Mazama Country Inn

What a freaking adorable and awesome place to stay! I was traveling alone and reserved a queen bed for one night in August. It was not too crowded but I'm glad I made the reservation rather than waiting last minute because I arrived later than expected and they don't have night time desk people, so they left my key in a safe spot for me to enter. Thank goodness.
The facilities are top notch and made me feel like I was in a luxury lodge but it was completely affordable ($99 a night for a single queen bed). I didn't get to try the restaurant food but I was utterly in love with my room which was a great comfort after hiking all day. The staff is attentive and quick to help - I asked to use the pool in the morning and they immediately sent someone out to uncover it. The rooms are laid out so you feel fairly secluded and have your own space.
It looks like the general clientele is old, retired couples. As a single traveller I loved this because it meant the grounds were almost completely quiet and I didn't have to see little children running amock.
While I might have preferred to have just stayed closer to Mt Vernon to spare myself the drive in and out of the mountains, this stay was definitely a highlight of my trip, so if you are going to venture into North Cascades, I would highly recommend this place.
The cell phone reception was basically not there but they have a house phone. The wi fi is awesome and pretty fast.

I told the front desk person I loved my stay and she said "tell TripAdvisor" which I thought was hilarious because this totally is the kind of place people find via TripAdvisor (ie. OLD PEOPLE STAY HERE)

From the outside, we presumed we couldn't afford this place. But we looked at the menu and saw it was affordable. Great breakfast and friendly service.

True true that the cell reception is spotty.   But why would someone drive hours to the beautiful high alpine woods to talk on your cell phone?   Biggest downsides are that restaurant service is slow and pool is barely heated.   But rooms are cute and the setting can't be beat.  Service is super friendly and you can find anything you need to enjoy your time away - bikes, skis, lip balm.