Earthbox Inn & Spa

Cute rooms, clean upon arrival. Pet friendly hotel but found it odd that our room was on the second floor, the furthest away from the dog area you could get. Maid service starts around 9, very loud, no acknowledgement to a do not disturb sign, as the employees talk very loudly right outside the rooms, yelling from one end of the hallway to the other. We left our room around 11, when we came back at 4, room was not cleaned. After calling the front desk, housekeeping came and hastily made the beds… it had to be a joke the way the beds were «made». Pool/​hot tub clean but don’t expect towels, the three days we were there, no towels ever.

This hotel is really more like an overpriced motel. The web photos make is seem much nicer than it really is. Somewhat recent interior updates modernize the feel of the hotel, although our room seemed a bit tired and worn. The walls here are very, very thin. We could hear our neighbors all night. The room fridge was so loud we had to unplug it to get to sleep. Lavender body products are neat because they are local, but not for someone like me who can’t stand the strong smell of lavender. The shower body products were not labeled so couldn’t really tell the difference between the body wash and shampoo. Sadly, I don’t think I will be back for another visit.

5 minute walk from the ferry on Spring Street. Very quiet, nice rooms, great beds, big HDTV, pool, hot tub and sauna. Definitely would stay here again.

The rooms have the quality of a good hotel rather than an inn. Comfy beds and nice linens. I’m a bit of a clean freak and I was very happy… And we were in a dog friendly room!

I really am confused about how to review this place. The room was clean and decorated fine. This is an old motel that they have tried to convert to a higher end hotel. We paid $ 240 a night for this. We kept being told that all the prices are higher here because it is an island resort. Really wouldn’t mind paying that if it had the amenities of a least a 3 star hotel– which it doesn’t. They had a 32″ small TV, no air conditioning (even motel 6 has a window AC). Oh but they did have a fan that they probably got at Walmart for $ 19.99).
On the positive side they had nice bedding and really good soap and toiletry items. I just don’t feel that $ 240 a night was justifiable– even on a resort island. I would have been ok if it was $ 150 – 70 which is what is is worth for a ‘resort’ area. If this place was on the mainland I’d say $ 100.

Earthboxx has been my go to spot on Friday harbor. The price is extremely reasonable compared to anything else on the island, it provides all the basics plus heated pool area, espresso stand and pet friendly areas. The access to the spa as well as downtown makes its location the best of any options on San Juan. My family and I make a point to go here because it provides everything and a little more without the full resort cost. The staff is «island friendly» and has helped with every question and concern. I always got the best directions and helpful, honest tips about dining and activities worth my time and money. While I see other reviewers arguing about the value, for a vacation or tourist economy town and the accessibility of its location justifies the cost on its own, everything else is a huge perk and it has been consistently this way for my family and I for years.

Overpriced. Dirty. Outdated. No air conditioning in August.
This is not the worst hotel experience I have ever had. But it IS the worst hotel experience I have ever had for over $ 100 per night.
To get a picture of the Earthbox, think about a 1950-​something motor inn. Now think about that same motor inn «updated» by painting it in earthtones and installing cable TV plus an espresso stand near the pool area.
That’s the «Earthbox Spa.»
My wife and I travel often and don’t mind paying for excellent accommodations. So paying $ 500+ for a two-​night stay isn’t at all unusual for us. But paying $ 500+ for two nights of what we got at the Earthbox was a bad decision on our part.
The room we got was dirty when we checked in. Someone’s hair was in the bathtub. A part of a candy bar had been ground into (and vaccuumed over) the rug. The odor of the place reminded me of my grandparents’ very lived-​in, cramped, one-​story home in the 1970’s. There were stains on the bedspreads.
Additionally, a full 50% of the light-​bulbs in our room were non-​working. There was no Air Conditioning during a hot August week. There there were two plastic plug-​in fans for our use. They were very loud, but were absolutely necessary to keep the room habitable.
After our first night, our room may have been cleaned by hotel staff, but the only evidence of this was that one of the two beds had been made. The hairs in the bathtub from when we checked in were still there. So were he bedspread stains.
Also, when we stay at a $ 250+/night hotel, we usually expect normal things like an in-​room ironing board and an iron, a closet, an on-​site restaurant, a decent gym, and a bar. This property had none of those things, although it did have a single treadmill and exercise mat adjacent to the humid indoor pool area. We opted for an outdoor run instead, did without ironing, and got a bottle of wine from a convenience store to take back to our room.
On the plus side: there was a polite and professional barista at the coffee bar, the hand soap smelled nice.
We would advise that you don’t stay here. If you do, look forward to an experience that is halfway between a Holiday Inn Express and camping, but for the price of a Sheraton or Hilton.

Spacious, clean and comfortable. Very friendly staff. We really love this place and will definitely make a return visit!

I’m giving this place 2.5 stars. This is really just a flipped, overpriced motel that just happens to offer some spa treatments (read: the website is very misleading).
PROS
–Location: very close to shops, restaurants. Super walkable.
–Pet-​friendly: the wood floors in the pet rooms are nice, and there is a designated «pet area» with baggies etc.
–Bikes available: we didn’t take advantage of this, but the idea is nice.
–Cleanliness: the room was clean, generally.
CONS
–No AC: this might be because we were in the Pet room (we did see ACs in other rooms), but it made the stay uncomfortable and stuffy. We had to keep the door open most of the time to get any air in.
–Value: as other reviewers have said, this is really overpriced for what it is. The room is very small and cramped, I think I hit my shin on the edge of one of the beds 5 times!
–Wifi: barely works. Might as well not even say you have wifi…
–Front Desk: they were kinda snotty. We asked for late checkout, and the girl made it seem like a painful request (she allowed us 30 mins).
–Noise: there were packets of ear plugs in the room upon arrival. We used them.
IMO, this place seems to think it is way fancier than it is, from the attitudes of the workers to the cost of the rooms. It’s nice that they are pet-​friendly, but really that’s the biggest pro (and we didn’t have a choice, we needed a pet-​friendly place). We probably won’t return.

Great place! Walk-​able to great restaurants and the ferry! Clean efficient rooms. plenty of space. Inside pool, free bikes, quaint place. Only reason it got a 4 star was b/​c they knew we were coming in on the late ferry and the office was closed before 10 pm. I had to call the night manager to check in. He came quick, but a couple was there and their key was outside in the mailbox. Wish they did that for me.

Stayed here one night last Sunday night with my boyfriend. The outside is slightly deceiving. It is by no-​means run-​down, but has the architecture of an old «motor inn» however clearly has had more than just a fresh coat of paint. All the interiors have been completely updated, however. The lobby is warm and inviting and the staff were fantastic! Very helpful and so nice. Even prior to our arrival, there was a mistake made in the reservation and they were able to immediately remedy the situation just two days prior to our arrival. The room was great! Very contemporary and comfortable. Would come back for sure!

This is a lovely hotel! The rooms are beautiful and comfortable. We would certainly stay here again! Dog friendly too!

4 stars seems right because I think they did the best they could with remodeling the old motor inn and making it into an enjoyable hotel with well-​thought out details (like the lavender body products) to make for a gray experience.
We stayed in two different types of rooms because we were stuck on the island another night (do try and make a ferry reservation!!) so we tried the older more motel rooms and it was more like a 3 star. But the sky suite was almost 5 stars. Hence the 4. Enjoyed the pool, sauna, and hot tub, and the bathrobes in the nicer room!!!

The Earthbox was not what I was expecting based on its website. Friday Harbor is a low-​key island town, not a resort town, but it was still a great place to stay. It is a converted motel, nicely done, but still a motel. We stayed in a Sky room. The king bed doesn’t really fit in the room and the walls are thin. The room was clean, shower is great, the bathroom space is good, there’s coffee, a fridge and the pool and hot tub are very nice. The property is in a great location, very walkable! I would definitely stay again!

Had the best time here the staff was friendly the room was clean and comfortable and just a small walk to town :-) love our stay will be coming back!!!

The room was clean when we arrived and fairly cozy. The rooms have been remodeled… It doesn’t look as promising from the outside, but the inside is much nicer. The staff were friendly and welcoming. I didn’t rate it any higher because it was far too overpriced for what you get. I suppose it’s on and island and they can charge more because people will pay it, but the value was not there. When not on and island, I would be willing to pay about $ 80-​$ 100 for the room and service.
I wouldn’t expect the housekeeping to be spot on. When we returned to our room in the evening, the towels that were left on the bathroom floor were folded and hung up for us — while still wet — and more q-​tips were placed in a dish… Literally nothing else was done. The floor was not swept, the bed not made… Not really a big deal if you’re only paying $ 90/​night. But for $ 150/​night I expect the towels on the floor to be replaced, the bed made and the floor swept at a minimum.
We asked the front desk if that was standard, and they said no — and offered to give us new towels. But that was about it. No apology for the oversight — just an excuse, saying the housekeeper must have gotten called away and forgot our room.
If the price was lower, this review would be quite a bit different — but it’s hard to say we were satisfied.

I was struggling between a 2 star and 3 star rating, but went with 2 because of the following things:
Good:
The lobby is clean, smells great, and has a nice little sitting area.
The location is convenient.
The free bikes are a nice gesture.
The pool was clean.
Bad:
The rooms are pretty terrible. Chipped paint, dingy carpet, very dark, odd furniture choices. It did seem clean & the bed was relatively comfortable. But, we spent as little time in there as possible.
The lobby closes at 10pm on weekends and 8pm on weekdays. Without the option of sitting by the fire to read a book, we were a bit stranded on a Monday night. All the restaurants were closed by 9p. So, our best option was to go watch TV in our sad little room.
The staff. We had multiple rude encounters with the staff. We were ignored upon check-​in — the front desk person kept taking (not putting on hold, but taking) calls instead of attending to us — while we were standing right in front of him. When checking out, we put our keys on the counter and were running late for a ferry. A different front desk associate was on the phone, looked at us and said «this is going to take a few moments, you need to wait.» After waiting for a while, I had to loudly say «we need to catch a ferry, we’re leaving our keys and going» and he just nodded.
The free bikes are good. However, being single speed, they wouldn’t be useful for anyone remotely out of shape. We rode 3 miles to the winery outside of town. It was a struggle with just one speed. But, they were better than nothing, I will say.
I agree with other comments. The hotel isn’t horrible. It’s fine. Just fine. But, paying as much as we did, seemed like a rip-​off. I’d say it’s worth about $ 89/​night. Not $ 150 like we paid (we got an offseason deal).
If they simply re-​trained some of their staff, updated a few policies, and overhauled the rooms — it’d be a nice little spot to stay.

Booked a one night stay online, which was smooth.
It is a block from downtown Friday Harbor and the ferry which is perfect, not too close but within walking distance. We checked in and then parked the car and walked into town for dinner and breakfast the next morning.
Room was clean, updated and nice overall. We were able to enjoy Netflix before going to sleep through the TV and complimentary WiFi which was a bonus! They have products from the local Pelindaba Lavender farm in the rooms which smell amazing. There are also complimentary bicycles at your disposal during your stay.
Staff is friendly and helpful.
Like most things in Friday Harbor it is overpriced for what it is. I would stay here again if I couldn’t find a better deal elsewhere for a comparable hotel.

We were able to snag a deal on this hotel for the Savor the Juans events throughout the month of October. In addition, we were able to bring our dog for a very reasonable extra $ 15 per night. They provided us with dog bowls, blanket and towel. Near our room was a grassy area for you to walk your pets. We would definitely stay here again. They are within walking distance of everything downtown: restaurants, shops and the ferry. I appreciated that they were not literally in the middle of all of it or right by the ferry, as it made for quiet evenings, as seemed slightly secluded.
The rooms have been updated. As you lie in your bed, your view looking up is of beautiful timber beams. The colors and décor in the room lend themselves to a spa feel. I was pleasantly surprised to find a jetted tub in our bathroom, which I thoroughly enjoyed. They have lavender products from Pelindaba, the local company on the island, for you to use during your stay and sell them in their lobby.
Kudos to the property for having an indoor heated pool and jacuzzi for those days and nights when the weather doesn’t cooperate. They have a spa on site, which we were able to enjoy massages at. It made for a relaxing, quiet weekend. They have bicycles on site to ride around town if that suits you.
My only complaint is no breakfast. But they are just down the road from restaurants that serve breakfast.

This was a bit of a mixed bag. The property is pretty, and not completely out of order, but it is old and showing it. Our room had no AC, though they did provide a big fan to put in the window. Some other rooms have small wall AC units. The price was pretty steep for the overall quality of the facility.
So really, not a bad stay, but could have been better and was too expensive for what it is.
Oh, and the wi-​fi was sketchy at best. We ended up using our cellular hot spot.

Found this place through Unilocal/Tripadvisor.This hotel is very conveniently located to the main town of Friday Harbor and you can walk to the main town in less than 5 minutes from this place. The rooms were pretty clean and convenient and the décor looked nice. the bathrooms were very clean. The hotel has an indoor heated pool/​spa but i didn’t use it. They also had free bicycles that you could use for biking around town. Pick this place if you don’t want to drive around the downtown area and you could walk to most of the places. The staff were also very helpful and friendly and offered various restaurant suggestions.