Hotel Review: The DoubleTree Arctic Club Hotel in Seattle, WA

5 Stars

Full of elegant charm and friendly, helpful staff, the DoubleTree Arctic Club Hotel is a welcoming place for the traveler to Seattle. Located close to the city’s center, the Arctic Club is within easy walking distance to many restaurants, museums, and Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market. The elegantly understated interior is designed to evoke the ambiance of early 20^th century exploration and is replete with portraits of Arctic explorers, maps of the Northwest Passage, and stately chairs and tables reminiscent of the era. Just past the lobby is the Polar Bar, which perfectly exemplifies the hotel’s desire to provide luxury without taking itself too seriously. The Polar Bar, full of deep, comfortable chairs, cloth napkins and polished silver, has a drunken polar bear as its emblem.

Our room, though small, was very well appointed. Many amenities were incorporated into the room, including some that we had never before seen in a hotel room. As well as such common things as a coffee maker, hair dryer and ice bucket, we found tea, a loose tea strainer, and a French press. In addition to the large flat screen television, there was a DVD player and a stereo system complete with CD player. The writing desk was stocked with such office basics as a stapler, scotch tape, scissors, rubber bands and a calculator – no need to go to the office center. Robes and a safe awaited us in the closet, as well as a large umbrella (this is Seattle, after all).

The mini-bar was fully stocked with an array of beverages from champagne to sodas to fruit juices, and there was a basket of snacks that included an impressive array of choices. To their credit, the hotel made it clear that these items were not included in the cost of the room, but did so in an unobtrusive manner (again, their elegant understatement came through). Upon check-in, we were told that we could empty out the mini-bar to make room for anything that we might want to keep refrigerated, a welcome change from the old-style mini-bars that automatically charge you if anything inside is moved.

The bathroom was surprisingly roomy, and was designed for comfort and class. The towels were plush and thick, the bathtub jetted. A marble countertop graced the vanity, which had ample storage underneath. The bathroom door was charming, and included a frosted pane in the upper half. This proved to be one of the very few drawbacks, as it allowed light to spill into the main room (only an issue when one of us was in bed before the other).

The staff was extremely courteous and knowledgeable about the area. We were given many wonderful recommendations regarding everything from where to dine to modes of transportation to things to see and do. When they discovered that I was on a hunt for one particular item, the front desk staff took it upon themselves to call three different stores that they thought might carry it, and they checked with me upon my return to the hotel that evening to ensure that my quest had been successful. The housekeeping staff, too, was wonderfully warm, courteous and thorough; our room was kept in tip-top shape throughout our stay.

Many small details were attended to that really distinguish this hotel as a top-notch place to stay: a hand-written note welcoming us to our room, a variety of teas (not just black, but green and herbal as well), warm cookies upon our arrival. Overall, we were quite impressed with this hotel, and we would definitely stay here again.

City Escapes Nature Photography