The Fairmont Olympic Hotel

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel wrote the book on luxury lodgings in Seattle. Built at the heart of town in 1924, the Italian Renaissance–style palace joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and remains one of the Pacific Northwest’s most celebrated properties. The hotel features 450 guest rooms, including more than 200 suites; the 10,800-square-foot health club and sky-lit pool; and more than 25,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space.

Holding court just a short stroll from such must-see attractions as the Space Needle, Pioneer Square, and Pike Place Market, Seattle’s grand dame hosts many of the city’s most prestigious conferences and social events. All 13 meeting rooms lend an air of importance to the proceedings, whether a business session for 12 delegates in the St. James Boardroom or a celebration for 750 people in the historic Spanish Ballroom.

For guests between banquets—or evenings on the town—the hotel provides two restaurants and a lounge to satisfy every mood and taste, from the ornate grandeur of The Georgian restaurant to the urban appeal of The Terrace piano bar to the warm oak paneling of Shuckers. At the latter, the city’s most venerable oyster bar features 13 types of oysters prepared nine different ways, paired with a connoisseur’s selection of Seattle’s best microbrews.