If you are looking for an escape in Washington, Semiahmoo resort in Blaine, a short drive away from Vancouver, B.C., is an excellent choice. The resort and spa are located at the end of a spit, adjacent to the Peace Arch border crossing on the I-5 corridor. I recently attended a conference at the resort and discovered a family friendly waterfront destination with amazing views of Boundary Bay, White Rock (Canada), and Point Roberts (Washington).
Activities
At check-in guests are provided a “Things to Do” flyer. The flyer is packed full of events that the resort hosts, amenities, and places to explore. Unfortunately, my conference schedule didn’t allow me time to take advantage of all the opportunities offered.
Bonfires and S’mores
Who doesn’t enjoy sitting by a fire on a beach with a s’more in one hand and a tasty beverage in the other? Every evening at dusk, staff at the resort build community fires near the beach and provide all the supplies for a successful s’more. Baskets near the fires contain sticks, marshmallows, Hershey chocolate bars, and graham crackers. Benches and logs on the beach provide the seating around the camp fire.
Health Club and Outdoor Pool
I enjoy a nice pool with convenient hours. That’s why I always pack my suit! The outdoor pool at Semiahmoo is on the smaller side. Accessed through the spa entrance, the pool is enclosed by a screened fence, providing privacy from the adjacent parking lot. There is a great view from the pool area of the historic water tower, and plenty of lounge chairs to view it from. A hot tub, steam room and sauna are also on property for guests looking to warm up!
Beach Activity Center
The benefits of staying at a waterfront resort are all the great water activities available. The resort provides kayak and paddleboard rentals for adventurous types during day time hours. You can also spend time exploring the rocky beach. If you decide to head out into the open waters, I wouldn’t suggest trying to cross into Canada on a paddle board!
For those less adventurous, the views are great from the logs on the beach and the grassy areas. You can also hang out on the Peace Arch Pier and dock, or enjoy the view from your water side hotel rooms, and on-site restaurants.
Discovery Theater
Tucked away beyond the conference and ball rooms is a movie theater with a 138” screen, HD projector, and 50 leather seats. On Friday and Saturday nights the resort hosts family movie nights at 8pm. The theater is open for guests to use. This would be a great way to spend time with a larger group of friends or a big family.
The Room
At check-in, I asked about staying in a water view room and was very graciously provided one upon request. The resort has about half their rooms facing the water, and the other half have views of the parking lot and marina, so it’s worth asking for the water view.
The room was dated, and in need of a refresh. My room had paint flaking on the ceiling. However, the views of the beach and water were great!
The toiletries in the bathroom were the float collection by William Roth. I generally don’t take notice of the toiletries provided at hotels, but the product appearance and name was a perfect fit for the resort. The products are heavily scented, but I didn’t mind the perfume aroma. My wife on the other hand, found it to be too strong.
The room had impressive artwork. The pictures on the wall were reproductions of historic canned salmon labels. A very thoughtful way to tie the present-day resort to the history of the property. Originally, Semiahmoo was a salmon canning factory that opened in 1882.
Hotel Rewards Program
Before arriving at the hotel, I looked into what rewards program the resort was connected to. I discovered that the resort is part of Stash Rewards. Not being familiar with this reward program, I joined and was awarded 200 points for completing a questionnaire about myself and my traveling habits.
Don’t make the same mistake that I made though. I didn’t get any points when I signed up. However, anyone invited to join their rewards program can earn 500 points. Send me an email at andy@travelcodex.com for an invitation.
Stash Rewards program consists of approximately 200 independent hotels in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean. They advertise that you can get a free night after as few as five stays. I’m not sure how often I’ll utilize this, but for this conference I didn’t have an option on where to stay.
With a 500 point head start and 200 points for completing their questionnaire, you’d have the equivalent of one stay, for free, before check-in.
Overall Observations
The Semiahmoo Resort provides a fun, family oriented experience near the Peace Arch at the Canadian/US border. The entire time I wasn’t sitting in conference rooms, I was thinking that it would have been great to have my family with me. There were so many ways to fill the day by exploring the beach, swimming at the pool, and having beachfront s’mores at the fire pit.
Separately, this resort has the best website for a hotel that I’ve come across. The drone videos of the resort are amazing. The sections where guests post pictures from their stay at the resort make for a very personal touch.
Add comments below. Have you played golf at Semiahmoo, been to the spa, or stayed at the resort? Let me know what you thought about it.
