Notes from the Road: Seattle

Emerald City visionary

I visited Seattle in October—arguably one of the best times of year to venture to the atmospherically misty city—to attend Refract, an acclaimed glass arts festival. During my time there, I was able to see firsthand all the incredible options available for meetings and events year-round, as well as the benefits of hosting an event in Seattle while an exciting local event is taking place.

Whether you plan a meeting in Seattle during Refract or another local event, like Seattle Banned Books Week (did you know that Seattle is a UNESCO-named City of Literature?), or any time throughout the year, you’re in for the ultimate PNW experience.

Meet & Stay

During my time in Seattle, I particularly enjoyed stepping out of the elevator and taking a moment to look out the window to its left for one of the best views of Pike Place Market against the scenic Elliot Bay before heading to my delightful guest room at The State Hotel. The historic property was originally built in 1889. Today, it offers a stylish boutique experience and 91 guest rooms. Its convenient location situates guests just around the corner from the famous Pike Place Market and an easy 10-minute walk away from Seattle Convention Center.

Seattle Convention Center has been all the rage since it opened the new Summit building in January of 2023. The LEED Platinum-certified building added 573,770 sq. ft. of new meeting space, including 62 meeting rooms, 248,450 sq. ft. of exhibition space, a 14,000-square-foot outdoor garden terrace and a 58,000-square-foot, column-free ballroom. Warm wooden paneling and lighting fixtures alongside ample natural light make the massive space feel intimate.

The original Arch building is actually made up of two, connected via skybridge. Arch at 705 Pike is the original building, and offers 61 meeting rooms, six exhibit halls and four ballrooms. You won’t want to miss the lobby, with a cascading ceiling of windows and vibrant plant life that brings the region’s lush natural environment indoors. Across the skybridge, Arch at 800 Pike offers another 35,000 sq. ft. of carpeted meeting space, divisible into 17 meeting rooms.

Eat

There’s no place to get seafood like the Pacific Northwest, and in Seattle, the dining options are made to showcase the best of the best, and the city’s outstanding food scene just keeps bringing in new gems.

Just north of Pike Place, is the newly opened Half Shell serving oysters, crab, salmon and other fresh local catches alongside icy martinis, spritzes and wines. Of course, I had to go for the bubbles along with the daily selection of fresh oysters!

Ramie is another newly opened restaurant in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. While dining in the atmospheric, dimly lit dining room, I enjoyed upscale Vietnamese cuisine and creative craft cocktails.

Experience

One of Seattle’s most exciting recent developments is the new Overlook Walk. The new public park connects downtown Seattle to the waterfront, offering breathtaking views of Elliott Bay and making it easier than ever to get between the areas, adding a second public elevator at the aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion, while a pre-existing elevator connects to Pike Place Market’s MarketFront. As the city wraps up this project, it adds large-scale artwork honoring the Native history of the waterfront and a concessionaire space to feature small local businesses.

After strolling along the Overlook Walk, I couldn’t help but pop in to see the Ocean Pavilion, the newest addition to Seattle Aquarium. Stepping inside transported me into a vibrant tropical reef, complete with 3,500 animals and plants. The Reef is particularly eye-catching, as the multi-story tank arcs overhead from the ground floor and offers multiple viewpoints throughout the pavilion. The Ocean Pavilion is available to be rented out for events, making for a particularly awe-inspiring offsite that is quintessentially Seattle.