3 Best Hotels in Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys, Washington

With nearly 400 spacious rooms, some with bunk beds and log-cabin-style forts geared to kids, this activity-focused, rustic-contemporary, lodge-style resort is the largest accommodation in the region. Families appreciate the elaborate and extensive 56,000-square-foot indoor water park, open year-round, that adjoins this retreat, part of the national Great Wolf brand. It's just off Interstate 5 about a 10- to 15-minute drive north of downtown Centralia and a 20-minute drive south of Olympia. Other amenities include seven restaurants and bars, a handful of shops, adult and kids' spas, and a full fitness center.

This modern casino hotel just outside the small town of Ferndale—10 miles northwest of Bellingham—has spacious and well-maintained rooms and a slew of amenities that include a full-service spa, an indoor pool, slots and table games, a showroom, and nearly a dozen restaurants and bars. Accommodations have brightly colored Native American–inspired prints and fabrics, and good-sized bathrooms. Among the dining options, the Steak House serves lavishly prepared filet mignon, veal chops, and seafood.

Whether you're interested in gaming or not, this large contemporary resort just across the bridge to Bainbridge Island offers some of the region's most attractive, well-equipped guest rooms, especially considering the reasonable rates and the views from many rooms of Puget Sound's Agate Pass strait. Rooms are outfitted with 42-inch flat-screen TVs, refrigerators, and microwaves, and guests can also enjoy the indoor pool, book treatments in Angeline Spa, dine and mingle at several restaurants and bars, and shoot a round of golf a short drive away at White Horse Golf Club.