I had been corresponding with Danielle Boyles (see profile on page 64) for two years before I actually got a chance to meet her. In fact, the director of sales and marketing for Hyatt Regency Seattle had just come on board with the hotel when we first exchanged emails. At that time, the hotel was still a set of blueprints. Late last year, the much-anticipated property opened for business, and this past summer I finally had the pleasure of meeting Boyles face to face. I also was able to check out Hyatt Regency Seattle’s hospitality for myself. It did not disappoint.
Smack in the middle of all things downtown Seattle at 8th Avenue and Howell Street, the 45-story hotel is the largest in the Pacific Northwest with 1,260 guest rooms and 103,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Despite these large numbers, the hotel feels quite intimate in its service and amenities. When I checked in, everyone from the front desk to the valets to the concierge were warm and welcoming.
I was lucky enough to stay in one of the penthouses. The suite would have been the envy of downtown condominium owners, with views of the water and Space Needle and more than enough room to host a small group for a brainstorming session or evening pre-dinner gathering.
That first afternoon, I had a meeting in the Deschutes Executive Boardroom which can seat up to 24. The space is spectacular and features an expansive outdoor deck. It wasn’t hard to imagine a post-meeting VIP reception overlooking the city from that perch.
Hyatt Regency Seattle’s meeting space encompasses three levels and includes two ballrooms with 19,000-plus square feet of space each, as well as two junior ballrooms. Add to that eight pre-function spaces and 46 meeting rooms ranging in size from 600 to 1,900 square feet. The hotel also has three dining options: Seattle icon Daniel’s Broiler, the fast-casual Italian-style Andare and The Market, a 24-hour grab-and-go café. (Don’t let the grab-and-go descriptor fool you. The Market’s menu is from the chef at Andare and is equally delicious.)
While I was a guest at the hotel, the team at Hyatt Regency Seattle—Boyles, Kendra Anderson and Eric Pezley—set up a walking tour of another much-anticipated project: the Summit. The $1.8 billion expansion of the Washington State Convention Center is scheduled to open for business in 2022 and is across the street from the Hyatt. Our group donned hard hats and vests and joined Jeffrey Blosser, president and CEO of the convention center, on a look at construction activity. Once complete, the Summit will add 250,000 square feet of exhibition space, meeting rooms totaling 125,000 square feet and 60,000 square feet of ballroom space to downtown Seattle.
Big things are happening in Seattle—and thanks to the 1,260-room Hyatt Regency Seattle, the city has plenty of room.
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