Since 1924, the landmark downtown Seattle hotel has offered luxury service while melding classic elegance with mid-century modern room décor. The Fairmont Olympic Hotel was accepted to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and is located just steps from Pike Place Market, the waterfront, museums and world-class shopping. After undergoing renovations in the mid-1980s and in 2016, the hotel has redefined sophistication in the Emerald City and added to its long-standing reputation as Seattle’s finest hideaway.
Designed by architect George B. Post and Sons – famed for The New York Stock Exchange and the City College of New York – the near century old hotel has a long-standing and impressive history to note. In 1922 the Community Hotel Corporation, a group of about 400 prominent citizens, formulated a plan to finance the hotel which saw Seattleites purchasing $100 bonds and raised $2.7 million dollars for the hotel. After raising funds, The Seattle Times then held a contest with a $50 prize to whoever submitted the best name for the hotel, chosen by the board of the Community Hotel Corporation. 3,906 entries were submitted and one name, The Olympic, for which 11 entries had been submitted, was chosen. On December 6, 1924 with a grand opening gala, the spectacle event took over the city and a one-night stay with bath would have cost about $3.50.
The original with 756 guest rooms and underwent a full restoration in the mid-1980s to bring the current guest room count to 450 rooms and then a $25 million renovation in 2016 to refresh all guest rooms and corridors with mid-century modern décor and contemporary artwork showcasing the Pacific Northwest. The Fairmont Olympic Hotel boasts a new level of quality and luxury to the Pacific Northwest with rooms ranging from a selection of four types of guestrooms, three categories of signature rooms and suites and five types of suites and specialty rooms including the 3,000 sq-ft Olympic Suite.
As one of two signature suites at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, the recently renovated premium suite is located on the top floor of the hotel offering beautiful city views. Inclusive of one bedroom with a king size bed and the availability to add a second bedroom, the spacious parlor features a decorative fireplace, large picture windows, a grand piano and a dining area that can seat up to 12 guests. The elevated décor of the suite was inspired by a sophisticated downtown penthouse and invites guests to be 11 floors up in the sky to enjoy luxury at its finest. The suite comes standard with amenities offered to all hotel guests like Le Labo toiletries and a private stocked refreshment center but also offers amenities such as luxurious bedding and pillow-top mattresses.
Located on the lower lobby level of the hotel, the Penelope & The Beauty Bar is a premier spa offering the most advanced skin care and body treatments available. From customized European facials, micro-puncture, French detox body wraps, massage, cupping, natural nails to their jade-lined infrared pod, coolift cryo-facials, and non-surgical facelift that utilize the best micro-current machines in the industry, with 14 treatment rooms, the spa exudes luxury. The 3,000 sq-ft spa was custom designed and uses white dominant décor to invite guests into a blissful retreat in the middle of downtown Seattle. The relaxing and peaceful nature of the spa can be seen from their custom jade-lined infrared pod that detoxifies the body and supports a healthy immune system.
In addition to the spa, the 10,800 sq-ft Health Club at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel is located on the 2nd floor and includes new state-of-the-art Kinesis Technogym weight equipment, two Peleton bikes and affords guests the opportunity to book a session with a personal trainer. The facility includes a 42-foot indoor swimming pool covered by an enclosed solarium, a large indoor whirlpool, spacious locker rooms with showers and sauna, and two outdoor terraces.
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel boasts an array of Seattle’s best restaurants that appeal to every mood and aesthetic. Starting with the signature afternoon tea in The Georgian with its Palladian windows and spectacular original chandeliers, the restaurant is celebrating its 25th year rated as a AAA 4-Diamond restaurant in Seattle. As the only downtown Seattle dining option offering traditional afternoon tea service on weekends from 12pm – 2:30pm, The Georgian is also open for breakfast and lunch and offers The Petite, an exclusive private dining room with seating for up to twelve guests. Open lunch and dinner, Shuckers features fresh local seafood and an oyster bar which can be enjoyed in the beautifully carved oak paneling and unique tin ceiling of the haberdashery it once was in the 1930’s. The Terrace Lounge, located on the main lobby level, invites guests for a classic cocktail, local Washington wine or craft beer and bites with live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6pm – 10pm.
Unique to the Fairmont Olympic Hotel is their Bee Program where approximately 250,000 bees live in their eight hives on the rooftop garden. What started in 2011 has turned into a 500 pound-a-year production used in many different ways and is showcased by their culinary team which uses the honey to create original honey-centric cocktails and dishes at our bar and restaurants. Other partnerships using honey harvested at the hotel include: Pike Place Brewery which creates the exclusive Fairmont Olympic’s Pike Place Honeymoon Suite Ale, Seattle Cider Company and their Olympic Honey Cider and Sun Liquor, which created a honey-infused vodka, the Olympic Honey Vodka.