HotelChatter

In a lobby filled with driftwood sculptures and a view straight out onto the ocean, we checked in and made our way up to our room...a fully outfitted corner suite. There was a fireplace with an on/off switch, sliding doors to a little balcony overlooking a footpath, an oversized bed, the comfiest waffled cotton robes ever, a kitchenette with aromatic coffee in vacuum packs (the front desk obliged us with extras), a deep cozy chair with matching ottoman, and a very sweet plasma TV.

The price, normally higher than we pay, covers the proximity. Our suite had six windows, all facing out over the Pacific. We were pretty close to a hot tub, too: we had one in the room. It took my husband about two minutes to dump his bags, shed his clothes, fill up the tub and get busy relaxing. There he was, up to his neck in bubbles, lounging in the hot water wearing nothing but a grin, while literally yards away the freezing Pacific washed up on the ancient stones.

(I'd post a picture of him doing the soaking thing, but he'd probably have a word with me later).

Walking along the windswept footpaths, you could see the mists of whales just offshore, the fog rolling in over miles of pristine beaches, seals just under the ocean surface, tide pools, even the soles of a couple's feet (as they sat in their retro-mod lounge chairs on the third floor of their glass-fronted house, gazing out to sea. Ahhh, retirement living!)

The Overleaf offers free breakfast on the house - delectable mini-waffles, breakfast quiche, hearty coffee, fruit, and free copies of The Oregonian. Unlike at least one other hotel we stayed in on this trip, they had a DVD library, but it was $6.95 a movie and there wasn't much of a selection (My subscription to Netflix is under $10, so it didn't seem like much of a bargain). In the lobby, they had ridiculously expensive Overleaf sweatshirts for sale. We passed.

We were clearly the kids in the crowd. Everyone had at least ten or fifteen years on us and there no children or babies around - I guess no one had to be home to pack up lunch boxes or accept collect calls.

But we were definitely thinking of our tired old bones when it came to the Overleaf Spa. We booked ourselves for massages - included in the fee comes free use of the entire spa. That includes plush robes, steam room and sauna, the aromatic shampoo and conditioner, huge showers, and as much water-infused-with-lemon-slices as you could chug down.

This also includes the 99-degree mini-lap pool and the 104-degree Jacuzzi, both of which sit aside sprawling viewing windows on the hotel's third floor, facing out toward the Pacific.   Once again, there was my husband, lounging in the hot water, staring out at the chilly sea lapping up on shore. The whole experience was so luxurious and pampering that I wanted to quit my job and move into the hotel for the rest of my life.

But it was not to be.

A few days after our arrival back home to New York City, we received a card in the mail - a hand-written thank-you note from Danielle, our masseuse at the Overleaf. A sweet touch from a sweet place.

Related Stories:
· Oregon Hotel Guide [HotelChatter]