Seattle’s Hot Hotel Scene, Part 4: Fairmont Olympic Hotel
Seattle’s hotel scene has perked up in the past few years. With the city’s new hotels bringing the total to 11,000 rooms in the downtown core, there are plenty of options to fit your style and budget.
All I require is a comfy king size bed, a cozy cocktail lounge and sometimes even a room with a view.
Here is the fourth in a series of five Seattle hotels, ranging from very old to brand new. They include Hotel Max, Pan Pacific Seattle, Hotel Andra, The Fairmont Olympic Hotel and Hotel 1000. So pack your bag, invite your favorite travel buddy and check out the Emerald City sometime!
FAIRMONT OLYMPIC HOTEL
The last time I stayed at The Olympic Hotel was back in the ’80s when it was the Four Seasons Olympic. This is the grande dame of hotels in
Seattle. It opened in 1924 at a cost of $4 million and was praised for its antique mirrors, bronze statuary and terrazzo floors installed by
Italian workmen who journeyed to Seattle.
Since that time it’s undergone major restoration and infrastructure modernization and in 2003 it became The Fairmont Olympic Hotel. Today, the 450-room hotel blends classic ambiance and Italian renaissance architecture with modern day must haves. Those include complimentary Internet service in guest rooms, 24-hour in-room dining and concierge service and a complimentary house car to whisk you around downtown Seattle.
Just a little more than a year ago, The Fairmont Olympic redid its historic grand lobby with new custom handmade carpeting and elegant
furnishings. Other recent renovations include guest bathrooms and new plush mattresses.
This is still an important venue for power lunches in Shuckers oyster bar, romantic dinners in The Georgian restaurant or a handcrafted
martini in The Garden (I saw Rob Reiner having a cocktail there a number of years ago).
The service at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel is among the best in the city. Seattle could take a lesson from its hotel neighbors in Vancouver, BC who seem to have figured out the service end of things. Fairmont’s corporate headquarters are in Toronto, so maybe some of that northern charm has rubbed off on its US properties.
SPECIAL PACKAGES: In celebration of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts 100th Anniversary, The Fairmont Olympic Hotel is offering a
number of special packages. The Whale Of a Time package starts at $1,190 USD plus tax for two people. It includes:
• Two-night stay in an Executive Suite
• American Breakfast for two
• Sedan transportation to and from the Kenmore Air floatplane terminal
at Lake Union
• Round-trip scenic floatplane trip to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island
• Guided whale-watching excursion from Friday Harbor
• Admission for two to The Whale Museumin Friday Harbor
Adopt an Orca package
• Lunch at Downriggers in Friday Harbor
• Overnight parking at the hotel.
The package is available April 14 to September 30, 2007. For every package sold, The Fairmont Olympic will donate $100 USD to The Whale Museum. For reservations, call 206.621.1700.