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The lobby at Seattle’s Hotel Theodore
In 1929, when the Roosevelt Hotel opened in downtown Seattle, a local newspaper reportedly wrote that almost everything in this new structure had been sourced from around the region. When the Portland-based Provenance Hotels Group renovated and reopened this 20-story lodging in 2017 as the Hotel Theodore, their goal was the same — to highlight local products, from art to seafood, in the hotel and in the property’s Rider Restaurant.
Here’s the scoop:
Facilities and Services
Like many historic properties, Hotel Theodore has mixed original details with contemporary updates. In the stylish lobby, the black-and-white stained glass along the back wall and ceiling is original, while the modern furnishings maintain an Art Deco feel.
Staff wheel a drinks cart into the lobby every afternoon for a daily craft cocktail hour, complimentary for hotel guests.
Coffee and social space in the Hotel Theodore lobby
Off the lobby, at the small cafe with a fireplace and a communal table, guests can pick up a coffee to go or linger over their laptops. In addition to all the usual coffee drinks and a selection of teas, the cafe offers a small menu of pastries.
On the 2nd floor, the 24-hour fitness room feels bright with windows looking over the street. Equipment includes a peleton bike, a regular cycle, an elliptical trainer, and two treadmills, along with free weights. Guests can also request a complementary “fitness kit” with a yoga map and an app preloaded with yoga classes.
Guest room, Hotel Theodore
Guest Rooms and Amenities
The 153 guest rooms range in size from a petite standard unit measuring 180 square feet and either one king or one queen bed, to spacious studio suites of more than 500 square feet; ask for an -08 room if you need a lot of space.
While the rooms differ due to the configuration of this heritage building, they’re all furnished with dark woods and brown, beige, and turquoise soft goods.
Amenities include espresso makers, flat-screen TVs, old-style radios, and lots of electrical outlets and USB ports near both the beds and the desks. Wi-Fi is complimentary. The hotel’s goal is to stock the minibars with at least 40 percent local products.
Guest bath, Hotel Theodore
Guest baths also vary from tiny to more commodious. In some of the larger rooms, there is a separate shower/bath room with a clawfoot tub.
Some guest rooms have clawfoot bathtubs.
The hotel is affiliated with Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), which provided historical displays on each floor and artwork in the guest rooms.
The hotel’s Rider Restaurant specializes in local seafood.
Rider Restaurant
Rider Restaurant, off the hotel lobby, opened at the same time as the revamped Theodore, and channels the same classic era with subway tiles on the walls and the pillars leading up toward the high ceilings. A marble chef’s counter showcases the kitchen’s wood-fired grill.
Executive chef Chef Dan Mallahan is a Washington native who’s worked hard to develop relationships with local fishers and farmers. That local esthetic shows in dishes like the crab toast — a slightly spicy crab salad topped with shaved fennel, radishes, and fresh sprouts — or the excellent seafood chowder, full of clams, chunks of salmon, house-cured bacon, and crunchy crackers (also made in house), topped with crisp fried parsley.
Seafood chowder at Rider Restaurant
Rider is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and offers daily afternoon and late-night happy hours when you can stop in for fresh oysters, their popular burger, and a selection of cocktails or draft beers.
Rates
Double room rates at Hotel Theodore vary with the season, typically starting at about $150 per night. You can compare rates at Hotels.com, Priceline or other hotel booking sites. Parking (valet only) is $45 a day, with in and out privileges. You don’t need a car to explore Seattle from this central location, which is within walking distance of Pike Place Market and other downtown attractions, so consider leaving your vehicle at home if you can.
You’ll generally find the best deals at the Hotel Theodore between November and March, when it might be rainy in Seattle, but there’s still plenty to do — and the seafood is good year-round.
Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. Hotel Theodore, in partnership with Visit Seattle, hosted my stay for review purposes.
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