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The Hyatt Regency Seattle is the tallest hotel and the first (and currently only) LEED Gold-certified hotel in the city. It’s located steps from sister properties, Hyatt at Olive 8 (LEED Silver-certified) and the Grand Hyatt. It’s a veritable trifecta of Hyatt properties, all located in the heart of downtown Seattle, close to the Washington State Convention Center, theater, shopping, dining, and city attractions. (Website here.)
A two-story glass lobby welcomes you to the Hyatt Regency, with entrances are on both Howell and on 8th Avenue. It’s light and bright, even on a rainy Seattle day, and at night, it creates a warm glow lighting up the block.
We arrived early on a holiday (New Year’s Eve) and expected to leave our bags with the bellman and return when the room was ready. Instead, we greeted enthusiastically, told that we could access our room right away, and proudly informed that we had a suite on the top floor of the tallest hotel in Seattle. All our interactions with the front desk were met with million-dollar smiles and boastful enthusiasm about the hotel.
The Hyatt Regency Seattle has 1,260 rooms, including 30 suites. We booked a Regency Suite as we wanted to use it as a base of operations for meeting with friends, having some wine and cheese, and then heading out for dinner. The suite was perfect for all of that! Regency suites range from 500-725 square feet (we were at the upper end of this range) with a bedroom with a king-sized bed, a separate living area with a couch that makes into another bed, work desk area, mini-kitchenette, and windows offering a view of the city skyline and Elliot Bay.
Rooms had the expected upscale amenities, including a spacious bathroom with luxury products. I appreciated the large mirrors which dimmed and brightened by a touch sensor on the mirror – it was like a giant makeup mirror. Mobile check-in and keyless entry are available, although we didn’t take that option as we were checking in early. Blue tooth speakers are in the bedroom; wifi is complimentary and was strong enough to accommodate a group with fairly heavy wifi needs.
Standard rooms range from 320-460 square feet with a king or two queen-sized beds. Some of the standard rooms come with club access to the Regency Club. I found it odd that the suites did not include club access and required an additional $65 per night charge. While I’m a big fan of upgrading to a room with club access, I couldn’t justify a suite upgrade and then the additional fee on top of it as I didn’t see the increased benefit. Your situation may be different.
Although surrounded by dozens of great restaurants and bars, opting to stay in isn’t a bad choice either. There are three dining options onsite, Daniel’s Broiler (a local chain that is one of the top Seattle steakhouses) is located on the second floor and has the adjacent Rickhouse Whiskey Bar. The bar is large, has a piano for nightly entertainment, and has an extensive menu of wine and whiskeys. Although we haven’t dined at this location, Daniel’s is a frequent choice for us when we’re looking for a nice evening out. Prices run to the high end of the budget, but service, food, and ambiance deliver in spades. Reservations strongly recommended, they book up quickly. Daniel’s is also an option for private dining, including in your room.
Andare Kitchen and Bar is a casual restaurant that combines an Italian menu with a Pacific Northwest flair. Located on the lobby level, Andare’s specialties are wood-fired pizza and homemade pasta. While reservations are suggested during prime dinner hours and on weekends, this is more casual dining.
The Market is where you’ll stop off for your morning coffee and pastries, but they also offer sandwiches, salads, and a small selection of hot dishes. All are available to-go, to take with you or for room delivery. Located on the second floor.
The Hyatt Regency Seattle is primarily a business hotel and as a result, there are some quirks that were unexpected.
The hotel doesn’t have a pool onsite, instead steering guests across the street to their sister property, the Hyatt at Olive 08. This may not seem like a big deal – unless you’re in your swimsuit and robe, and it’s cold and rainy. Because, yes, this is Seattle and that’s our state of affairs for months at a time. This is something of more importance to leisure travelers, and they voiced displeasure about this when we ran into them in the elevator, and a typical business traveler may not care.
Another oddity was that ice was only available by a machine on the sixth floor or via room service. This is a hotel with 45 floors. We wanted to chill some champagne as well as have ice for soft drinks and delivery took quite some time. I’ve stayed in hotels where ice machines were on alternate floors, but never in a hotel this large with only one ice location. Not a deal-breaker by any means, just one of those odd quirks that may be more important to a leisure traveler than a business one.
The Hyatt Regency Seattle is located at 808 Howell. The hotel is located two blocks from the Westlake Center light rail station. Don’t drive if you don’t need to, parking rates are $45 for self-park (no in and out privileges) and $55 for valet parking. The light rail system connects with Sea-Tac International Airport with a transit time of about 20 minutes.
Standard room rates at the Hyatt Regency Seattle start around $180/night on weekends. Weekday rates are substantially higher – often double that price – another indication of its focus on the business traveler. Regency Suites start around $300/night on weekends, and even holidays rates don’t push into the budget stratosphere. Other suite options are also available. You can also compare rates and book your stay at Travelocity or other booking sites.
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