The Edgewater Hotel

Grand Hotel

Seattle is home to some of the country’s most elegant hotels, from opulent grandes dames to sleek towers with see-and-be-seen restaurants, soothing spas, and spectacular rooftop bars. Indulge your senses at these luxe lodgings, even if you aren’t spending the night.

Celebrating its centennial in 2024, the gracious Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle (411 University St) has hosted John F. Kennedy, Bob Hope, and countless other luminaries. Sumptuous afternoon tea in the wood-paneled Olympic Bar is a venerable tradition, and the plush 4,000-square-foot Penelope & the Beauty Bar offers a myriad of soothing treatments. Afterward, enjoy a meal at The George, with its recently reimagined design, soaring floor-to-ceiling windows, and rarefied French-Pacific Northwestern cuisine.

The Edgewater Hotel

You may recognize the waterfront balconies at The Edgewater (2411 Alaskan Way) from the famous photo of the Beatles fishing out their guest room window 50 years ago. This four-story mid-century property perched on a pier over Elliott Bay has been a favorite of countless musicians and entertainment celebs over the years, including Led Zeppelin, Blondie, and The Cure. Experience the hotel’s storied heritage while supping on contemporary seafood dishes and gazing across the bay at Six Seven Restaurant.

Music lovers often frequent the esteemed Arctic Club Hotel (700 Third Ave) in Pioneer Square. This ornately detailed 10-story property opened in 1917, at the time primarily catering to veterans of Alaska’s Klondike Gold Rush. Sip cocktails in the atmospheric Polar Bar, which presents live jazz sets on Wednesday nights.

A 1909 stunner offering skyline vistas from its lofty perch on First Hill, the Hotel Sorrento (900 Madison St) delights visitors with its array of events and activities, including jazz brunches, silent reading parties, intimate music performances, cocktails in the warmly lighted Fireside Room, and superb coastal Italian fare at Stella.

Soak up dazzling views while sipping cocktails at one of the city’s hip hotel rooftop lounges. Opened in 2022, the Astra Hotel (300 Terry Ave N) serves craft cocktails and creative tapas in its 16th-floor Altitude Sky Lounge. Other memorable choices for elevated drinks include The Nest, on the 12th floor of the Thompson Seattle (110 Stewart St) and the Fog Room, with its 16th-floor vantage point from atop the Charter Hotel Seattle (1610 Second Ave).

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