Wild Iris Inn

An inn designed to feel like a country manor, Wild Iris Inn presents a picture-perfect place to rest during a full weekend of watching whales in Puget Sound, viewing fields of spring tulips, and shopping and dining in La Conner.

Hosts Steve and Lori became innkeepers thanks to their love of sailing in the waters near La Conner. Lori had been working in sales and marketing in the hotel industry for 25 years, and Steve worked in the food and beverage area of the hotel industry for eight years prior to becoming a lawyer. Their sailing afforded them plenty of opportunities to visit La Conner, and they fell in love with the town's unique character. They soon realized they could use their hotel knowledge and live in a town they truly enjoyed. It took six years to find their ideal inn: the Wild Iris.

Bucolic Setting

Built in 1992, the inn's comfortable lobby area welcomes guests with a large river rock fireplace. Each of the inn's 18 rooms is uniquely decorated-from contemporary to country cottage-and all are specially designed for couples looking for a romantic and quiet getaway. We find the Wild Iris a comfortable blend between the charm of a personally run inn and the amenities and services you would expect to find in an upscale hotel. Most rooms have private porches or balconies with pastoral views of the farmland behind the inn and distant views of the Cascade Mountains. Many varieties of flowers and vegetables are grown on nearby land, yet La Conner's downtown shops are just blocks away.

All but two of the rooms have generous king beds, with comfortable bedding and bed linens, plush towels and robes. Nearly all of the rooms also offer jetted spa tubs and fireplaces, designed to give guests the feeling that they have escaped to their own estate in the country.

With a name like "Wild Iris," it may come as no surprise that fresh flowers await guests every day in their rooms, as well as delicious cookies. The inn also offers special in-room packages that can be ordered in advance: spa baskets, wine and cheese trays, Champagne and chocolates, as well as flower arrangements.

Breakfast for Two

Breakfast is a tasty and generous two-course meal in the dining room. Guests can look forward to homemade granola-one of the house specialties-or fresh homemade pastry each day for the first course, as well as a hearty second course that may include eggs and breakfast meats. The private dining room serves breakfast at intimate tables set for two. Isolation is not required, though; larger groups can be accommodated in the dining room or the inn's meeting room. The innkeepers are happy to bring breakfast to your room, if you let them know ahead of time that you're planning to sleep in.

With so much to do in La Conner and the surrounding area, it may be difficult to make time for relaxation during your weekend. Steve and Lori always make sure that after hiking, kayaking, river rafting, bicycling, boating, whale watching, beachcombing or other activity the Wild Iris provides a quiet place to simply relax and unwind.

We have long been boaters and love to explore the waterways but after a week or so together we need a break. So now on every trip north we tie up in La Conner and stay for a day or two at the Wild Iris. After some great hosting, warm breakfasts and a room with a hot tub and down comforters, by the time we depart we are ready for another week of total togetherness.