place to lay your head, I totally recommendThe Historic Davenport Hotel . Even if you just want a cool place to chill for a bit, having coffee in the lobby or eating in one of the restaurants is worth the trip. It's a beyond sublime place to spend a bit of time!
And as most of the time, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's most likely not haunted but rather well-used and promenaded iPhone.
