"What did you notice upon arrival?This is luxury with a Pacific Northwest woodsiness. A seating hub near the front desk provides a perfect perch for people watching while having a cocktail. What’s the crowd like?Congregating around the busy bar at Goldfinch Tavern, business types in well-tailored trench coats chat with permanent guests living that Eloise life in tony private residences upstairs. The good stuff: Tell us about your room.Around 500 square feet, my creamy-walled Prime Bay Room is large enough to fit a cushy chaise lounge, a king-sized bed with a massive upholstered headboard, and a 42-inch plasma television. There’s another TV built into the mirror in the marbled bathroom, and if soaking in a cavernous tub while watching old episodes of Sex in the City isn’t the height of luxury, well, we don’t know what is. But the main attractions here are the views—gorgeous, moody Elliott Bay vistas, unobstructed and utterly transfixing. Now, how do we fit that chaise lounge into our suitcase? How about the little details? Any of that worth a mentionBefitting a hotel that caters to high-powered executives, Wi-Fi is swift as well as complimentary. Other delightful details include down pillows and duvets, thick terry bathrooms, and a light-up bathroom mirror for getting up close and personal with every pore. Room service: Worth it?First things first, “coffee concierge” is a job title here, and that job involves delivering you a freshly brewed cup for free any time between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. daily. In-room dining menus run round the clock, and you can order a picnic basket—ahem, picnic “tote”—when you want to head out to a park or ferry armed with a cheese plate or selection of pastries. Just be sure to request it at least 12 hours ahead. Staff: If you could award one a trophy, who gets it, and why?Who could possibly beat out the coffee concierge? Anything we forgot to ask about?Valet parking costs $50 a day, but a nice feature of it is that you can request your car as many times as you like. Also, drivers use the hotel’s Tesla to deposit guests at any destination within a mile radius. The spa here offers espresso-themed massages and the “Deep Forest Bliss,” a full-body treatment that tackles the scalp and feet. Flanked by creamy lounges, the 40-foot rooftop infinity pool may be the most luxe spot in all of Seattle. From June through September—when Seattle summer days are long, warm, and humidity-free, head up early to secure a view-boasting chaise near the water. If all that relaxing is too much for you, you can arrange a personal training session at the onsite fitness center. Ask the concierge for details. Bottom line: Why are we staying here?Ultra-luxurious yet understated and modern, the Four Seasons is, by any measure, Seattle’s top hotel. If price isn’t an issue, there’s no question where you should be." - Jessica Voelker
