• When you walk into Willows Lodge, you'll see our front doors are made from old wine casks.
• The main structure of the Lodge is created with Douglas fir timbers, which were cut 100 years ago and used to build the Port of Portland, Oregon. When the port buildings were torn down, the timbers were saved for another life here at the Lodge. They have notches, bolt holes, and other reminders of their prior use, but have been smoothed and waxed to enhance the natural warmth of the wood.
• The huge stone fireplace in the lobby, repeated on a small scale in the guest rooms, presents the more rugged side of the Northwest. The lobby floors are stained, natural concrete.
• A skilled local craftsman created the two beautiful sofa tables in the lobby cut from the same 100-year old wood. Fine-grained ash wood was used throughout as the counterpoint to the rustic fir.
• The iconic large cedar snag, which was brought in from the Olympic Peninsula, welcomes guests and represents the cedar trees that covered the Sammamish Valley floor. From the use of large, recycled timber and stone materials, to the beautiful gardens featuring native plants and trees, as well as the curated collection of local Native American art, each design brings into focus and celebrates the region's original inhabitants, culture and Northwest heritage.

• While their rustic quality has been preserved in the structure and ledges of the guest rooms, they have also been used in a refined manner.
• Even our guest rooms tables are recycled slate pool tables tops from old bars in British Columbia.
• All of the used furnishings including mattresses and chairs are recycled to maintain Willows Lodge's commitment to sustainability. Willows Lodge was designed to be a quintessential Pacific Northwest luxury hotel experience like no other.
• In our recently completed guest room refresh, it included rustic and refined luxury guest room design details. All spacious and well-appointed guest rooms include stone-trimmed gas fireplaces, deep soaking tubs, custom-designed furniture and luxurious amenities while all rooms now include a beautiful Pendleton banket, hanging on the wall as a piece of art - a strong connection to Northwest culture.
• During the planning stages, our Interior Design firm worked closely with Willows Lodge owner Phil Sherburne and team to stay true to the Lodge's authentic Pacific Northwest roots, while bringing in new luxury upgrades to make the guest stay a true Pacific Northwest experience, steeped in the history of the valley.

• The Gardens at Willows were thoughtfully created to engage unique facets of the human experience while simultaneously maximizing the natural elements of place. The original idea of the Lodge was to create a place that kept people in touch with the heritage and informality of the Northwest while experiencing the highest level of refinement in food, comfort, aesthetics and service.
• Our grounds were planted with a focus on native and pest resistant species. Many of the plantings have been here since we opened our doors, however, they are constantly adding to the landscape. About 9 years ago, we turned to pest resistant species which has proved to be quite beneficial to the rest of the landscape.
• Since the start, we have utilized drip irrigation when applicable and stagger irrigation cycles to promote better absorption and less water waste. This has been especially helpful as each year passes with our climate constantly changing. Where the Northwest used to have a more temperate climate, each year sees much higher temperatures for longer periods of time. By constantly monitoring these conditions, we are able to stay ahead of the curve while still conserving on water usage.
• From the beginning, a bio-swale was created in the center of our parking lot to mitigate environmental impact from run-off of rainwater and oil residue from automobiles.
• On the east side of the property, we border on the Sammamish River. Native plants and shrubs were planted along the slough mitigation area to minimize impact on the waterway. No toxic chemicals are used to alleviate weeds. Weed control is achieved by a combination of ample layers of arborist mulch in the bed areas, salt spray for the gravel areas and very diligent hand weeding.
• Yard debris is composted in locations on the property and ultimately turned into compost for a new life throughout our landscape.

Buying local whenever possible is extremely important not only for the great quality, but also for being a good community partner. Much of the produce comes from right here in the Sammamish Valley which we are a part of. If we are unable to source it locally, we source within our state. This helps with our carbon footprint and provides our guests thr truest flavors of what this region has to offer.

• For animal proteins, we try and source through our state of bordering states. Sometimes we outsource on specific breeds because the flavor and texture isn't quite what we are looking for. When it comes to seafood, we try and stick to Pacific Coast species that are very fresh and flavorful.
• Food material is sent to Cedar Grove for composting and then returned to us for use in our gardens which saves on garbage in the landfills.
• In each of our kitchens, all our used oils are given to a local bio-diesel company to extend their life cycle.