Woodmark Hotel & Still Spa

Who cares about landlocked Lake Washington, when the rest of the Seattle area borders on the picturesque Puget Sound? The short answer: everyone who can afford to, including Bill Gates, whose Xanadu 2.0 stands by its shores. So too does Woodmark Hotel & Still Spa, a hundred-room lakeside luxury resort which is, improbably enough, one of Seattle’s very few high-end waterfront hotels.

The Woodmark’s location, in an upscale residential area of the eastern suburb of Kirkland, is tranquil, even idyllic, and if you’ve come this far you’d do well to plump for a lake-view room. You’ll thank yourself, especially around sunset. Rooms and suites are spacious, and while the design isn’t exactly challenging, there’s a certain unpretentious elegance about the place, as well as some very tangible luxuries like deep soaking tubs in the Italian limestone baths.

A fine wine-centric restaurant and a charming living room bar make the Woodmark a self-contained experience, and the spa offers a full menu of day-spa services. Lake Washington, of course, is more than just scenery — the hotel offers kayak outings and even a vintage Fifties Chris-Craft powerboat, in case you’ve neglected to bring your own.

How to get there: The hotel is a 15-minute drive from Seattle proper.