Checking out Hotel 1000
The summer 2006 opening of the Hotel 1000, a sleek 24-story property with expansive city and Puget Sound views, added plenty of wow factor to the lodging landscape of Seattle, a destination already quite famous for its hip, luxury accommodations. The enthusiastically gay-friendly hotel (it offers special Pride Packages during Seattle Gay Pride each June) has scored plenty of praise for its subtly swank guest rooms and stylish but inviting public spaces. But it's in two notable aspects that the Hotel 1000 truly sets the standard in Seattle lodging: technological savvy and eco-consciousness (the two features actually work together in the form of a highly advanced "management system" that maximizes energy efficiency throughout the hotel).
Hotel 1000 occupies a glassy, contemporary building with 47 luxury residences on the upper (15th through 24th), and 120 guest rooms (including 19 suites) on the lower floors. The building's practical, modern design is part of the reason the hotel is so comfortable - rooms are spacious (starting around 400 square feet) and wired for blazingly fast WiFi and a variety of cool tech innovations. And guests can relax or mingle in several well-outfitted common areas, from BOKA Kitchen to the Studio 1000 lounge off the lobby, to a more secluded and tranquil fireside Library. The mix of useful, practical amenities with a posh but unfussy design makes Hotel 1000 an ideal overnight option whether you're traveling for business or R and R.
Pros:
- Tech fans can play around with dozens of innovative in-room features to their heart's content: Hi-def LCD TVs with digital 5.1 surround sound; plug-and-play media consoles that allow you to watch and listen to entertainment from your iPod, DVD player, or laptop on the aforementioned LCD TVs; bathtubs that fill from a dramatic water spout from the ceiling (and are outfitted with electronic privacy shades); electronic "do not disturb" indicators; VOIP phones with interactive display that allow you to check stock quotes and weather, obtain local restaurant recommendations, and utilize certain staff services; and so on.
- The in-room gadgetry is fun and fascinating, but it's the super-comfy Thai bed linens, rich color schemes, and unpretentiously elegant decor that accounts for Hotel 1000's cushiness.
- Rooms have French press coffeemakers and Starbucks coffee.
- The well-outfitted fitness center, intimate and outstanding Spaahh at Hotel 1000, and virtual reality "Golf Club" (you can test your skills at more than 50 of the world's top courses) provide plenty of opportunities for exercise and body wellness.
- The hotel's lively BOKA Kitchen + Bar serves exceptional modern American fare.
Cons:
- Unless you're a die-hard techie, you may not get much mileage out of some of the more advanced in-room features. Some of these features can be a little tricky to figure out, but the staff is friendly and helpful, and you can always do things the old-fashioned way, by picking up the phone and speaking to the hotel operator.
- It's a luxury hotel with the price tag that comes with it, along with some fairly spendy amenities (parking, minibar snacks, high-end aromatherapy bath products).
The Details:
Address, phone, and web: 1000 1st Ave., Seattle, WA, 877-229-9995); book online at the hotel's web reservations page. The hotel located in a contemporary high-rise hotel-residential building in the downtown Seattle, a short walk from Pioneer Square, the Seattle Art Museum, and Pike Place Market. It's a longer but still safe and pleasant walk to Belltown and the convention center, and about a 20-minute walk or short cab ride from GLBT nightlife in Capitol Hill.
Rates: Rates begin around $200 per night for standard rooms, but those same rooms run closer to $300 during busy times.
Rooms and notable in-amenities: 120 rooms, including 19 suites; each unit has plush Thai bedding, original artwork, stylish and contemporary furnishings, WiFi (fee), high-tech entertainment centers (with surround sound, high-def TV, 40-inch LCD screens, iPod docks, etc.), VOIP phones, in-room safes, micro-fiber bathrobes, complimentary newspapers, doorbells, and plenty of other cool features. Chic bathrooms have glass showers, a separate room for the commode, and beautiful, deep pedestal tubs that fill from the ceiling; an electronic privacy screen separates the tub from the bedroom. In some rooms, the tub enjoys a magnificent view of the city.
Noteworthy hotel amenities: Guest can relax over drinks or tapas in Studio 1000 lounge, off the lobby, which has an open-fire pit and comfy chairs; or in a more secluded Library with coffee service. There's a virtual-reality "golf club" on the lower level as well as a compact but well-outfitted fitness center. This is also where you'll find Spaahh! at Hotel 1000. This intimate spa offers a nice range of spa treatments presented by a highly talented staff - choose from facials, several types of massage (this can also be arranged in-room), Lomi Lomi, body wraps and exfoliations, and foot and hand care.
The hotel's restaurant, BOKA, is presided over by one of Seattle's most talented young chefs, Angie Roberts. The L-shaped restaurant and bar has a mix of tables and plush booths, some set back and private. Servers are knowledgeable about BOKA's sophisticated Pacific Northwest-influenced cuisine, without being the slightest bit arch or snobby.
BOKA serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus lighter bar snacks (which you can also enjoy across the lobby in Studio 1000 lounge), and there's a brunch served on weekends. Roberts' cuisine changes regularly, but here's a glimpse of the types of treats you're likely to find on the menu, which has a nice mix of small and large plates: corned-beef sweet-potato hash with caramelized onions and pickled sweet peppers (at brunch), walnut-honey glazed prawns with fennel-orange salad, rhubarb bruschetta with blue cheese and aged balsamic, coriander-pepper-crusted wild salmon with roasted red beets and celery-root remoulade, and duck confit with curried green lentils and grilled pineapple. For dessert, check out the "bit o' honey" - burnt-honey and vanilla custard with caramelized sugar and raspberries.
