Story at a glance:
- The hotel’s most recent renovations helped revive the inside lobby as the design team reimagined the space with two new bars (Founders Club and Olympic Bar) and updated the famous Georgian Room to The George—keeping the shell intact.
- Sustainability initiatives at the hotel include glass water bottles in the rooms, wood key cards recycled after use, and linen-exemption cards given to guests as a reward if they go without daily linen changes.
- New American restaurant The George is known for its standout lavish design and locally sourced dishes. The renovation also unveiled original terrazzo flooring under decades-old carpeting.
The Ramones played there, dignitaries dined there, and locals came in for afternoon tea for 75 cents. The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle celebrates 100 years in December 2024 with the $25 million renovation of its lobby, bar, restaurant, and meeting spaces under the vision of Spanish design studio Lázaro Rosa-Violán (LRV) with local architecture firm MG2, completed in 2021.
While we can neither confirm nor deny whether Rod Stewart ever swung from a chandelier, the excitement and elegance of the historic Fairmont property lives on while leaving no one out. And that’s on purpose. From the moment you enter the hotel lobby, you feel welcome. “The lobby is the heart and soul of the hotel,” says Sunny Joseph, general manager of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle.
“The task given was how do we ensure we respect the past but look ahead to the future as well? How do we ensure whatever design we select is going to incorporate the best of both worlds? That we will talk to the audience of the past plus the audience and the guests of our future?”
Old Meets New
The color pink was popular in the 1920s, when the hotel opened. “The greens and the pinks really spoke to the original building,” says Sunny Joseph, general manager at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel
The team wanted to move away from what was formerly a very traditional lobby, carpeted, with soft seating and little else. The design of the building itself is interesting, as the main floor is split into three levels, and it beckoned some of the world’s best designers with opportunity. The hotel team chose LRV to bring their vision to life. “They are known for renovating a lot of the castles in Europe, and they have done amazing renovation in some hotels as well,” Joseph says.
While in the past there was no real bar to speak of in the lobby (you could order a soda or a beer, but no real incentive to hang out, Joseph says), the new lobby is home to the Olympic Bar—a focal point and a hotbed of activity on any given night. “Our prime focus was: How can we do this renovation in a way where it becomes a place for the community to hang out? And that’s exactly what we did.”
During a visit in June the hotel was a hub for Pride Month, quite literally on the parade route with a flag flying high outside, while people of all ages buzzed about surrounding the Olympic Bar dressed in styles from the Roaring ’20s, cocktails in hand. “We try to activate as much as possible for everything,” Joseph says. “A lot of that energy is brought by our guests. People know they can come to our place without being judged and be who they are and have amazing times. Our mission is turning moments into special memories, and that’s what we strive to do every single day.”
Atop the Olympic Bar guests will find a sprawling, nautical-themed art piece inspired by the hotel’s original sailing ship logo. “In 1924 when the hotel was built you could see the water from it. There weren’t that many buildings,” Joseph says.
The design team darkened the wood throughout the lobby and made the meeting spaces and restaurant around it ADA-compliant, while equipment throughout the hotel is now much more efficient, including energy-efficient LED lights.
The Founders Club is an intimate speakeasy inside the recently renovated Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel
Hidden behind a bookcase just off of the main lobby area, guests will find the new Founders Club—a dark, intimate, spirit drinker’s getaway that’s now one of the top bars in the country. The speakeasy bar seats 30 guests and is defined by deep, rich wood tones and the soft glow of polished brass. “It’s not a place where you are going to just have a beer. It’s an experience,” Joseph says.
The George is an American restaurant offering refined yet comfortable service inside the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel
Beyond the hotel’s main lobby space, a few steps up, the historic Georgian Room was transformed into The George and an outside entrance was added to connect more easily with the community. The new American brasserie is known for its lavish design and locally sourced dishes. The design incorporates the pinks and greens popular in the 1920s.
In the Details
Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel
In the midst of renovation the team ordered new carpet for many of the staircases, but as the workers were removing the old carpet they discovered the original flooring from 1924 laid by Spanish artists and Italian skills people. “We said forget the carpet. We are going to restore it,” Joseph says. “All the beautiful staircases have restored terrazzo from 1924.”
Wood details throughout the hotel are original, with darkened tones in some places. “The beautiful woodwork, the carvings, they are all original,” Joseph says.
The team also took the 300-pound crystal chandeliers from 1924 that were in pieces in storage in the basement and put them back together to hang in the foyer of the Spanish Ballroom.
The original white-cloth restaurant is still upscale but approachable, with comfortable pink and green seats or floral, leather booths and beautiful vintage lighting details. “Now it is a very lively restaurant with lots of light.” Walls are decorated with Puget Sound chart maps and a nod to the city’s nautical history.
“The George is just fantastic—the chandeliers, the art deco glasswork behind the bar. It is just amazing,” Joseph says. “I’m proud to show off the entire renovation. Not one area is left behind.”
The hotel renovation turned up original terrazzo flooring under decades-old carpeting. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel building first opened in downtown Seattle in 1924—when you could see all the way to the water. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel
