To spot the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, just look ahead for a stately cream-colored building with an elegant “U” shape, tall rows of windows, and flags flying above the grand entrance behind trees along the street.
Welcome to Seattle’s crown jewel of hospitality, the Fairmont Olympic Hotel-a place where history, luxury, and a little bit of local competition all come together! Imagine you’re standing here nearly a hundred years ago: there’s a chill in the December air, the hum of excitement on the streets is almost electric, and a sea of Seattleites, dressed in their Sunday best, lines up just to sneak a peek at this stunning new hotel.
This hotel stands on pretty historic ground-the very same spot where the University of Washington first started out. That’s right, before students were sipping coffee at their current campus up by Portage Bay, they were learning right here on what was once called Denny’s Knoll, named after Arthur A. Denny, one of Seattle’s founding fathers. But by 1895, the university had moved north, and this four-block stretch of land sat waiting for a new story.
Right after World War I, the city’s Chamber of Commerce put its thinking caps on, dreaming of a luxury hotel that would show the world Seattle was a city to be reckoned with. They picked this exact patch, and with the university’s Board of Regents on board, things started rolling! The Seattle Times even rallied the whole city, holding a contest to name the hotel. From nearly 4,000 entries, “The Olympic” was chosen-clearly, Seattle’s always loved a little friendly competition.
The building itself is no ordinary pile of bricks: New York’s George B. Post & Son designed it in the elegant Italian Renaissance style. Think graceful arches, tall windows, sturdy columns, and the kind of sophisticated symmetry that says, “Yes, I am a fancy landmark.” Construction started in 1923 on April Fools’ Day (no joke!) and by the end of that year, steel beams shot into the sky. Furnishings alone cost as much as eight hundred thousand dollars-now that’s what I call high-class furniture!
The grand opening in December 1924 was something right out of a movie. More than 2,000 people filled the new Olympic’s ballrooms, dancing and dining under sparkling chandeliers, while hundreds more huddled outside, curious to get a glimpse of the magic.
Over the decades, the Olympic Hotel has seen quite the parade of change, mystery, and excitement. In the 1950s, Seattle’s beloved Metropolitan Theatre-once nestled right next door-took its final bow so the hotel could get a drive-in entrance, making guests feel a little bit like movie stars pulling up to a glamorous gala. By the 1980s, the Olympic was added to the National Register of Historic Places, its legacy assured but its age beginning to show. That’s when the Four Seasons swept in, saving the day (and the décor!) with a whopping renovation: hundreds of tiny rooms transformed into modern, spacious suites, merging luxury with Seattle tradition.
A new era began again in 2003 when Fairmont took over and restored the name you see today-the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. If these walls could talk, imagine the stories of famous guests, business deals, and maybe even a couple of ghosts from Seattle’s early days, all under its roof.
And through it all-from university beginnings to grand parties, dramatic renovations, and new owners in 2024-this hotel still stands tall, welcoming travelers with timeless grace. So take a deep breath and look up at those beautiful arches-the same arches that have witnessed a century of Seattle’s most remarkable moments.
