Hyatt At Olive 8

If an environmentally conscious hotel is a high priority, the Hyatt at Olive 8 should be at the top of your list. A completely "green" hotel (it’s LEED-certified), this property is top-to-bottom eco-friendly, with everything from a sustainable-foods restaurant and recycled writing pads, to a non-chlorinated saline lap pool, water-reducing shower heads, and energy-efficient light fixtures. While the Grand Hyatt across the street seems, at first glance, to be the more luxury-oriented hotel of the two -- it has a cavernous, darkly elegant lobby, while the Olive 8 is brightly lit and looks somewhat corporate -- this hotel actually houses the posh Elaia Spa that the two sister properties share. (Big plus here is that Olive 8 guests don’t have to schlep across the street after a relaxing massage.) Rooms take up the first 17 floors of the hotel; condos make up the 22 above that.

Frequently hailed for their markedly friendly staff and impeccable service, the Hyatt at Olive 8 works hard to maintain that unblemished image. Luxury amenities, like a full-size workout facility (read: 20-plus fitness machines), surrounded by a heated, glass pool deck that looks out onto the Seattle skyline, will keep you hanging around this convenient downtown hotel -- even when popular Seattle attractions are literally minutes away.

Without being directly on the waterfront (a coveted Seattle location), the Hyatt at Olive 8 still manages to take firm advantage of all that downtown Seattle has to offer -- no car or transit needed. It’s throwing distance from the Washington State Convention Center, and literally surrounded on all sides by shopping, theater, and dining attractions that will keep you going for days. Kids will likely drag you to Gameworks, the mega-arcade down the street, but you’ve got plenty of stores nearby to keep you busy. Nordstrom and Pacific Place shopping center (the latter of which contains a multiplex theater) are two blocks away. Westlake Center is equally close, with its full-on food court and access to the Monorail, the iconic elevated train that whisks you over to the Seattle Center (home of the Space Needle) in a mere two minutes.

Less-than-5-minute-walk to:

• Pacific Place shopping center
• Westlake Mall (with two-minute transit to Seattle Center, and Light Rail transit to Sea-Tac airport for about $2.50)
• The Washington State Convention Center
• A.C.T. Theater
• 5th Avenue Theater

Longer distances:

• 10-minute-walk to Benaroya Hall (Seattle Symphony), Pike Place Market, and Seattle Art Museum
• 10-15-minute walk to ferries
• 5-minute drive to cruise-ship terminals
• 20-minute drive south on I-5 to Sea-Tac International Airport (about $45 by taxi)

Rooms here -- done up in understated neutrals with a mix of dark and light woods -- are sleek, spare, and infinitely eco-conscious. A master control switch dims lighting output, the paper in your desk is recycled, and all the hotel bathrooms are outfitted with low-water toilets and showerheads (the latter of which usually manages to put out a reasonable amount of pressure). Granted, the larger the room you book, the more luxuries you end up with, but even those high-end guestrooms -- some with hardwood floors -- keep the environment first priority.

All Rooms Include:

• Hyatt "Grand" bed with pillow-top mattress
• Glass walk-in shower and Portico bath products
• iHome stereo with iPod docking station
• 37-inch flat screen TV
• Desk and lounge chair
• Hairdryer, iron, and ironing board
• Wi-Fi (fee/day)
• Free daily newspaper
• Coffee/tea maker
• Mini-fridge
• Energy efficient fixtures
• Hypoallergenic room with air purifiers

Room Types:

• Deluxe King Room: King bed
• Deluxe Two Queens Room: Two queen beds with shower/tub combo
• Premier Queen Room: 740 square feet (70 percent larger than Deluxe King), with floor-to-ceiling windows and shower/tub combo
• Corner King Room: 450 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows
• Luxury King Room: 970 to 1,130 square feet; separate sitting area; two dressing spaces; wet bar; dual sink in bathroom with TV; separate shower and tub; plus enclosed toilet
• Governor Suite: 1,300 square feet; king bed; parlor; dressing area; walk-in closet; sofa and chairs; fireplace; dual vanity sink with TV; enclosed toilet; separate tub and shower
• Presidential Suite: 1,600 square feet; dining room; parlor; wet bar; dual vanity with TV; separate tub and shower; enclosed toilet; private office; two walls of windows
• Business Plan: King bed, plus free Wi-Fi, laundry service, breakfast, water, and local phone calls
• ADA Room: Rooms for people disabilities, with audio/visual aids and assistance devices

• LEED-certified building
• Huge 24-hour fitness facility with 20-plus fitness machines, as well as yoga and Pilates classes for a fee
• Elaia Spa is a destination unto itself, and uses organic products from regional growers.
• 24-hour business center
• Valet parking (fee/day)
• Wi-Fi (fee)
• Room service available 6 a.m. to midnight
• 24-hour front desk staff and concierge
• 11,000 square feet of meeting space (including ballroom)
• Currency exchange
• Laundry and dry cleaning

• Urbane restaurant serves farm-to-table Northwest fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Local ingredients include Beecher's Cheeses, Uli's Sausage from Pike Place Market, and produce from Willie Green Farms. The menu is subject to change, but dishes have included lavender seared Grimaud duck breast and hazelnut crusted rainbow trout.
• Urbane Coffee & Wine Bar has an extensive wine list with a Pacific Northwest focus, and also serves local micro-brews. Guests can order from either an appetizer menu or the full restaurant menu.
• Healthy kid's menu available as well as half portion adult entrees for half price.