Located on the banks of the Yakima River, near downtown, and close to I-82, Oxford Suites Yakima, 1701 East Yakima Avenue, Yakima, Washington, is ideally located to serve as a base for a visit to this south central area of Washington State.
Whether you’re headed to the convention center for business meetings or just want to explore the region on vacation, you can start off at the Oxford Suites Yakima with a complimentary breakfast and finish your day in the hot tub or indoor pool. Of course, there’s a fitness center, too, but with all the outdoor activities beckoning (this area boasts at least 300 days of sunny skies each year), getting outside is perhaps more alluring.
The soaring lobby has a wood-burning fireplace with inviting seating and interesting artwork. I especially liked the eighteen three-dimensional abstract twig representations marching up the wall from the fireplace mantle to the ceiling.
Each evening there’s a “manager’s reception” featuring appetizers and your choice of wine, beer, or soft drinks.
Oxford Suites Yakima guestrooms
Oxford Suites Yakima has 108 suites — all of which are non-smoking. The room décor is sleek, with lots of warm wood offset with greens and blues that bring the outdoors in. Since it’s a suite hotel, the bedroom is separated from the sitting room, which has a desk and a couch.
Rooms include a refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker, hairdryer, iron/ironing board, alarm clock/radio, telephone with voicemail, and secure wired and wireless internet.
If a “regular” suite isn’t sweet enough, the hotel has not one but two elegantly appointed Presidential suites.
Need transport from the Yakima airport? A roundtrip airport shuttle, available on request, is complimentary. The airline with the most flights to Yakima Air Terminal – McAllister Field Airport is Alaska Airlines, with daily service to Seattle. Note: SeaTac is about a 2-1/2 hour drive from Yakima.
Yakima attractions
Insider tip: if you’re visiting wineries in the Yakima Valley, of course you will want to buy bottles of your favorites to take back home. Alaska Airlines has a deal for you: you can check in a 12-bottle box of wine as a second piece of luggage at no charge if you’re flying nonstop on Alaska Airlines from one of 32 West Coast destinations. Check the requirements for Wine Flies Free™ on Alaska Airlines.
The Yakima Valley is a rich agricultural region, growing apples, hops, and grapes, but it also draws visitors who want to bike, hike, run, golf, or ski (not to mention go tubing down the Yakima River). A Yakima River trail runs right alongside the Oxford Suites Yakima. Don’t worry about sweaty clothes: the hotel has a coin-operated guest laundry.
Although it’s known for its wineries, the Yakima Valley also has a lively craft brew scene. Why? The Yakima Valley grows 75% of the hops in the United States, making it the largest hop-growing region in the world.
It’s always best to have a designated driver when hitting a bunch of wineries — or breweries and distilleries — on a trip. One way to make that journey easy is to book a seat on Little Hopper. They have craft beer tour packages, winery visit packages, and a hop-on/hop-off service.
If you go to Yakima
- Get a Car Rental
- Search for Great Tours HERE
- Buy Travel Insurance
If you’re looking for a stay in the Yakima Valley that’s more romantic, consider The Cozy Rose Inn in Grandview, Washington.
(Photos courtesy of the hotel and by Susan McKee, who was hosted at the Oxford Suites Yakima by VisitYakima.com)