Long Beach’s Shelburne Hotel: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Open since 1896, Washington State’s longest continually operating inn, the Shelburne Hotel, is about to enter the next stage of its long and venerable history. Ownership of this heritage property in the town of Seaview on Long Beach Peninsula has just changed hands.

Husband and wife team Laurie Anderson and David Campiche have lovingly owned and operated the Shelburne Inn since 1977, devoting 40 years to the place that has long been considered a hallmark of Long Beach Peninsula. Filled with stately architectural details and cozy antique furnishings, a stay at the Shelburne is to transport to a different, bygone era. The restaurant and pub have provided visitors and residents a place to gather.

For those who love this beautiful and special place, it’s a time to both look back and to look ahead.

The dining room at the Shelburne Hotel

New Owners Inherit a Legacy

The new owners, Tiffany Turner and Brady Turner of Adrift Hotels, Inc., run three other coastal town boutique hotels. The Inn at Discovery Coast and Adrift Hotel are located just up the road from the Shelburne in Long Beach and the Ashore Hotel is located in Seaside, Oregon. This dynamic duo also own Adrift Distillers, which will open this summer.

The adage, “if these walls could speak” frankly has a bit of an eerie ring to me, while hotel guest books give off nothing but the warm and fuzzies. The new owners have inherited the history of the hotel, including the notes jotted down by visitors through the years. The guest books tell of beach walks, memorable meals, souvenirs, festivals, and all else that go into a great stay on the Peninsula. They also tell of special occasions like reunions, anniversaries and weddings.

Tiffany and Brady both grew up on the peninsula and have their own connections to the hotel, not the least of which was holding their own wedding reception at the Shelburne Inn in 1999. The Turners have a strong commitment to Long Beach Peninsula and I’ve no doubt they’ll take over the helm with aplomb.

Brady and Tiffany Turner, co-owners of Adrift Hotels, Inc., on their wedding day at the Shelburne Inn (Photo courtesy Adrift Hotels, Inc)

Part of the Long Beach Community

When they bought the inn back in 1977 primarily using proceeds from a particularly profitable pottery show as their down payment, the inn was in disrepair. Keeping up with a heritage property is no easy task and David and Laurie have spent the last 40 years making the inn a top lodging choice.

As 2017 came to an end, the couple announced the upcoming change of ownership on the Shelburne Inn’s Facebook page. Comments of support, affection and good wishes quickly flooded the page. Residents of Long Beach Peninsula wrote to thank the long-time innkeepers for their loving commitment all these years and for being such active members of the community. The page was flooded too with those who have stayed at the Shelburne and know firsthand how special it is. While everyone will miss seeing these gracious hosts at the front desk and in the restaurant and pub, everyone wished them well on a deserved semi-retirement.

David and Laurie not only made the inn what it is today, but they’ve made good lives on the peninsula. Laurie is a writer/photographer/weaver/antique collector/baker and pastry chef/culinary arts instructor. David has lived his whole live here, and is a potter/artist/writer/poet/chef/conservationist/forager. (I was thrilled to have the chance to go mushroom foraging with David and a few other journalists.) Both are “Renaissance people” for their varied accomplishments. They’ll continue operating their 4-unit B&B called China Beach Retreat in Ilwaco. The community is not losing this duo.

David Campiche leading a mushrooming excursion

What’s Next for the Shelburne Hotel

A bathrobe insignia

After the first of the new year, as Tiffany and Brady took over the hotel and the Facebook page, the page flooded again to wish the new owners well. There was relief that the doors of the inn wouldn’t be shuttered. Those who know the new owners know that they’ll respect the legacy while adding their own hip spins on things.

The first change Tiffany and Brady are making is a name change. The Shelburne Inn has reverted back to its original name, the Shelburne Hotel. The hotel will be closed the month of January 2018 for renovations. The early spring re-opening will include updates and a new fine-dining menu for the restaurant and a pub menu that will include some fresh, global twists. The restaurant will initially be open a few days a week, while the pub will remain a Long Beach mainstay, open each day of the week.

The hotel will continue to house 15 rooms, and the distinctive characters of each will remain, but expect some creative renovations that will “meld styles and eras.” Brady is the design architect of the project that will include refreshing the rooms. He wants to take guests back in time but modernize the rooms “for today’s travelers.” The goal is to make the Shelburne a hotel that will please regular repeat guests and enchant a whole new generation.

A Look Back at A Recent Stay

Long Beach Peninsula is one of my favorite places on the Washington coast. I’m happy to have been able to stay at the Shelburne Hotel shortly before the change in ownership.

In my room, the old and new converge. Yes, I’m still keeping my phone charged and checking email. But there’s a starkly different routine in pulling my clothes from the antique oak armoire and switching stained glass lamps off and on. There are details like the small black and white octagon bathroom tile to admire.

I step out onto my little balcony with a cup of tea and enjoy the garden and Adirondack chairs below. I get cozy on the little green velvet loveseat in my room and read.

One of the upstairs baths

An upstairs room at the Shelburne Hotel

I love the nooks and crannies and the rich woodwork and moldings of the building itself. The foyer/sitting room is a wonderful public space to relax.

Enjoying a fresh and hearty breakfast in the dining room is the right way to start any day.

I expect the pub too will see changes, but I’m fairly certain the stained glass windows dating from the 1880’s will remain intact. The windows in both the dining room and the pub were brought into the hotel by David and Laurie, who rescued them from a church in England.

The stained glass windows were originally from a church in England

When I enter and leave my room, I pass through the upstairs hallway and find something new to admire each time. A china cabinet is replete with David’s pottery and a couple Art Nouveau glass pieces.

We sat outside at the garden tables off the pub for lunch one day, enjoying French onion soup, roasted Brussels sprouts with wild mushrooms, and a basket of homemade bread with a big bowl of steamed clams.

About Long Beach Peninsula

Long Beach Peninsula sits at the Southwestern corner of Washington State, a 28-mile long spit of land between Willapa Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The confluence of the Pacific and the Columbia River lie to the south. Fewer than 9,000 people live here year-round. Visitors are drawn from throughout the Northwest and the rest of the country. They’re drawn to its beaches and the natural beauty (there are three state parks). There are seven unique communities, each with fabulous food, festivals, shopping and great places to stay.

Stroll the half-mile boardwalk overlooking sandy beach and dunes, the 8+ mile Discover Trail and 28 miles of beach.

Looking Ahead to the (New) Shelburne Hotel

Like everyone else who loves this special coastal area, I’m curious to see what the renovations bring. The Turners and Adrift Hotels will succeed at bringing their own unique vision. The Shelburne Hotel will remain a great choice for a stay on Long Beach Peninsula. Plan a trip soon to see the new Shelburne Hotel, and enjoy all the area has to offer.

For More:

• The Shelburne Hotel, https://www.shelburnehotelwa.com/ (new website!)
• Long Beach Peninsula Tourism, https://visitlongbeachpeninsula.com/
• Adrift Hotel & Spa, www.adrifthotel.com
• Inn at Discovery Coast, www.innatdiscoverycoast.com
• China Beach Retreat, www.chinabeachretreat.com
• On our site: another great dining option in Seaview: The Depot Restaurant
• On our site: Explore Raymond, Tokeland, and South Bend, Washington
• On our site: Northwest Carriage Museum, World-Class Collection in Raymond, Washington
• Also on our site: Pacific County is home to two notable heritage hotels—the Shelburne Hotel and the Tokeland Hotel. While the Shelburne Hotel, open since 1896, is Washington’s oldest continuously operating hotel, the Tokeland Hotel, first opened in 1885 is Washington’s oldest hotel.

-The cover photo is courtesy Adrift Hotels, Inc. All other photos by Nancy Zaffaro, except as credited.