Thompson Seattle

An urban hotel that mixes classic and cool, with a rooftop bar and plush public spaces where you can socialize with other guests over craft cocktails and locally sourced food — stop us if you’ve heard this one before. Practice makes perfect, and if the Thompson Seattle’s sister locations in New York, London and Chicago are any indication, the Thompson group has had plenty of practice perfecting their signature formula.

The eye-catching twelve-story hotel, designed by Seattle’s Olson Kundig Architects, resembles a tall stack of gleaming glass boxes that’s charmingly misaligned. Some of those boxes face the busy downtown intersection — the Thompson Seattle is located steps away from the Pike Place Market — and others look out over Puget Sound or the distant Mt. Rainier. The buzzed-about Nest cocktail bar occupies indoor and outdoor space on the rooftop, but much of the building’s shiny glass encases the hotel’s rooms and suites, so floor-to-ceiling windows are a standard feature. The sleek interiors subtly mix mid-century modernism with a vintage aviation theme, thoroughly appropriate for these heights and views: expect hardwood floors, crisp white and charcoal hues, quirky modern artwork, and the occasional mod armchair. Each room also comes with an honor bar of artisanal snacks and drinks.


The street-level restaurant, Conversation, is a sharing-focused restaurant by chef Kaleena Bliss, whose concept elevates face-to-face contact over dishes featuring fresh Puget Sound seafood and locally foraged mushrooms. You’ll want to catch the elevator to the rooftop afterward for a nightcap at the Nest with views over the water. The cocktails are barrel-aged, needless to say, and made from small-batch local spirits. Even the ice is custom-crafted in-house. In this town, and particularly in its booming hotel and restaurant scene, you can’t just keep up with the Joneses — you have to stay a couple of steps ahead.