10 Things I Love About the Adrift Hotel in Long Beach, on the Washington coast
- The Vibe. The vibe is very relaxed, simple, minimalist, chill, fun, easy, clean, with quality attention to detail. It’s just urban enough where it counts (food, snacks, products to purchase, unfussy, clean look) but you are also there mostly for the massive Pacific Ocean, so they don’t try too hard. If you want to mostly be left alone (not isolated), but feel comfortable in a laid back environment, The Adrift is for you.
- Sauna and Pool. This is brand new! They just installed this amazing new feature next to their spa in the fall of 2019, a few months before my recent visit. The pool is smallish — not for laps, but it is WARM and lovely, covered with one side open to a small outdoor gathering area with a fire and games and the beautiful new barrel sauna, which I covet deeply, and enjoyed multiple times. There is also a spa, which I’ve yet to check out.
- The Pickled Fish restaurant. Get a seat looking out over the ocean for sunset. This was a big surprise our first visit amidst the sea of tourist cliches that await you in the town. You will feel like you’re in Seattle or Portland, with local, mindful, contemporary fare. We ate all meals there and did not bother with anything in town.
- Bikes. Cruisers are available free and the paved bike path that goes for miles and miles parallel with the shoreline is right outside the hotel. A must any time of year.
- Lobby. here is a well curated small selection of mostly organic and local snack foods and drink in the lobby for purchase. Organic coffee and tea is free and available all the time. Wine spigots are mounted on the wall at the front desk, so you can have a glass of a local wine in the lobby.
- Common spaces + games. Communal areas are all around featuring indoor foosball and ping pong to outdoor table tucked in a corner to giant size Jenga and Yahtzee to play by pool.
- Natural and environmentally friendly. EO Organics bath products and beautiful bathrobes.
- Certified B Corporation. This is a pretty strict certification of social and environmental responsibility that says a lot about a businesses commitment to good practices, including ecological measures and paying a living wage and offering a positive work place to employees.
- Location Location Location. Right on the ocean with views from the restaurant and many rooms. The town is only a short walk. The bike path is right there next to the beach and there’s a new movie theater that seems like it plays an eclectic selection of films right around the corner.
- Adrift Distillers. Free tasting when you buy a bottle of their spirits made right on site. I may or may not have rather quickly and single handedly made it through my bottle of incredibly delicious cranberry liqueur.
[Dear Reader – please note that I paid 100% of my stay at the Adrift, food at the restaurant, travel and everything else. They don’t even know I’m writing this. I look forward to the day when I figure out how reviewers get that stuff paid for, but for now it’s just me writing a review of a hotel I enjoy.]