My college friends get together once each summer to reconnect
with each other and chose the Tucker House Bed and Breakfast on Friday Harbor this year. We had a great time. The staff is so helpful providing information and directions to whatever we asked. The location is great - close to town and the ferry terminal. The food was wonderful with a fresh and healthy breakfast every morning and snacks each afternoon, too. We'll definitely add this place to our list and return soon.

My husband and our adult daughter stayed here for two (long) nights in 2 bedrooms and an adjoining sitting room: the Victoria's Crown bedroom/bath and the Grandmothers Flower Garden bedroom/bath. We were very disappointed. The beds were lumpy and uncomfortable; the sheets were worn and thin; the pillows flat. The garage sale furnishings, multiple doilies and bric a brac was downright depressing. Our room and mattress smelled. The bathroom shower was barely large enough to hold a small child and the shower drain was floating loose and not attached to the tile. There was no room in the bathroom to even hold a toothbrush so we had to put all of our toiletries on a table in our bedroom. No closet in our room; we had to hang our clothes on a clothes tree with wire coathangers on it. Across the street from our room was a public park and playground where young people played basketball and hung out until the wee hours of the morning.

The grounds are equally as depressing. The grass was overgrown, the gardens untended, and there were several pots with dead plants in them. The Tucker House brochure advertises a vegetable garden which supplies the kitchen with fresh produce. I saw three recently planted blueberry bushes, two eggplants, a squash, and a tomato plant...all of them looking scraggly and as if they were just barely hanging on. Lawn furniture, such as it is, is dirty.

The staff seemed harassed and over-worked and we did not enjoy our breakfasts because they all seemed so rushed and disturbed and did not have time to engage with the guests. The coffee was very good and that is the best thing I can say about this place. We will never return and we will tell our friends to stay away. The same owners operate the Harrison House next door so it would be best to avoid that also.

My wife and I stayed at the Tucker House during our first trip to San Juan Island in July. We probably have a unique perspective because we moved from one room to another in the middle of our several-day stay.

Firstly, let me say that our overall experience was an enjoyable one -- though not perfect.

The positives:
1) Location, Location, Location.
The property is on a hill just 2 blocks from the docks of Friday Harbor. (Be aware that it is a climb uphill for those 2 blocks if you are coming off a yacht or ferry.) We enjoyed the fact that it was fairly close to shops, restaurants and the Harbor itself.

2) Our room in the main part of the House.
We stayed in the "Evening Star" which was a wonderful room. It was nicely decorated with antique charm and ambiance. The hardwood floor looked new and the room was clean and fresh-smelling. The bathroom included a 2-person Jacuzzi tub that we enjoyed.

3) The Innkeeper and Staff.
Anna Maria, the Innkeeper, is a wonderful host. I left with the feeling that she and her staff/family, went above and beyond to ensure the comfort of their guests. We were given personal service and assistance even in the midst of perhaps the busiest time of year.

4) The Breakfasts.
I was somewhat concerned after reading a few negative remarks regarding breakfast at this property (which actually consists of several Houses and cottages including the Harrison House Suites). The breakfast is served at the dining room in the Harrison House which is the House next-door to the Tucker House. However, I cannot understand why there would be any complaints with the breakfast. Each day we were served a delightful 3-course gourmet breakfast started off with a wonderful home-made granola that was fabulous! I should also add that when this property was booked for us, our agent failed to mention food allergies that I have. When we shared this with Anna Marie -- just before our first breakfast -- she didn't miss a beat graciously accommodating our needs.

The Negative:
We also stayed in one of the rooms in "Victoria's Flower Garden."
It was certainly at least a step beneath the accommodations of the main Tucker House. The worst part was the bathroom. The vinyl flooring could/should use replacement and the water pressure in the shower was almost non-existent. These are a couple of areas that need attention.

Let me add that the property was being worked-on during our stay. It is obvious that the owners have made improvements and are continuing to upgrade the facilities. This is another positive sign.

Summary:
All in all, our first visit to San Juan Island and the Tucker House was a positive experience. We would (and probably will) return here again -- just be more selective with our room. Overall, It was an enjoyable stay in a beautiful place with pleasant and helpful hosts. I would not hesitate to recommend this B & B.

This inn disappointed on many levels. Our $300 room was filled with a hodgepodge of mismatched furniture topped with an abundance of doilies and runners. (It looked as though an elderly Midwestern granny had decorated the place.) No closet in the room. The bathroom was minuscule with no shelf for toiletries, and a tiny shower with an unattached drain cover, a definite safety issue.

Breakfast was an uncomfortable affair. Upon check-in, we were told our breakfast seating was at 9:30am, a time which did not work with our planned activities. Dave, the innkeeper, simply shrugged off our concerns. Food was okay, but portions were skimpy. Anna Marie, the owner and cook, seemed overwhelmed with the production of trying to serve a formal, multi-course sit-down breakfast. A breakfast served buffet-style would make more sense.

Overall, it was the management's lack of attention to detail that defines this inn. No wastebasket in our room. Windows painted shut and inoperable. Tattered 2004 hand-me-down magazines in the room. No morning papers. Dead potted plants and unkempt lawns. Dirty lawn furniture. Lack of lighting for uneven outdoor stone stairs. Coffee and tea available in the communal kitchen, but no cream or milk provided.

The inn is close to the ferry, but location is not enough of a reason to recommend staying here.