The Lodge at St Edward State park

The Lodge at St Edward State park

The Lodge at St. Edward State Park occupies a restored seminary set inside 332 acres of forest along Lake Washington in Kenmore, twenty minutes from Seattle. Original windows and a stone hearth survive from its seminary days, now framing Cedar + Elm, the Pacific Northwest restaurant anchoring the dining program, and the Remington Ballroom, where weddings and corporate meetings gather under the same light. The Lodge has picked up a MICHELIN Key in both 2024 and 2025 and belongs to Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Eighty-four rooms across five floors come with espresso makers, air conditioning and Smart televisions, with check-in from 4pm and check-out at 11am. Vita Nova Spa takes massage and body treatment bookings by reservation, a library and picnic area cover slower afternoons, and a fitness room plus the park's own hiking trails handle the rest. Dogs stay for a nightly deposit, and wheelchair users get lift access and an accessible route to the restaurant. What separates this place from other Seattle-area retreats is where it sits: because the hotel operates inside a working state park, there is no self-parking for overnight guests, only valet, which keeps the grounds free of the traffic that usually undercuts a forest setting. That trade-off suits a guest who wants genuine quiet along Lake Washington without giving up a serious restaurant and spa, and who won't mind handing over the car keys. It suits less well anyone who wants to come and go on their own schedule, or who wants Seattle's nightlife within walking distance. The forest closes in fast once the sun drops, and that is rather the point. A restored seminary inside a Washington state park, twenty minutes from Seattle, with a MICHELIN Key restaurant and no self-parking for overnight guests, only valet. It suits travelers wanting real quiet and a serious spa, not those who want their car close or the city's nightlife nearby.