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Not too long ago, we had the opportunity to visit Seattle and stay at the venerable Seattle Fairmont Olympic Hotel. The whole family was very impressed – the experience was really pretty spectacular.
Now I grew up in San Francisco where the original Fairmont Hotel still sits atop Nob Hill, flanked by the famous cable cars as they tug up California Street. All my young years and into early adulthood, the Fairmont stood as the grand dame of hotels and bastian of good manners and superior service. Yes, many good memories were made at that fine hotel, and I am so glad to have made more on our visit to the Seattle Fairmont Olympic Hotel.
Historic Background
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel is no slouch in the history department either. Joining the Fairmont family of hotels in 2003, the grand Olympic Hotel has long been a part of the social fabric of Seattle. The original building was constructed in 1924 on the original site of University of Washington’s first location, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Everything about this hotel screamed Attention to Detail!Clearly Fairmont Hotels knows how to choose their locations wisely – we’ve had several fantastic experiences in their historic renovated properties, including the Clairemont Hotel in Berkeley which we LOVED.
Impressive Arrival
Pulling up into the porte cochere at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, we immediately sat more straight in our seats. The property is as grand on the ground floor as it is above. As we stepped from our Uber, we were greeted by two nice gentlemen who treated our girls beautifully. (It’s always a sign of good service when the hotel greets our kids with the same courtesy as their parents).
Our imaginations ran wild thinking about all the interesting people who have graced this lobby.But that lobby! Oh that lobby. Rising up the escalator into the lobby, our breaths were taken away by the beauty and dare I say opulence of this gorgeous space. We felt a little like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, traipsing through an elegant hotel lobby in our less-than-elegant shorts and flip-flops.
Once we reached our room, we were met with a sweet surprise that the girls instantly dove into:
When we arrived, this platter of amazing treats was waiting in our room.Comfy Suites and Rooms
Our suite was huge. With a spacious bedroom, kingsize bed and doors that close off the sitting room, everyone was comfortable with plenty of privacy. The girls sacked out on the fold-out couch, and the hotel staff made it extra comfy with added padding, blankets and pillows – so cushy!
Our bedroom at the Fairmont Olympic was connected to the sitting roomOh, and for the bathroom princesses reading this, you will not be disappointed with the size of this gargantuan bathroom with shower/tub. You could practically dance and have drinks in this bathroom, it was so big.
There’s nothing like a big hotel bathroom, with lots of clean, plush towels.High Tea
One of the things the Seattle Fairmont Olympic Hotel is known for is their High Tea. Suffice to say it is super fancy, and we had to wear actual nice clothes and maintain our best behavior. And it was so fun! They treated us like royalty. Really it was so awesome I wrote a whole other blog post about it – click Afternoon Tea at the Seattle Fairmont Olympic Hotel for more details on this cool experience.
Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Olympic is so very civilized!Fantastic Central Location
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel is located in downtown Seattle, right on University Avenue as it dips down towards the waterfront. We easily walked down a few blocks to Pikes Market, the original Starbucks (mecca to Triton), and scores of shops, cafes and galleries.
The hotel is also really close to the Seattle Space Needle and Chihuly Glass Garden, which are a 25-30 minute walk away (or the lovely house car at the Fairmont can drive you there in less than 10 minutes – we opted for that)! Plus the fantastic Seattle Museum of Art is just two blocks away.
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