Hotel Andra

The upscale Hotel Andra has a discreet and quiet feel that suits its Seattle setting. The hotel's interiors embody colorful contemporary trends in Scandinavian design in tribute to Seattle's Nordic heritage, combined with classic Northwest accents. Guests enter a high-ceilinged lobby with distressed plank floors, geometric print rugs, driftwood tables, a wall of maple-wood bookcases, a granite fireplace with stacked wood, glass art pieces, and an inviting sitting area with low-slung sofas and leather ottomans. The lobby is decorated in a sharp muted color palette of brown, beige, and slate blue. A colorful loft overlooks the lobby. It's filled with contemporary and mid-century elements, including Arne Jacobsen swan chairs and Alvar Aalto salon chairs. At night the space hosts a lively cocktail lounge. Guests converse, read, and work on their laptops here, and also at Lola, the hotel's gem of an on-site restaurant that's popular with locals as well. The hotel has an intimate feel that draws plenty of tourist couples, though business types benefit from the location near the Washington Convention Center and the on-site meeting spaces.

Hotel Andra is situated on Fourth Avenue in Belltown, just at the edge of downtown, surrounded by excellent dining. The area can get a little crowed with people and cars around rush hour, but ordinarily the area is quiet. Home of the famous fish toss, Pike Place Market is a five-minute walk southwest. Within three blocks, local shopping options includes Nordstrom, the Pacific Place mall, and the Westlake Center. At the Westlake Center, guests can hop on the Monorail for a two-minute ride to the Seattle Center complex, which contains the Space Needle, EMP Museum, McCaw Hall, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the Pacific Science Center. The Seattle Underground Tour and Pioneer Square are a five-minute cab ride or 20-minute walk south of the hotel, while the Washington State Convention Center is about a 10-minute walk east of the Andra. The Seattle Art Museum is 10 minutes away on foot, and the waterfront area that holds the Seattle Aquarium and Seattle Great Wheel are a 15-minute walk southwest. Hotel Andra is a 20-minute drive from Sea-Tac International Airport. Guests can also walk to Westlake Center and take the light rail to Sea-Tac in about 40 minutes.

The 119 all non-smoking rooms have an attractive and upscale Scandinavia-meets-Northwest feel with high-quality furnishings alongside plush beds with Egyptian cotton linens. Rooms feature alpaca headboards, striped chenille bed runner, print drapes, and bright abstract art on walls. These aren't the typically minimalist rooms often associated with Scandinavian design, but instead they embrace the more mod, funky style in current trends. The color palette is composed of brown, ochre, beige, gray, and slate blue, with a combination of light and dark wood-veneer furniture throughout. Rooms come in multiple categories, ranging from 200 square feet (19 square meters) to 400 square feet (37 square meters), and some rooms are on the small side, with small bathrooms. Alternatively there are suites available with up to 1500 square feet (139 square meters) of space in which well-heeled guests can stretch out. All rooms have bathrobes, desks, in-room safes, minibars, free Wi-Fi, Tivoli radios with iPod docks, and 37-inch flat-screen TVs with HD channels. Some rooms have wet bars, walk-in closets, and separate vanity areas with leather ottomans. Suites have some combination of sofa beds, wall-mounted 47 or 60-inch TVs and second 32-inch TVs, along with twice-daily housekeeping. Bathrooms are clean and well lit, but some are small with limited counter space. All bathrooms come with Turkish cotton towels and premium bath products, but some rooms do not have bathtubs. Up to two pets (dogs only) are allowed in rooms for no fee.

The emphasis at the hotel is definitely on innovative dining and drinking venues. The main restaurant is the acclaimed Lola from Tom Douglas, considered the city's premier restaurateur. The innovative menu features locally sourced Greek, Mediterranean, and North African cuisine, such as Anderson Valley lamb and Northwest seafood tagines. An excellent breakfast menu is highlighted by made-to-order doughnuts and Mediterranean octopus with butternut squash and bacon, though breakfast is not included with room rates. Lola has a stylish cocktail bar in the loft above the lobby, with a pared-down menu from the restaurant plus cocktails and liquors. Room service is provided by Lola, with pizza delivery available from the nearby Serious Pie, another Tom Douglas restaurant. Guests can also dine at the hotel's next-door partner restaurant Assaggio Ristorante, serving authentic Northern Italian cuisine. A unique feature of the Hotel Andra is the Hot Stove Society, an excellent year-round cooking school also operated by Tom Douglas. Similar to many Seattle city center hotels, Hotel Andra has no swimming pool, sauna, or full-service spa. The quality fitness center features exercise balls, free weights, two stair-steppers, two treadmills, two recumbent bikes, and a wall mirror. The hotel also has a business center, meeting rooms, dedicated concierge, and bell staff. Valet parking is available at the hotel but it's expensive, as it is at all city center hotels. Wi-Fi is free throughout.