Cedarbrook Lodge, Urban Oasis...

What a wonderful way to end the week! I was in a Leadership Boot Camp this past week with several of my coworkers who were here for an all week intensive. I was brought in the last two days to help one of the teams create and deliver their presentation.

We were at the Cedarbrook Lodge located just 5 minutes from Seatac Airport. Though you’d never know it, in fact you’d think you were in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and far away from the urban metro area.

Cedarbrook Lodge sits within a beautiful 18 acre wooded campus. As I wandered about the first day I was truly impressed with the landscaping and buildings. As a native Northwesterner I’ve made my share of attempts to transplant indigenous wild flora and fauna over the years, all to no avail. Yet here, it is thriving.

Cedarbrook Lodge and campus in Seattle, Washington near Seatac Airport. An urban oasis...

Funny, I just wrote about Houzz.com a few days ago with its sensuous photos of home and landscape designs and now here I am in this luscious setting admiring the use of cedar, concrete, steel, and glass. This place is quintessentially Northwest. I love its harmonious setting and its use of open space, materials, and natural light. I appreciate how it downplays what it is. It's minimalist in expression not ostentatious. Simple yet eloquent with a quiet confidence and strength.

It's true to the legacy of the Pacific Northwest sensibility.

If you ever have the opportunity to stay here, do so! It’s fabulous for business retreats and only 30 minutes from downtown Seattle by car and much less by light rail. Cedarbrook Lodge has an awesome staff and we were all well taken care of.

Thursday we spent most of our time working on our presentation in Den 3. These workrooms are great spaces with a large table, big screen TV, and fast internet access for bunkering in to do projects with your teams. We had our lunch and dinner delivered to the room and the hotel staff along with our great managers kept a constant eye on us to make sure we had everything we needed and an ample supply of fresh coffee, snacks, and cold drinks.

After working hours on end and you're starting to get a little goofy there’s a comfy living room space just down the hall to relax in or you can take a walk around the alpine meadow like campus. There's even a great workout room and they have a nice little bar, a dining hall, a large cozy lobby, and fine dining at the Copperleaf Restaurant. A lot of the Chef’s herbs, vegetables and fruits are grown on site.

The Cedarbrook Lodge is a great urban oasis and I'm looking forward to my next stay.