April 2026 marks a quarter-century of operation for The Chrysalis Inn & Spa, and the Fairhaven-based institution is celebrating the long-time hospitality and luxury provided to guests and locals alike.
The celebration includes a lobby-based history lesson, gift card & spa specials, and a sneak peek at the near future, says Chris Caldwell, Director of Sales, Catering and Marketing for the Chrysalis Inn & Spa.
Longtime owner Mike Keenan, who originally moved to Bellingham in 1998 with the intention of retiring, instead set about constructing a boutique hotel and spa on property overlooking Bellingham Bay and next to what’s now Taylor Dock and Boardwalk.
Designed by architect Regan McClellen and built by Pearson Construction, work on the site began in 2000. By April 2001, the Chrysalis Inn was open. And through the uncertainty of 9/11, economic downturns and even a global pandemic, the hotel has remained among Bellingham’s best hotels, says Caldwell.
“It’s high-end yet welcoming at the same time,” she says. “It’s a unique place, and that’s been sustained for 25 years now.”
When the Chrysalis first opened, its restaurant was known as Fino’s and was leased by a different owner. But in 2013, the restaurant was formally incorporated as part of the hotel and spa, and became known as Keenan’s at the Pier.
The Chrysalis has remained an independently-owned-and-operated venture even after it signed on as part of Hilton Hotels’ Curio Collection. The franchise move provided the hotel with the benefit of Hilton’s worldwide marketing efforts, including a database of Hilton Honors members who now know of this beautiful place to stay, Caldwell explains.
“That’s definitely a big advantage to us, bringing in new guests from all over the world who might not have ever heard of us if we’d stayed a totally independent hotel,” she says.
Chrysalis Inn & Spa Anniversary Happenings
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the hotel is offering a gift card special throughout April.
Normally held for Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, the anniversary special provides customers with a $25 bonus coupon for every $100 gift card purchased. Both can be redeemed in the hotel, restaurant or spa. All facials of 60 minutes or more are also discounted by $25 throughout April.
In addition, the hotel plans to hold an invite-only open house on April 27 for special guests and those who helped make the Chrysalis what it is today. It will include past employees and those who built the hotel, including the architect, designer and members of the construction company.
“We’re hoping to have a mini-reunion for all of the people involved,” Caldwell says.
The Chrysalis Inn, Past and Future
The hotel’s 24-hour lobby also includes a history display showcasing what previously existed on the site of the Chrysalis.
Located on what was long-time industrial ground, the display features a cross-section of businesses important to the city and county’s development on what is now part of the South Hill residential neighborhood.
Beginning in the 1890s, the Fairhaven Canning Company had a booming salmon cannery factory adjacent to the hotel site, according to Brian Griffin, longtime historian and former narrator of Whatcom Museum’s Sunset History Cruises. Three buildings were eventually constructed on pilings over the water, and the company was eventually acquired by Pacific American Fisheries.
Tin clippings, dumped into the bay by workers, eventually formed the “tin rock” known to visitors in nearby Boulevard Park. By the 1940s, the area was home to a McEvoy Oil Company station that provided marine-based Texaco products for boats.
In the 1990s, the site was sold to developer Ken Imus. While clearing the site with bulldozers in January 1996, workers found the entrance of the old Pattle Coal Mine, dating back to the 1850s. The mine was named after pioneer William Pattle, who once lived in a cabin at the present location of Boulevard Park’s Woods Coffee site, according to the Fairhaven History website.
A remediation plan, consisting of a concrete plug and backfill, alleviated concerns over future construction on the site, according to Bellingham geologist George Mustoe.
Since the Chrysalis Inn & Spa opened, it has weathered plenty of economic headwinds, including concerns about waning tourism after the 9/11 terror attacks and the 2008-09 recession. The only time the hotel had to close, Caldwell says, was for six weeks in the spring of 2020, during the initial COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home orders.
Also currently on display in the hotel lobby are concept illustrations of an upcoming renovation, which will see every public space of the Chrysalis receive a cosmetic refresh by June 2027. Caldwell says the facelift will maintain the hotel’s regional aesthetic with updated guest room, restaurant and spa designs, and is part of Hilton’s 7-year refresh process for its Curio hotels.
“We have always strived to maintain that warm, Pacific Northwest contemporary design,” she says of the Chrysalis. “That hasn’t changed since the beginning.”
And indeed, if the next 25 years are anything like the last 25, the Chrysalis Inn & Spa will continue providing the friendly, luxurious experiences it has always been known for.
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