Living Grand in The City: A Staycation at Grand Hyatt Seattle

Disclosure: Grand Hyatt Seattle provided a complimentary stay in exchange for review. All opinions are mine!

There’s nothing like a staycation to recharge after a big holiday! I worked on an epic weekend with the two (soon to be three!) Hyatt properties in Downtown Seattle right after Thanksgiving - and it was much needed after lots of quality time with family and many plates of food.

Grand Hyatt has welcomed guests on 7th Ave. downtown since 2000. It boasts 457 rooms and hella (25,000 s.f.) conference space, making it a popular choice for conference goers and out-of-towners. I did a few events in their grand ballroom back in my chamber of commerce days, and it’s easily in my top 3 ballrooms in the city. The ballroom is spacious (maxing out at 625 capacity) and yet cozy; it’s easy to work with for any event but has plenty of character on its own. If you’re a bride-to-be or looking to host a special event of sorts, definitely look here!

Okay, taking my events hat off & putting my staycation hat back on. I checked in on the evening of Black Friday, just in time to watch the Macy’s star and tree lighting at Westlake Center from my corner king suite (!!!) Growing up in the city, I’ve witnessed the tree lighting in-person among the throes of people who flock in to see it live, and I’ve watched it on TV. It was quite the special experience witnessing it from up above - in the quiet of my suite and a glass of wine in my hand.

I normally avoid downtown on Black Friday, but since the Grand Hyatt is in the midst of all the shopping, I decided to take a walk through the sights. The nightly snowfall at Pacific Place; the carousel in Westlake Park; the festivities at Nordstrom’s flagship; the deals at Nordstrom Rack and Zara; and of course, the star and the tree. All of that is within two blocks of Grand Hyatt’s front door (along with so much more!)

After my walk and some dinner, I made time to check out the sauna, steam room, and hot tub - one of my favorite amenities wherever I go. Travel can be really hard on the body; a quick steam and some stretching does wonders for relaxing the muscles and the mind!

The corner king suite is perfect for business travel, getting ready for a wedding, special event, or a big night out on the town. I reveled in a luxurious bath, enveloped myself in my bathrobe (a hotel tradition of mine), and brewed a hot cup of tea to warm up from my walk through the holiday sights. 

The next morning I soaked in the sweeping views of downtown and watched the vendors set up down the street at Pike Place Market before walking down to my favorite cafe, Mr. West, for a hemp matcha latte and a chocolate croissant. I live, work, and play in these downtown streets 24/7, but there’s no feeling quite like walking through a quiet city slowly waking up for the day. 

Thank you, Grand Hyatt, for this truly special perspective on my city! Stay tuned for part 2 featuring its sister property, The Hyatt @ Olive 8, Urbane restaurant, and Elaia Spa.