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 fifth and final article in a series featuring five Seattle hotels, ranging from brand new to very old. They include Hotel Max, Pan Pacific Seattle, Hotel Andra, The Fairmont Olympic Hotel and The Hotel 1000. So pack your bag, invite your favorite travel buddy and check out the Emerald City sometime!
HOTEL 1000
In June 2006 Seattle’s Hotel 1000 made its debut. Touted as Seattle’s hottest hi-tech hotel, it’s located at 1000 First Avenue (hence the name). The complex includes 120 luxury guest rooms along with 47 high-end residential condominiums of Madison Tower.
My husband and I stayed there on a rainy night in winter, and it’s a great place to tuck in. We discovered that after one visit, the hotel will set your preferred temperature and display your preferred art on the 40-inch LCD TV. I was more impressed with the bathroom and tub, which fills from the ceiling. Privacy shades are installed on the large bathroom window, which is a good thing, as ours looked out to the offices of the Federal Building.
Other guest room amenities include micro fiber bathrobes, over sized bath sheets, Molton Brown bath amenities (my favorite) and complimentary high speed Internet.
We dined at BOKA Kitchen + Bar, just an elevator ride away. Stick with the small plates called Urban Bites: Warm Dungeness Crab Cupcakes and Thai Spiced Chicken Lollipops are a tasty treat.
The Spaahh at Hotel 1000 offers such treatments as the 1000 Hands of Relief Massage ($160 for 90 minutes) and an Uptown Express Manicure ($20). If you’re a golfer, Hotel 1000 features downtown Seattle’s first Golf Club, which lets players tee off at 50 top-tier international courses in a virtual setting with 3-D high-resolution views on interactive touch screens.
Oh, and their guest list is impressive. The evening we stayed, Bill and Melinda Gates were also spending the night!
Minor Grumble: I’m fairly tech-savvy but had problems figuring out the two-line touch screen VOIP phones and had to call the front desk for assistance.
Special Packages: Do Not Disturb Package includes overnight for two in a deluxe room; chocolate dipped fruit and Cave B sparkling wine; $100 dining credit at BOKA; a drawn bubble bath with rose petals and a Diana Krall CD. The package starts at $500.