Hotel Windrow
With the support of the Ellensburg Downtown Association
and a promising feasibility study, a “dream team” was assembled consisting of
Rory, Sam Buckingham, a hospitality construction specialist from Redmond, Kurt
Jensen, a longtime hotel architect also from Redmond, and Paul Jinneman, a
veteran hotel consultant and hotel owner from neighboring Leavenworth.
After careful
planning, this kismet group broke ground in July 2018 on a boutique hotel known
as Hotel Windrow. Much like the original lodge, Hotel Windrow was to be no
ordinary hotel. It contained a grand staircase from the hotel lobby connecting
to the historic Elks Grand Ballroom and a rooftop deck that serves as a perch
overlooking bustling Main Street, with spectacular views of downtown Ellensburg
and the Kittitas Valley. Housing 59 guest rooms with modern amenities and
comforts, meeting rooms, and places for guests to gather again at the heart of
the space. With the new came celebrations of tradition, with even the property
name as a nod to our town's original hay farmers and founders.