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Seattle: Hotel Vintage Park

Unpretentious hospitality and elegant charm abound at this boutique hotel with nightly wine tastings and decor inspired by Washington wine country.
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Seattle: Hotel Vintage Park Credit: Hotel Vintage Park

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Address

1100 Fifth Avenue 98101 Seattle WA 206/624-8000 hotelvintagepark.com

Don't Miss

Nightly wine reception in the lobby, featuring Washington State wines

Tulio Restaurant

Learn about regional wines through the winery-themed rooms

Amenities

  • 125 rooms /li>
  • 24 hour room service
  • wireless internet
  • complimentary morning newspaper and coffee
  • in-room spa services available
  • Wine concierge
  • Tulio Restaurant
It was one of those legendarily rainy Seattle mornings when I checked into the Hotel Vintage Park on a quiet corner right in the heart of in downtown. Hungry and exhausted after a long flight from NYC, I resisted the temptation to curl up in the soft white sheets of my bed and slid myself instead into a cushioned booth at the hotel's restaurant, Tulio, for lunch. While the rain filled the view out the street-level window, I felt instantly at home in the familiar-seeming, dark wood accented restaurant. Chef Walter Pisano has been cooking fresh, soulful Italian food here since 1992, and the room that Thursday. There's no pretension or fuss at Tulio, just honest-good cooking served on clean white tablecloths. Chef Walter wandered out of the kitchen often to check on his guests and chat with me about the dining scene in Brooklyn, where his Italian family is from. My lunch that day was a perfectly-prepared piece of local fish adorned with a pile of tender seasonal veggies. It was just the reviving meal I needed. By the time I was finishing my pillowy cold pistachio semifreddo and second cup of strong hot coffee, the rain had stopped and I felt completely taken care of.

Many diners come to Tulio without knowing there's a hotel just on the other side of a set of doors, but the same unpretentious hospitality and slightly-dated elegant charm echos through the cozy lobby and the rooms upstairs. Designed to celebrate the wines of the Washington region, each room is named for a different local winery, and photos and information from that winery hang on the walls inside. My room was named for the Preston Winery, and so I studied up on the history of the Pasco-based family vineyard that's been in production since 1972.

Every evening there's a wine tasting in the lobby, where guests are invited to sip their way through a flight of wines guided by a local winemaker, importer, or representative, while small snacks from Tulio are passed around. Wine novices and experts alike will feel equally engaged, and for an extended lesson in the wines of the region, the concierge can plan a personalized wine tour for any guest.—Anna Stockwell

In the Area

  • Monorail Espresso:: For an exceptional morning pick-me-up and a piece of Seattle history, walk a few blocks over to this coffee window, where I fell in love with their special burnt cream latte. A pioneer of the Seattle coffee scene, Monorail espresso was one of the original espresso carts to set up downtown, first parked under the monorail station in 1980. After more than 15 years of operating out of a cart, they graduated to a small storefront where coffee and cookies are sold from a walk-up, cash-only window (festooned with political posters and vintage photographs) to a loyal following of bike messengers and locals. 520 Pike St.

  • Melrose Market: Take a 15 minute stroll up the hill to this charmingly new-rustic indoor market and browse the unique little butcher, cheese, wine, floral, and home goods shops before lunch at Sitka & Spruce. With an open, wood-burning oven-equipped kitchen and big sunny windows, this restaurant serves up beautifully appealing portions of seasonal, local fare. 501-1535 Melrose Ave;
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