A Staycation in Downtown Seattle

The WAC lobby decorated for the holidays. Marielle Jardiel

Let me start by saying that I love being a tourist in my city. With so many new restaurants, new places, and new adventures to discover, writing about the city of Seattle has always intrigued me. Today I’m going to share my first-ever staycation. Yes, you heard that right—I have never had a staycation before!

So, when I had the opportunity to stay at the Inn at the WAC, I couldn’t turn it down. The timing over the holiday break in December was perfect, and my boyfriend was especially excited as it was some well-earned time for us to unwind and relax.

The Washington Athletic Club (a.k.a. the WAC) was founded in 1930 as a private club. The top ten floors house the Inn at the WAC, one of the finest hotels in the city that encompasses many amenities, services, and friendly staff that makes sure you have what you need.

Soaking Tub and Bathroom; Premier Room at Inn at the WAC Marielle Jardiel

We stayed in one of their Premier Rooms, which featured several amazing amenities, including a wine fridge, a large soaking tub, and a separate shower. We took full advantage of the soaking tub by using all our relaxing essentials: bubble baths, bath bombs, and shower steamers. Other perks include free Starbucks coffee/tea Keurig pods and an elegant collection of Molton Brown London bath essentials, my favorite of which was the Heavenly Gingerlily!

On our first night, we went to Hagerty’s Sports Bar inside the WAC. It was Happy Hour and Washington Huskies game night! For Football game days, they have some great specials, such as a cheeseburger with fries or scrumptious chicken wings, which we both enjoyed. I knew there was always the possibility of running into one of my fellow Visit Seattle colleagues during our stay, and sure enough, we did.

The WAC has an incredible five floors of exercise facilities that cover everything from gym equipment and group classes to sports courts and even a swimming pool. We worked out the next day in the co-ed gym on the fourth floor, which also features a private spa. My boyfriend thoughtfully booked us a deep tissue massage there—talk about a relaxing, tranquil escape! Monty was my masseuse, and she was kind enough to explain the entire process and make me feel at ease.

The WAC is in a centralized location in the city, within walking distance of a host of different restaurants, shopping centers, and other city sights. We had a late lunch with a friend for his birthday celebration at a sushi place down on First Ave called Japonessa Sushi Cocina. Japonessa is one of my favorite restaurants in the city and features a great Happy Hour menu that runs from lunch until close every day!

That night, we decided to try the new Asean Streat Food Hall in Westlake Center which encompasses a wide variety of Southeast Asian food from spicy noodles and rice dishes to crepes and bubble tea! We both got the Mee Goreng Kee Mao ‘Cup of Noodles dish’ which was pretty flavorful and spicy.

On New Year’s Eve, we delved into a delicious pizza place inside Amazon Spheres called Willmott’s Ghost (my second time, his first.) They have superb cocktails, tasty, marinated olives, and a delectable pecorino and calabrian chili fritti! However, the flatbread pizza with crispy pepperoni was the hit favorite!

We walked off the calories by heading to the Space Needle and back, then got all dressed up for dinner at Chan’s Seattle, a new Korean fusion restaurant in the Paramount Hotel. First off, we were super impressed with the drink menu! Then we tried the roasted bone marrow, soy-cured king salmon, spicy deep-fried rice cakes, and chili caramel glazed chicken wings. Finally, we topped off this incredible meal with a decadent caramel vanilla custard for dessert!

To celebrate the countdown to 2023, we finished the night at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, just around the corner from the WAC. The Fairmont is one of the oldest hotels in the city and features a classy upscale 1920s-era aesthetic, which I loved! The bar was conveniently nestled right in the heart of the lobby and was extremely busy that evening, with everyone dressed to the nines! We shot off the confetti, rang in the New Year, and closed the night off with some snacks and relaxation back at the WAC.

Overall, our stay at The Inn at the WAC was a memorable one! You will not want to miss this opportunity, no matter which season you visit!

About the Author

Marielle Jardiel

Marielle Jardiel is a Senior Conventions Coordinator with the Sales team at Visit Seattle. A Seattle enthusiast and native, Marielle loves discovering new places around the city and the Pacific Northwest. You’ll frequently find her trying a new restaurant in the area as she is a total FOODIE at heart!

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