With an outstanding location within walking distance of most of Seattle's major attractions, a generous house car program to transport you around the city, a great dining program, and a top-notch staff, this hotel left little to be desired. While this may not be a great place for an extended family stay due to the somewhat tight quarters when traveling in a party of more than two people, this is an ideal "home away from home" base for a short visit to Seattle.

Overview

At-a-Glance

• Date of stay: February 2020

• Length of stay: 1 night / 2 days

• Trip type: Adults-only weekend getaway

• Property type: Trendy urban retreat overlooking Elliott Bay and Puget Sound in the heart of downtown Seattle

• Tailor-made for: Business travelers, couples, and weekend getaway seekers of all kinds

Highlights

• Convenient downtown location next to Pike Place Market, Seattle Aquarium, Seattle Art Museum, and Seattle Great Wheel

• House Tesla Model S with complimentary transfers around downtown Seattle and to/from Canlis Restaurant

• Tech-friendly "smart" rooms with lots of outlets and charging stations

• Breakfast and drinks at Goldfinch Tavern

• Fran's Chocolates located in the hotel lobby

• Dinner at Canlis in The Office (and tour after)

• Incredibly friendly and warm service

Good to Know

• Relatively smaller gym than other Four Seasons city hotels

• Pool is fairly small, though great rooftop view

• Fewer suite configurations with separate sitting areas for families; seemed to be geared more toward business travelers and couples

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Location & Setting

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Located in the heart of downtown, approximately 30 minutes from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle overlooks Elliott Bay and Puget Sound, and the Seattle Art Museum, within a short walking distance of most of the city's main attractions.

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Property & Grounds

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Four Seasons Hotel Seattle is a trendy urban hotel consisting of a restaurant and bar (Goldfinch Tavern), small rooftop heated pool and jetted tub, spa, fitness center, shopping boutique, and a Fran's Chocolates outpost in the lobby.

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Room

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We booked a Seattle-View King Room through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts and were upgraded (one of the program's many perks) two room categories to a Deluxe Bay-View Room on arrival. The room had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Elliott Bay, a King-sized bed, settee, armchair with ottoman and side table, small dining table with seating for two, marble bathroom with separate shower and soaking tub with double-sink vanity.

As one might expect being in one of America's great tech hubs, the room was well-equipped for electronics super-users with lots of outlets, charging stations, and entertainment tech.

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Service

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Service here was outstanding from the bellman and house car driver, to the front desk and concierge. Always quick to offer to lend a hand or recommendation, or to remember where we had just come from and ask about the experience.

The hotel had a coffee concierge that can deliver a complimentary cup of hot coffee to your room from 6-10AM, as well as a complimentary coffee and tea cart in the lobby daily each morning.

There was also a welcome gift of bottled waters and complimentary Washington State apples waiting in our room on arrival along with a card explaining the significance of the apples to the local culture.

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Dining

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The hotel's restaurant and bar, Goldfinch Tavern, an Ethan Stowell Restaurant, was constantly buzzing with guests. Notable area restaurateur Stowell is a multiple-time James Beard award nominee and semi-finalist. Although the restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks, if you want to dine here for dinner and brunch, it would be wise to make reservations as this was definitely a local scene and packed to the gills.

Everything we ate and drank while here was great. The restaurant and bar were always so busy we didn't get a chance to interact with the restaurant staff as much, but they were warm and professional in all our interactions.

The hotel also has a delicious outpost of Fran's Chocolates in the lobby, which are supposedly the Obamas favorite chocolates. Complimentary samples are typically on offer should you wish to try before you buy.

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Family Services & Amenities

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The hotel offers most of the standard Four Seasons city hotel amenities, including a children's welcome program with plush toy and cookies / milk; cribs / rollaway beds, children's robes, step-stools, and baby-proofing items available upon request; babysitting (for a fee), and kids menus in the restaurants. However, we didn't experience any of these firsthand since this was a couple's trip. There was also a model Boeing plane in the room (another local nod, available for purchase to take home) that the kids would have loved.

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Activities

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The hotel is 2 blocks from Pike Place Market, waterfront, and the Seattle Aquarium. It is also a moderate walk / short drive away from popular downtown attractions like the Space Needle, Chihuly Gardens, Museum of Pop Culture, and Pacific Science Center.

One of the best activities features of the hotel is the complimentary house car, a Tesla Model S, that can take guests around downtown but also makes roundtrips to / from Canlis.

During our stay, we visited the Chihuly Gardens, which were mesmerizing (especially the glassblowing demonstrations), walked along the waterfront, and had dinner at Canlis in The Cache, a private dining space for 2 in the owner's original office space that ended with a personal tour of the kitchen and cellar. Can't recommend this place highly enough for its great food, wine, and service experience.

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Wellness

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The hotel has a small, heated outdoor rooftop infinity pool and bar, and a jetted hot tub.

There is also a 24-hour fitness center with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Elliott Bay, a eucalyptus steam room, fruit-infused ice water and complimentary fresh fruit, cold towels, and personal trainers available for a fee.

The hotel also has a Spa though we didn't get a chance to check it out as we spent most of our trip exploring the city.

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Wow Factor

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The hotel is chic and has an enviable location. We also experienced the service here as far more personalized than many other city hotels (being greeted by name, having team members remember and ask about our activities, etc.).

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Value

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The location, pool, and house car program, made the value equation for what we paid seem somewhat better than other city hotels we have visited. Booking through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts also included notable value-added benefits that made the value go even farther.

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Overall

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The Four Seasons Hotel Seattle’s excellent central location, strong dining program, and generous Tesla house car program make this hotel a great choice for short getaways.

Rating Legend*

💛💛💛💛💛 Exceptional

💛💛💛💛 Notable

💛💛💛 Standard

💛💛 Substandard

💛 Unsatisfactory

*All ratings are relative to similar-class properties