The Chrysalis Inn & Spa

First, the hotel itself is beautiful. The rooms are clean and well appointed, and the rooms facing the bay have a great view. We watched an amazing sunset from our room. Unfortunately none of that makes up for the trains that basically run directly under the hotel. Grab dinner and drinks from the restaurant downstairs, watch the sunset, then go stay somewhere else if you actually want a restful night of sleep. Do your research, read the other reviews, and take them seriously. The hotel likes to say there is a “quiet zone” at night where the trains don’t blow their horns, but that has zero bearing on how loud they still are. The trains pass so close to the hotel that you can not only hear them, you can feel them. There’s a corner right by the hotel and the wheels make this high pitched squeal as the trains come around it. I’m a pretty light sleeper and there was no chance I was getting a good night’s sleep. My wife usually sleeps like a rock and even she didn’t sleep well. The hotel markets itself as a place to relax and rejuvenate, but it’s anything but that. I’ve seen people say the website has a disclaimer about the trains. I booked directly through the Hilton site and never saw it. That warning should be clearly shown in every room description and again on the final checkout screen before booking. On top of that, we did online check-in ahead of time and I spent time researching which side of the hotel I wanted to stay on. When we arrived, they had given that room away to someone else. I understand I wasn’t booking a guaranteed specific room, but don’t let me “pick” a room during check-in if it isn’t actually going to be honored. It wastes people’s time and isn’t a great way to start the stay.

This is a gorgeous hotel and we had a beautiful corner suite with bay view. I urge anyone considering staying there to take the little note about train noise on the home page seriously. It says it's near train tracks and there will be periodic train noise. What it doesn't say is that you'll be startled awake several times in the night with the sound of a train that feels like it is in the room with you. I think it may have been particularly loud for us as we were on the first corner - second floor. As I said, it's beautiful and the view can't be beat, but I like sleep so wouldn't stay here again

We are disgusted with the service at this hotel. My husband bought a gift card for me for Christmas and we attempted to use it for our stay last night. When booking online through Hilton.com, you’re unable to use the gift card at checkout. I called the hotel DIRECTLY and asked them how to proceed. The receptionist said you can’t pay with gift cards online, that you put your credit card down for incidentals, and they’ll charge the gift card upon checkout. I had her re-clarify the process several times, at no point did she say “Make sure you’re booking directly through Hilton.com, otherwise you can’t use your gift card. We’ve had a lot of people get rerouted to 3rd party sites.” We somehow unfortunately got rerouted to a 3rd party and were unable to use our gift card. The manager was totally unapologetic, he didn’t even say he’d speak with the team. He did, however, have a very well versed speech about not booking through 3rd parties so clearly this has happened many times before. He made zero effort to help or provide any reassurance this wouldn’t happen again to others. He also didn’t provide any compensation, not even a meal at the restaurant. We’re so disappointed by his lack of professionalism and effort to make things right. He didn’t even apologize for our situation and essentially told us it’s on us. We won’t be back. If you have a gift card make sure you book directly through Hilton.com, beware of getting rerouted to a 3rd party.

Wonderful Stay with Spectacular Views We stayed at the Chrysalis Inn and Spa in Bellingham stayed in room 308, the view was absolutely spectacular. The room was clean, beautifully laid out, and the fireplace made it feel especially cozy and inviting. Enjoyed the eucalyptus steam room! We did end up checking in later than expected, but the front desk handled it thoughtfully by giving us a $30 credit toward the restaurant, which we happily used to enjoy their fondue before dinner. The service throughout our stay was very good. The lobby is charming and welcoming, and the overall atmosphere of the hotel feels calm and well cared for. On our way out of town, we grabbed the lox bagel breakfast to go, which was a perfect send-off. Between the views, the comfort of the room, and the attentive service, this was a wonderful stay. I would highly recommend this hotel and would happily return.

Our experience at the Chrysalis was the highlight of our week-long Washington trip. There was a small snafu at check-in, as they accidentally cancelled our reservation just prior to our arrival, but it was quickly rectified, and the staff was great. It's a charming boutique hotel in a great location with a few minutes walk to Fairhaven. Our water view suite was the perfect space, and we loved going for a walk on the boardwalk in the morning. Yes, there is a train that passes close to the hotel a few times during the night, and yes, it can be a bit loud. The hotel provides earplugs by the bed, but we didn't use them and didn't find it terribly disruptive.