SEATTLE — Fairmont Olympic Hotel is the winner of Best Luxury Hotel in 2024's Best Northwest Escapes viewer's poll.
If the walls of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel could talk, they'd have a century of stories to tell.
The property is celebrating 100 years in business in 2024.
"This is an iconic place,” said General Manager Sunny Joseph. “This is a place where people want to be, for various reasons."
When the Olympic Hotel opened on December 6th, 1924, it was big news – there was a multi-page spread in the newspaper and 3,000 people gathered for a celebration.
Over the decades, celebrity guests have included performers like Elvis Presley, John Wayne and Bing Crosby, and world leaders including more than a dozen U.S. presidents and Emperor of Japan Akihito.
The hotel has long balanced a sense of history with progress.
In the 1930’s, big bands played live music – and in the 1970’s, The Ramones played inside The Georgian.
A recent $25 million renovation updated the hotel without compromising the 1924 vibe. In fact, when contractors pulled up the aging carpet, they discovered the original marble Terrazzo floors were still intact and management had them refinished.
"It gives me goosebumps, you know?" Joseph said. "We are going to celebrate the past, and we are going to look forward to the future as well, which is bright."
The hotel’s 100th celebration includes an array of activities and events throughout 2024.
The George is offering a throwback fine dining menu for $100 (including a wine selection.)
Executive Chef Guillermo Carreno consulted the hotel’s collection of historic menus to create a special dinner inspired by vintage dishes.
"(I went) through the past and kind of imagined, right, because I'm not that old,” he said, laughing. “We want our guests to go on this journey, from the beginning until now."
The menu includes his twist on Waldorf Salad, Steak Diane with cognac truffle sauce, and a strawberry trifle paired with a selection of local wines.
There’s also a special cocktail called “Connections 1924” being served in The Founder’s Club, the hotel’s speakeasy bar located behind a bookcase.
"It's a play on a sidecar cocktail which was a very popular Prohibition-era cocktail made of cognac,” said Rus Yessenov, Head of Beverage.
It’s made with Remy Martin Louis VII, an exclusive spirit aged for up to 100 years. There’s also clarified lemon and orange juice and a hand-crafted ice cube stamped with a 100th anniversary insignia.
One drink costs $100, with 10% donated back to the community.
"A portion of proceeds are going to several non-profits in the city that we partner with, not just for this but throughout the year,” Yessenov said.
Joseph hopes people enjoy the Fairmont Olympic as a trip to the past, with every luxury of the present.
"We want to be in the heart of the community forever,” he said. “We were there 100 years back, and we want to be for the next 100 years also."
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