Top Luxury and Perfect Location at Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle

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Lisa Ellen Niver

October 11, 2021

I loved my stay at Fairmont Olympic Hotel Seattle in August 2021 before my cruise on the Majestic Princess. It is located in the heart of the city and walking distance to Pike Place Market, the Art Museum and other Seattle treasures!

The hotel first opened in 1924 and during COVID, there was a $25 million dollar restoration project! The main lobby is fully renovated and the new Olympic bar is open! I loved the kinetic art installation above the Olympic Bar which was designed by Spanish design studio Lázaro Rosa-Violán (LRV) to resemble the the original historic logo of the hotel which is a ship that you can still see on the lobby elevator doors. The art installation is made up of over 400 handmade pieces, including metal poles, wooden pieces and decorative items, and it has eight motorized wheels.

There is a hidden bookcase in the main lobby which is not open yet but will be specially for spirit drinkers! I loved the all-day dining and they also have Afternoon Tea on the weekend.

The hotel’s original Italian terrazzo flooring from 1924 was lovingly restored on the staircase and staircase landings. The historic 300-pound crystal chandeliers which presided over decades of celebrations were moved crystal by crystal to the foyer of the Spanish Ballroom.

The original American oak carvings can be seen on the second floor above the lobby bar and you can also enjoy the history walk on the Mezzanine level which includes old photographs, newspaper articles, historical documents and artifacts such as the first guest registry and guest correspondence letters!

DID YOU KNOW about FAIRMONT OLYMPIC HOTEL

1. The land where Fairmont Olympic Hotel now stands was initially deeded by Arthur Denny in 1861, when it was the original site of the University of Washington.

2. After the University outgrew its original home and moved to its present location, a theater known as the Metropolitan Theater was built on a portion of the site and opened in 1911.

3. In 1921, further plans were initiated for a proposal to build a grand hotel that would wrap around the theater on three sides, encompassing an entire city block.

4. In 1922, plans for financing the hotel were formulated by a group of nearly 400 prominent citizens known as the “Community Hotel Corporation.” A bond drive was organized so that anyone could take part by investing in the venture. Public response to the proposal was tremendous, and Seattleites purchased $100 bonds and raised $2.7 million dollars for the hotel.

5. The Seattle Times 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, submitted in several variations, pleased the committee the most. They settled on The Olympic, for which 11 entries had been submitted and the first submitted won the prize.

6. The Olympic Hotel opened on December 6, 1924. Total cost of construction was $4,574,000. The original architect was George B. Post & Sons, New York.

7. Opened during the Roaring ‘20s, the grand hotel began its presidential history by hosting President Hoover during his term. Since then, nearly every president and most presidential candidates have checked into the hotel.

8. The Olympic Hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

9. The hotel underwent a full restoration in the mid-1980s to bring the original guest room count of 756 down to 450 rooms with nearly half of the rooms as suites.

10. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts assumed management of the hotel on August 1, 2003.

11. A $25 million renovation in 2016 by Parker-Torres Design Inc. refreshed all guest rooms and corridors.

12. The current $25 million renovation features a fully transformed lobby anchored by a new lobby bar and updated event spaces. Later this year, the project will unveil a new culinary flagship and introduce an intimate spirit drinker’s enclave. Spanish design studio Lázaro Rosa-Violán (LRV) created the interior vision and design for the hotel and worked in tandem with Parker-Torres Design Inc., who designed the meeting rooms.