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New Bellevue Hotel’s Voyeuristic Glass Showers May Not be for Everyone
W Bellevue’s lake-house motif ensures a vacation vibe—no matter the season.
This article originally appeared in the August 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.
The recently opened W Bellevue (Lincoln Square, 10455 NE Fifth Place; 425.709.9000) is a place to see and be seen—literally. A peek inside one of the 220 guest rooms (there are also 25 suites) reveals a floor-to-ceiling glass shower, placed boldly in the middle of the space. But then, “shy” has never been the W’s style.
Billed as a pop version of a family lake house, the hotel boasts multiple fireplaces in communal spaces, swings and a place for some retro relaxation in The Library, with its shelves of board games and romance novels.
Grab a drink, or two or three, at Civility & Unrest—a speakeasy lounge serving craft cocktails—and chase it with seasonal farm fare prepared by chef Jason Wilson (formerly of Crush and Miller’s Guild) at The Lakehouse restaurant, which could be a bonafide destination. Afterward, stumble back to your room, where guest drawers are stacked awry like suitcases, the bedroom side tables have attached lamps modeled after waterside dock lighting and the carpet is “stained” with a spilled red wine design.
When the sun rises, go ahead and request an aspirin and seltzer. The W won’t judge; after all, what happens at the lake house stays at the lake house.
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The Northwest’s Gateway to Wine, Culture & Adventure
Escape the crowds. Slow down. Savor fall in the Lewis Clark Valley. As autumn paints the hillsides in gold, crimson, and amber, the Lewis Clark Valley becomes a picture-perfect place to slow down and savor the season. Where Washington and Idaho meet, fall brings crisp days, colorful landscapes, harvest among the vines, and plenty of…
Meet West Seattle’s “Freelance Beaver Detective”
A group of urban beavers helped Pamela Adams through a tough time. Now she’s returning the favor.
Pamela Adams was living in Port Townsend when her marriage fell apart. Little did she know at the time that she would soon find love again while doggedly pursuing the Five Families—not the ones of Mafia lore, but a four-legged sort living along the Longfellow Creek Watershed. Prior to moving to Washington, Adams resided in…
A Wellness Pilgrimage to the Olympic Peninsula
Two hours from Seattle, a new kind of luxury is taking root—one built on stillness, old-growth forests, and the subtle art of slowing down.
There is a school of thought among the overworked and overscheduled that the most subversive thing a person can do is stop. Put down the phone, close the laptop, and go somewhere that actively resists attempts to stay plugged in. The Olympic Peninsula has always offered this, in its blunt, mossy way. For some city…
Seabrook Is a Little Coastal Utopia
This walkable beach town gives families room to roam, relax, and leave the car parked.
There’s nothing quite like finding an edible mushroom in the forest with a five-year-old. The excitement and pride my son displayed when we found chicken of the woods were contagious, and after battering and frying the mushrooms, our wonderful day got even better. The dark, wet forests in which our mushrooms grew are part of…