98101 Travel Guide
Hotel Cocktails / Hotel Happy Hours / Rooftop Hotels / Seattle Hotels / Red Lion Hotels / Washington Hotels / → All Tags
Get Ping Pong, Potent Cocktails and Snacks at Seattle's Red Lion Hotel
TGIF! It’s no secret we at HC love hotel rooftops, inventive cocktails, and inexpensive happy hours (though we’re fond of non-boozy afternoon tea, too!). Still, how awesome is it when we get a trifecta of all three, namely Frolik Kitchen + Cocktails--the new restaurant and bar just opened at the Red Lion Hotel in Downtown Seattle?
Set on the fifth floor of the Fifth Avenue building above the bustling streets below, Frolik guests are in for a treat when they come to the city’s largest outdoor deck—4,000 square-feet worth—and indulge in the all-evening happy hour (from 4-10pm). One can choose to chill by the firewall or the communal fireplace table, all while enjoying the Puget Sound views and bumping music.
People pretend to come for the drinks, but we know better. What they really want? A hearty game of ping-pong and shuffleboard. Don’t do a double take, there’s a reason why people get aggressive with that paddle and tiny ball, and Frolik knows it.
That's why they're well prepared for sports and serious sipping.
Hotel News / Fairmont Hotels / Amanda Knox / Seattle Hotels / → All Tags
Foxy Knoxy Supporters Gathered at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle
Amanda Knox spent four years locked up in an Italian prison for a crime she says she didn't commit and yesterday, an Italian appeals court agreed with her, overturning her conviction and setting her free.
While international media converged upon a courthouse in Perugia, back in Knox's hometown of Seattle, friends, family members and even more members of the media gathered in a hotel suite at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel to first, watch the verdict and then later, celebrate.
The NY Times reports:
On Monday at the hotel, her supporters held hands in anticipation of the verdict, switching between CNN and Fox News. Next to the large, flat-screen television were framed photographs of Ms. Knox, Mr. Sollecito and Ms. Kercher.
Ms. Knox’s supporters were outnumbered by journalists, who had to show identification before entering the suite. The hotel also heightened security by posting a guard outside the rooms....
In an adjacent room, Susan Rosales, a member of the Friends of Amanda Knox, sat on an unmade bed as she read aloud Ms. Knox’s 10-minute statement to the jury.
Hotel Emergencies / Hotel News / Four Seasons Hotels / Seattle Hotels / Hotel Saftey / Hotel Windows / → All Tags
More Falling Glass From a Hotel, This Time at The Four Seasons Seattle
Just when we thought the falling glass trend was behind us, some windows have shattered again, this time at the Four Seasons Seattle on Sunday. And much like what happened with the W Austin the loose window panes were actually from the residences that are attached to the hotel. But what's worse here is that this is the third time windows have fallen from the building since July.
Thankfully, no one's been hurt or injured but the glass has cracked the glass awning at the entrance of the hotel and a car was slightly damaged.
Needless to say the hotel has finally gotten the idea that all 300 of the tempered-glass windows need to be replaced. The hotel's GM told the Seattle Times:
Hotel Packages / Seattle Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / → All Tags
Jedis, Book Hotel Monaco Seattle's 'Star Wars' Package, You Should
Star Wars geeks, the force will be with you if you stay at the Hotel Monaco Seattle. To coincide with the Pacific Science Center's "Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination" exhibit, the hotel is offering a package from a galaxy far, far away.
As part of the deal, you'll get discounted reserved tickets to the Star Wars exhibit so you can see a full-size replica of the Millennium Falcon cockpit and Darth Vader's black suit, among other movie memorabilia.
Hotel Video Tours / Photo Gallery / HotelChatter Reviews / Seattle Hotels / W Hotels / Hotel Business Centers / → All Tags
The W Seattle Has Gone The Way Of Grunge
While we were on assignment checking out Air New Zealand’s new 777-300ER in Seattle right before Christmas, we stayed for two nights at the W Seattle.
As you’ll see from the photo gallery and video walk-through we’ve included here, we found that very much like Grunge, this hotel’s best days might just be behind it.
Harry Potter Hotels / Hotel Packages / Seattle Hotels / → All Tags
Hotel Monaco Seattle Tries to Work Some Magic with a Harry Potter Package
Seattle is going Hogwarts-wild. To celebrate the Pacific Science Center's new "Harry Potter The Exhibition" display, which makes its last stop here, the Hotel Monaco Seattle will have its own Harry Potter Package, and muggles are welcome.
As part of the Potter package, you'll get discounted tickets to the Pacific Science Center to see the exhibit; discounted round-trip passes to ride the Monorail, which is decked out to look like the train to Hogwarts; and free valet parking at the hotel.
Hotel Art / Hotel Design / Seattle Hotels / For the Sake of Hotel Art / → All Tags
For the Sake of Hotel Art: Images for Every Door at Seattle's Hotel Max
Is the WiFi free? Does the gym have good machines? All these things get noticed when checking into a hotel, but what about the atmosphere of the place—specifically the art on the walls or on the floor? All this week, we'll be highlighting properties around the world that do their artwork right, and the specific pieces you should stare long and hard at when next you drop by.
Today: Hotel Max Seattle's guest room doors.
When you check in at the Hotel Max, a boutique hotel which occupies the old Vance Hotel building, you're confronted with art from the very first minute. The lobby is filled with it, as the hotel showcases an impressive collection of some 350 original works of painting and photography, and even the room types have "art" in their names (ex: Solo Art, Queen of Art, Artist King). You're handed your key and you proceed to your room, and there again, you are hit with even more art, since each guest room door at the Hotel Max bares its own unique black and white still photograph.
Celebrity Scoop / Al Gore / Green Hotels / Seattle Hotels / Political Hotels / Hotel Restaurants / → All Tags
Al Gore Keeps It Local at Hotel Vintage Park
If you watched "30 Rock" last night then you may have seen former Vice President Al Gore make a confusing cameo as an eco-concerned janitor for Rockefeller Center (above.) But if you were dining at Tulio Ristorante inside the Hotel Vintage Park in Seattle the other night, then you would have seen Al Gore live, in person.
The veep was in town for a town hall meeting to promote his new book, Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis. He stopped in at Tulio which serves authentic Italian cuisine, for some halibut washed down with cabernet. According to the hotel peeps, he was very gracious to the staff and shook everyone's hand who came by to said hi. Some girls also said he was quite handsome. Hmm, he did look slimmer on "30 Rock" last night.
Twilight Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / Seattle Hotels / Hotel Contests / Hotel News / Kristen Stewart / Robert Pattinson / → All Tags
Hotel Monaco Seattle is Hosting 'Twilight' Look-a-Like Contest
We live in the Pacific Northwest, so we can say in complete confidence that Edward and Bella mania is at full-tilt levels of bat sh*t crazy. You can buy a replica of the heart-shaped crystal charm Edward gives to Bella, dine on mushroom ravioli at Bella Italia and even visit the Forks Community Hospital where Dr. Cullen works.
We’ve even heard that some hotels in Port Angeles, Forks and La Push on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula (the center of "Twilight" activity) are whoring out rundown motel rooms at $150 and up – because they can take the tourism bucks and run.
We love these coastal towns for a daytrip or an afternoon of waves, but they’re kinda depressing. Then again, that's absolutely perfect for a vampire series.
Deal or No Deal / Hotel Minibars / Hotel Deals / Seattle Hotels / → All Tags
The Hotel Max Wants $100 Extra To Let You Kind Of, Sort Of 'Raid The Honor Bar'
Through the rest of the year Seattle's Hotel Maxis running a deal where visitors get to "Raid The Honor Bar" for 1/2 off normal prices. The honor bar, which we're proud to say isn't even on our radar except that's where the Hangover Water lives, tends to be particular well-stocked at boutique hotels like the Max. In addition to the usual mini-bar items the package comes with toiletry kits, a Hotel Max Robe, a t-shirt, and an "intimacy kit."
Minor problem: you'll be paying so much more over the usual hotel rate that it's quite unlikely you'll come out ahead. There's even an interpretation under which you'd be getting "ripped off."
Hotel Restaurants / Kimpton Hotels / Seattle Hotels / → All Tags
Things We Like: Free Lunch at Hotel Monaco in Seattle
We could tawk all the day long about the things we like about Hotel Monaco. For starters, it’s extremely dog friendly (the hotel's publicist has pix of pups on her business card.) The almighty F&B powers-that-be give us more days and hours than your standard Seattle happy hour--Monday through Saturday, 4 – 8 p.m.
And we know we’ll never be the next Kurt Cobain, but Hotel Monaco entertains our inner rock star with Guitar Hero on Fridays in the lobby from 5 to 6 p.m. during hosted wine hour. Wine + wannabe rock star antics = F-U-N.
Lastly, Chef Jason McClure hosts quarterly Little Bit of Lovin’ cooking classes. The next one is October 17th, $50 per person, theme to be determined.
Killer View / Seattle Hotels / Westin Hotels / → All Tags
It's Worth It to Stay Way Up There at The Westin Seattle
We are suckers for a room with a killer view. We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.
HotelChatter Flickr Group member Kyle.Britten dropped in this shot from the Westin Seattle into our HotelChatter Flickr Pool to show us just how pretty the view can get from the 47th floor, room 4737 to be exact. When you're up that high, you can see nearly as much as you can from the Space Needle as well as the needle itself.
While we'd prefer a small boutique hotel over the massive Westin Seattle towers (891 rooms in total), sometimes riding that elevator high up into the sky is worth it.
Rooms start this weekend at $199 a night. A bonus shot of the hotel's two towers, shot during our recent trip to Seattle in May, is after the jump.
