Historic Hotel Remodel | A Craftsman Resort Restoration
Built in the early part of the 1900’s, the “Miramar” hotel was only accessible by boat, as there were no roads leading to it on Vashon island in Puget Sound Washington.
Over the years, various changes had been made, but it had mostly fallen into disrepair. The current owners took an interest in it, as Geoff Wotton had vacationed there as a child. Together with his wife Kelly, they had the opportunity to purchase the property and historic hotel. However, they need a repair and additional building permit to complete the process.
They wanted to retain the rustic look of log-built construction, and decided the timber framing would integrate well with the look. Initial contractors did not fit the craftsmanship that was required for this type of project. So, when Geoff and Kelly hired Arrow Timber, it was the perfect fit.
Due to the difficulty of getting materials to the island, they had to cross the Vashon Island Ferry and the drive down a very narrow and steep road, requiring some beams to be shortened and fit together on site. Not only did Arrow help reinforce sagging logs with large quality beams, but a post and beam addition of a master bed/bath was created.
Extra work was done to rebuild some of the log features, and even the staircase to the upper outlook room was fixed as a free extra from Arrow.
Our Timber Frame Houses & Structures Portfolio shows the start of what's possible with design.
This is a wonderful example of restoring and updating a historic building, and it is now a gorgeous location that the owners are delighted with.
Hiring Craftsmen for a Remodel
Working with a Hotel from the 1910’s built out of hand-hewn logs and not only repairing it, but adding an addition required a special permitting process, a ton of communication and planning. They initially hired local contractors but found that the expertise and passion for the job wasn’t there. When they decided to invest in quality craftsman, Arrow Timber jumped at the chance to add a timber frame addition, as well as compliment the original log structures with post and beam. The end result took 6 years to complete. From the beginning repairs and on to consistent craftsmanship, the job was no easy task. But when contractors are passionate about a project and invested in the homeowners vision, amazing things can happen – with proper attention to detail of course!
