Over the weekend I stayed at the Marcus Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla, Washington. I have stayed there more than 50 times over the nearly thirty years that it has been in business. There is some great history with the hotel that dates back to 1928 as the 133 room property lies right in downtown Walla Walla, with easy access to restaurants, bars and great wineries. However, as much they say that they have remodeled the place, it was a sparse remodel. They also took away the previously free breakfast from travelers, leaving this spot not a great value. I paid $250.00 for one night (weekend rate) and the other night was comped. The lobby looks better than it used to. They have re-painted and have new furniture.
Check in: It was easy to check-in and the concierge was really friendly. I was disappointed to see that the complimentary breakfast has now gone away. This adds less value for consumers. WiFi did not work during my stay which might be a problem for future business travelers.
Room quality: I was not impressed with the room quality. For what I paid I would like a larger and better-appointed room. The bathroom was small and cramped and you could barely open the door while standing in front of the sink. The rooms were re-painted with new carpet but strangely the bathrooms were not remodeled at all. This was a really big miss in my book. I prefer the room size and quality at the Courtyard, Walla Walla, which is another 3 Star hotel in town.
There were some basic products, such as conditioner, body wash and shampoo from a brand I had never heard of. The tub in the shower is now more than 20 years old with a spartan curtain. I would like to see a little better quality of bathroom products in a hotel that claims to be newly remodeled. Towels were also very old. The bed quality was not great although they are one year old beds. I did not find them to be very comfortable. Lighting was not very good in the room and they have a 20 year old heater-air conditioner in the window which was obviously not part of the remodel.
Bar and The Marc Restaurant: I made my way down to the bar area for a cocktail. I ordered an old-fashioned and met with the friendly bartender. The drink was really nice and well-balanced as I waited for a friend. Lighting was good in the bar area and the space looks great — a good spot for locals and visitors alike. They have a 27 dollar happy hour burger that is priced at NYC levels. But interestingly enough the wines by the glass are really reasonably priced.
I made my way into the The Marc Restaurant to enjoy some wine and food with a friend. The dining room has has been remodeled and has a better ambience than the previous space. There is some new furniture and I ordered a delicious steak tartare to begin my meal. This was one of the highlights of the stay along with my experience sitting at the bar.
I found the entrees to be good as well, albeit not quite as on point as the Steak Tartare. The lamb loin was tender and an interesting foil to the Snake River Farms fillet that I had ordered. Both were very good and we enjoyed a delicious Brunello di Montalcino to match with that. Service was polite and there was good cadence with the food.
Sommelier Brett Fallows, formerly with Canlis, has carefully curated a great wine list. Wines by the glass are well-done here at The Marc, with several good value selections including the Long Shadows ‘Poets Leap’ Riesling, Seven Hills Rose and L’Ecole No. 41 Chardonnay both at under 12 bucks. The wines by the glass prices are better than what you find in Portland or Seattle hotels. They also have a really nice range of upper-echelon wines from Washington State with the likes of Long Shadows and Cayuse.
Bottom Line: I really enjoyed the bar experience and dinner at The Marc. The glass pour list for local wines is exemplary for the price. As for the stay, there are many areas where they could have done better. The hotel claims to be remodeled but it is really only partially remodeled. The hotel stairwells look like something out of a 70s horror film. They should have remodeled their bathrooms which are outdated. So for 250 bucks a weekend night, I would consider using that money towards a great dining experience at the Marc and consider other local options for overnight.