Seattle is a city a lot of people think they know. I’m not sure why. Perhaps because its iconography is so distinct. You can see the Space Needle in your brain right now; you can imagine a fish flung from one set of hands to another at Pike Place Market. Or maybe it’s the city’s pop culture imprint. The Wiki for movies based in Seattle feels disproportionately large compared to its size.
Of course, it could just be some Starbucks-based osmosis we all suffer from.
Whatever the case, Seattle is often treated like a known entity among travelers. It gets referred to with a sort of shorthand: rain, Puget Sound, coffee, Space Needle, flying fish. And while this is typically the place in a travel article where the writer flips things and says “Aha! It’s not that, really!” this isn’t that article. I’m not here to tell you that those elements aren’t a big part of the city. They are. And while Seattle has incredible hip-hop, grunge, and punk subcultures that add tremendous texture to the community, you’d be remiss to visit and not “play the hits,” so to speak.
That’s one of the reasons that I love Thompson Seattle so much. The stylish, sleek property is based just steps from my favorite Emerald City attractions and restaurants. Moreover, the property seems “at one” with its setting — architecturally and (don’t hate me) ~energetically.~
Read more about my favorite place to stay in Seattle, Washington below.
WHY IT’S AWESOME:
We’re going to talk a lot about the hotel in this article but also, we’re going to talk a lot about Pike Place Market. It’s my favorite mainstream “tourist attraction” in the country. Probably because it’s never succumbed to the allure of being a tourist attraction and has remained a functional market. Even the gimmicky seeming “fish throwing” has an actual purpose — it expedites real-live fish sales.
More recently, Pike Place Market has become a food incubator for up-and-coming chefs starring small spaces, affordable rent, and immense foot traffic. As such, it’s got some of the best food in the city on offer and more of the best food in the city has settled into more permanent outposts nearby.
Don’t believe me? Take the word of Anthony Bourdain — who also loved this cultural hub.
Thompson Seattle looms large over this iconic market — you can practically see which stalls are open from the rooms. This means that your coffee, your breakfast, your lunch, snacks, dinner, gifts… they can all come from Pike Place — it’s just steps from the property. And with that sort of access, why wouldn’t you wander over often?
I certainly do when I stay — weaving through the market for everything from a nice bowl of pasta to a perfect pear. Sometimes I just stroll through to look at the incredible used book selection hiding in the market’s basement.
As for the hotel itself, as you can see above it’s got a whole lotta glass. Smart move considering that the property looks over the market, Puget Sound, and the Seattle Great Wheel. Having stayed there twice now, there’s something voyeuristic about the design that feels sort of titillating.
You can look out on the city from your room and… the city looks in on you. It’s a bold design and stands out from the refurbished warehouse and midcentury buildings that dominate many of the PNW’s other hotel offerings.
I’ll speak more about the food and drink below but here’s another big reason I love this property — the service. This is a Hyatt property so I can’t imagine the training is somehow different from other Hyatt properties (which is very solid, taken all around), but my experiences with staff at Thompson Seattle have been some of the most pleasant customer service experiences I can remember.
I left a pair of headphones there after NYE 2020 and rather than pass me off to other people, one specific desk clerk made absolutely sure that I got them back. Not hiding behind policy and instead being personally accountable to help a customer counts huge with me.
IN-HOUSE FOOD & DRINK:
Conversation Seattle, the restaurant adjoining Thompson Seattle’s lobby, does a superb job reflecting the Pacific Northwest’s bounty. Local sourcing is so common to the region that it barely gets a mention on menus anymore. Still, the team at Conversation Seattle reflects their locality in how dishes are composed — plus they taste great.
The dinner menu’s manilla clams with charred sourdough, foraged mushroom toast, and king salmon with yakisoba noodles all feel distinct to the city, its culinary influences, and its local flora and fauna. Halibut is a chronically underappreciated fish that we get a lot of in the PNW and the Conversation Seattle riff — paired with fava bean stew — is both delicious and ideal as a not-to-heavy rainy-day meal.
Over on the cocktail menu, I like the pear mule — it’s light and crisp. Though, to be fair, there’s a high chance you catch Seattle rainy and that’s the right time for an Old Fashioned or some other bourbon-based cocktail.
The Nest, the property’s rooftop bar, offers a very cool scene paired with some very distinct and local-feeling high-end cocktails. The bourbon and rye whiskey drinks make use of Woodinville whiskey. The nearby distillery is something of a whiskey aficionado and award-circuit darling (we’ve covered it extensively on Uproxx).
AMENITIES:
Thompson Seattle’s absolute best “amenity” is the location. Walking to the market is much more useful than a traveler than, say. being able to walk to the Space Needle. While the Capitol Hill neighborhood has a ton of allure, I think it’s better to be based at the Thompson and take Uber’s and taxis to other neighborhoods when exploring further afield.
- Full-service kitchen stocked with Wolf gas range & oven, Sub Zero fridge, dishwasher (penthouse suite)
- Tableware, glassware, flatware, and cookware from Made In Cookware (penthouse suite)
- Built-in wine refrigerator (penthouse suite)
- Luxury bedding with 400 thread count SFERRA linens
- Exclusive D.S. & Durga bath toiletries
- In-unit washer and dryer (penthouse suite)
- Plush robes (penthouse suite)
- Hair dryer
- Coffee maker
- Hand steamer
- Dramatic views of Puget Sound
- 1920s-inspired Temperance Cafe and Bar
- Rooftop cocktail lounge
- Floor-to-ceiling windows
- Rainfall showers
- Hardwood floors
- Fitness center
- Electric vehicle charging stations
- Pet friendly
- Digital check-in
- Free WiFi
- In-room Chromecast
- Business & meeting rooms
ROOM TYPES:
There is a wide range of room types, though both times I’ve stayed I’ve been in a Waterview Studio Suite. I love this room. It’s got not one but two floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the market, the wheel, and beyond. There’s a separate living room that is a large enough space to host a few guests in and also allows privacy in the bedroom.
That said, I’ve toured the Penthouse Suite and its next-level — really a self-sustaining setup that feels less like a traditional hotel room and more like the coolest apartment in the city. If you’re in town and looking to host some guests and cook a few apps with fruits, vegetables, and cheese procured from the market, the Penthouse Suite is perfect.
- Thompson Penthouse Suite South
- Thompson Penthouse Suite North
- Executive Studio Suite
- Water View Studio Suite
- Thompson Suite
- 1 King Bed
- 1 King Bed With Water View Deluxe
- 1 King Bed With City View
- 1 King Bed With City View Deluxe
- 2 Queen Beds With City View
- 2 Queen Beds With City View Deluxe
- 2 Queen Beds With Water View Deluxe
BEST THINGS TO DO WITHIN A 15-MINUTE WALK:
Well come on, this is a freebie. I’ve been raving about Pike Place Market throughout this whole article! It’s a no-brainer! Okay, let’s get a little more granular…
DO:
- Drop in on Beecher’s Handmade Cheese — across from the market — and load up on aged local cheeses. Also, an order of the “World’s Best Mac & Cheese” makes the for one of the best “rainy day in Seattle” lunches I can imagine. This was another of Bourdain’s faves in Seattle.
- Visit Pasta Casalinga — inside the market’s food stall section — and devour whatever they have on the specials board. This is a true Italian pasta stall and the pasta is fantastic across the board.
- Watch the fish guys. It’s fun. What are you doing with your time where people throwing fish is not interesting to you? I defy you to tell me this isn’t as engaging as a football game.
- Wander from the market down Bubblegum Alley to the waterfront. It’s very touristy but also bustling with energy and worth strolling through.
- Get coffee from Pike Street Coffee — or one of the many, many shops in the area that roast their own beans. There is really so much great coffee in this little corner of the city that a coffee odyssey would prove really fun.
DON’T:
- Wait in line to be served at the very first Starbucks — which is right across from the market — unless you really really love Starbucks. The line is always insane and the coffee is… THE SAME AS EVERY STARBUCKS (even according to Starbucks). The only reason to prioritize this would be that you want to tell people you did it, which is… fine. There are worse reasons to do things, I suppose.
- Ride on the Seattle Great Wheel. It is tall and goes in a circle. You get the idea. There’s not much to it and the view from almost anywhere inside Thompson Seattle is as good, if not better.
BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A $20 CAB RIDE:
This is where I would immediately and strenuously vote that you get thee to Capitol Hill. The LGBTQI mecca-turned-hipster-paradise is very cool and fun and there’s a whole lot worth seeing and tasting. Here are some highlights:
- Linda’s Tavern was Kurt Cobain’s watering hole. As such, it’s vital to anyone who wants to follow in the legend’s footsteps.
- Elliot Bay Book Company is likely the city’s best book store — though you’d be remiss not to visit one or two more specialized used booksellers that dot the city. With the rain slatting against the window, Elliot Bay competes with Portland’s Powell’s Books as the best bookshop to browse an afternoon away in the PNW.
- I love Vietnamese food and the Saigon Dungeness Crab at Monsoon is one of the best fusions of PNW and Vietnam that I’ve ever tasted.
- Alternately, Carmelo’s Tacos are some of the best in the city. Get the birria — it’s authentic, rich, and delicious.
- If you must have Starbucks in Seattle, go to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery — a creative concept that proves how good Starbucks could be if it treated every cup with the care of its craft contemporaries.
BED GAME:
The beds at Thompson Seattle feature 400 thread count SFERRA linens. You notice them to the touch (up around 400 thread count, cotton starts taking on a silky texture). The pillows are quality too — firm enough to support your neck and soft enough to let you settle in and feel cozy.
The only knock is that I do love a nice quality quilt. Having only bed linens on the bed felt a little light.
RATING: 9/10
SEXINESS RATING:
A rooftop bar and floor-to-ceiling windows in the rooms feel very sexy. The shower was giant with a rainfall head, which feels sexy too. Hardwood floors? Sexy.
No in-house spa and no bathtub in the basic suites knock a few points off.
RATING: 8/10
VIEWS & PIC SPOTS:
The property isn’t catering to IG with loud backgrounds or infinity pools but it does have what I believe to be — as I’ve stated many a time now — the best view in the city. Watching the sunset over Puget Sound with a drink in your hand at The Nest might be the best view in all of Seattle.
RATING: 9/10.
BEST SEASON TO VISIT:
Hmmmm… kind of hard for me to say — I like the rain. And I’m from the region. So I guess I would say go in winter and feel all wintry. But there’s a great case to be made for going in Spring when festivals are popping and bands are coming through town and Capitol Hill feels like a street festival on a daily basis.
Final answer? I like Seattle in the fall.
IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING:
I would like more bathtubs because I like to bathe. Or a communal tub — I would love a big old tile hot tub looking out on the market for adults (no kids!). Hire me, Hyatt!
Other than that, it’s really hard to find much to gripe about. The food menu at The Nest could be more robust and inventive but it’s really not set up so much as a place to eat as it is a place to convene for drinks before a night out.
BOOK HERE:
Rates at the Hyatt Thompson Seattle range from $258 in a basic King room to $1,958 in the Thompson Penthouse Suite North.
BOOK YOUR ROOM OR SUITE HERE
INSTAGRAMS TAKEN AT THOMPSON SEATTLE:
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