What it is

A gleaming modernist retreat with an Ethan Stowell restaurant and a rooftop infinity pool overlooking Puget Sound.

What it isn't

Dark. Seattle’s gray gloom is nowhere to be found in these guest rooms, with floor-to-ceiling windows that peep out on Elliott Bay.

What we think

If Four Seasons had a middle name, it might well be “Joy.” They put the delight of guests at the very top of their to-do lists. Here, that may mean pulling a house-made chocolate-dipped s’more off a “laundry line” fireside in the lobby, or basking in an Evian spritz and lavender chilled towel at the rooftop infinity pool while you wait for your waiter to deliver you a locally caught Dungeness Crab cocktail. Guest rooms are very bit as well planned; you’ll find a marble-lined bathroom, down pillows and duvets, DVD players and (perk of all perks) twice daily housekeeping. A sign that the hotel’s Goldfinch Tavern by Ethan Stowell is a hit: you’ll be mingling with locals as you sip your smoked Manhattan fireside.

You're here because

The hotel has orchestrated a host of behind-the-scenes, only in Seattle experiences for guests, including a VIP tour of Dale Chihuly’s infamous Boathouse (and yes, there’s a glassblowing demonstration) and private trip to the top of the 520-foot-high Space Needle complete with a professional photographer.

The Moment

Leave it to Four Seasons to come up with locavore spa treatments. And why not? After a morning spent tromping through the evergreen wilds of Seattle, you find there’s nothing more restorative than an Evergreen Massage: being rubbed down with the oil of juniper and cedarwood until you feel sturdy as a rainforest tree yourself.

Restaurants & Bars

Goldfinch Tavern - Pacific Northwest cuisine

Infinity Pool + Bar - Selection of snacks, salads, grilled items and desserts

Location

In the downtown Seattle of Frasier fan dreams, a block from Pike Place Fish Market and the waterfront.