The Best Hotels and Resorts in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean: The Gold List 2024

"Designers and building buffs love the Thompson chain’s focus on architectural details, and its Seattle location, which debuted in 2016, doesn’t disappoint. With an angular glass exterior by local firm Olson Kundig and modern-yet-friendly furnishings throughout, the hotel has quickly earned a reputation as Seattle’s most stylish stay. Dividing the lobby from handsome all-day restaurant Conversation Kitchen & Bar, a floating staircase signals that this is a hotel for Dwell-reading design fans who lust over notebooks from Leuchtturm1917 and midcentury chairs. Just ahead, an arc-necked floor lamp peeps over a pine green, velour wrap-around sofa—creating a well-lit spot to relax with your morning coffee or wait for a friend. For floor-to-ceiling windows that, on the west side of the building, make you feel like you’re floating over the Puget Sound, grab a Water View room. It can run more than $100 extra, but it’s a dazzling effect you don’t want to miss. Throughout, rooms are sharply furnished and understated, with dark woods, navy accents, and stately pin-striped duvets. In the summer of 2023, the hotel unveiled a pair of 1,000-square-foot penthouse suites designed by the local firm Haus + Home, which beautifully translate the hotel’s vibe into a minimalist-luxe urban loft living experience. In addition to the priority service that comes with a penthouse reservation, the suites have large kitchens and lots of appealing details, from the record player and wine fringe to the local art and band posters. On warm evenings, flocks of locals head to rooftop bar The Nest to share vodka-and-Courvoisier punch served from copper flamingos or to sip on locally brewed beers. If The Nest is full, score one of the sleek barstools downstairs at Conversation, a good restaurant that churns out excellent cocktails.On top of all that, the Thompson has the friendliest staff in town. With an uncanny ability to remember every guest who books one of the hotel’s 152 rooms, the concierge crew always comes through with first-rate dining recs and offers to make reservations. Between the epic design details, the dizzying views, and the dangerous amount of good drinks flowing from its two bars, the Thompson offers one of the most delightful stays in Seattle. From $269. —Jessica Voelker" - CNT Editors