A Renaissance in Seattle

Stay in the clouds in the heart of Seattle. Located at the foot of Capitol Hill, The Seattle Renaissance Hotel has it all, gorgeous rooms, impeccable service and a top floor lounge offering breathtaking 180 degree views of this magnificent city.

My experience began curbside. I had just an overnight bag with me, however the polite, and handsome, valet insisted on carrying it for me through the beautifully remodeled, high ceilinged and open lobby.

Once at the front desk, I was very warmly and enthusiastically welcomed to the hotel, quickly checked in and then escorted to the elevator. At first I thought…odd, but cool, perhaps some word had leaked out about the reason for my visit—this review. I learned later that this was not the case but at the Renaissance the reception team always aspires to welcome their guests in this fashion. As I rode the elevator to the 24th floor I realized that from car to check-in it took less than 5 minutes even with a line of 3 people ahead of me. These folks knew what they were doing.

The hotel sits at the gateway for both the Capitol Hill area, “the gay-borhood,” and the downtown core. My corner room afforded a bird's eye view of this magnificent city -- the Olympics and Elliott Bay to the east and the city’s high rise buildings to the South. I recommend asking for a high story west facing room.

My one bedroom suite was comfortable, cozy and had a king size bed full of the most amazing pillows. The bench seat was a great place to sit and watch the city come to life as the sun set. As I explored the hotel my first stop was the lobby lounge, the Lobby Court, freshly remodeled with tall ceilings, stylish furnishings and again, a most impressive staff. My martini was perfect and the sliders so tasty that I had a second order.

Next I headed skyward to the 28^th floor, Visions Lounge, with floor to ceiling windows and a view that made me want to sit in every corner as each direction held something new to see. This particular floor also held a spacious meeting room as well as the fitness center. The saltwater pool and spa 28 floors above the ground were spectacular, not huge but certainly great for laps or just a relaxing soak. The gym was well equipped and spacious, again, with the most amazing vistas.

As I rounded out my stay I pondered the top 3 attributes of this hotel.

1) Location---any direction you head leads to a number of great restaurants, nightclubs, wine bars, venues, shopping or more.

2) Staff -- polite, professional and very good at what they do.

3) Amenities -- Aveda products in all the rooms, impeccable views, lounges both lobby and skyward and of course, the martinis.

I would strongly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a full service hotel in this truly unique city.

-- Jerome M Bader, Director of Marketing/External Relations, GSBA