Thompson Seattle
{{short description|Hotel in Seattle}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox hotel
| hotel_name = Thompson Seattle
| logo = File:Thompson Seattle logo.png
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption = Logo
| image =
| caption =
| map_type =
| map_size =
| coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q111393881|display=inline,title}}
| map_dot_label =
| building_type = Hotel
| address = 110 Stewart Street
| owner = Hyatt
| hotel_chain = Thompson Hotels
| location_city = Seattle, Washington
| location_country = United States
| opening_date = {{Start date|2016|06|01}}
| renovation_date =
| diamonds =
| closing_date =
| developer = Turner Construction
| classification = {{Rating|4}}
| architect = Olson Kundig
| number_of_restaurants = 1
| number_of_bars = 1
| number_of_rooms = 152
| number_of_suites =
| floor_area =
| floors = 12
| parking =
| website = {{official website|https://www.hyatt.com/thompson-hotels/seath-thompson-seattle}}
}}
Thompson Seattle is a boutique hotel in Seattle, Washington, that is part of the Hyatt's Thompson brand. Opened on June 1, 2016, the 12-story four-star hotel has 152 rooms and five types of suites. It is located in Downtown Seattle and is a block uphill from Pike Place Market. When it opened, the hotel originally was owned by John Pritzker's Commune Hotels & Resorts. Hyatt became the owner in 2018.
The architectural firm Olson Kundig designed Thompson Seattle, which is part of a mixed-use development that includes 95 serviced apartments. The hotel has a geometric glass outer structure and floor-to-ceiling windows from which guests can see the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound's Elliott Bay. The hotel was built on a former parking lot by the general contractor Turner Construction. Hotel rooms follow the mid-century modern design and have a masculine aesthetic. Rooms offer different kinds of views including of the water, the courtyard, and the city.
The Nest, a rooftop bar on the 13th floor, provides views of the city and Puget Sound, offering cocktails named after birds and small bites. Scout, which opened in 2016, was a restaurant at Thompson Seattle that offered a woodland cabin-inspired atmosphere and a menu focused on Pacific Northwest ingredients. It ceased operations in 2019 for a complete overhaul. In its place, Conversation opened later that year, offering a menu with international and regional cuisine and encouraging in-person interaction. The hotel has a tiny, no-frills gym and a concierge service.
History
Thompson Seattle was designed by the architectural firm Olson Kundig.{{cite news |last=Levy |first=Nat |date=June 9, 2016 |title=Real Estate Buzz: Things are looking up in Seattle as new bars and restaurants open in high places |url=https://www.djc.com/re/bzz.html?action=get&id=12090067 |newspaper=Daily Journal of Commerce |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090243/https://www.djc.com/re/bzz.html?action=get&id=12090067 |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Jensen Fey Architecture & Planning worked on the interior design, while Studio Munge designed the hotel concept and created the interior layout for the living spaces.{{cite news |last=Enlow |first=Clair |date=May 27, 2015 |title=Design Perspectives: Hotel/apartment will transform First & Stewart |url=https://www.djc.com/news/ae/12078012.html |newspaper=Daily Journal of Commerce |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090226/https://www.djc.com/news/ae/12078012.html |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The general contractor was the construction company Turner Construction. The hotel was built on land that was once used for a parking lot. The construction project was called First and Stewart since the structure was constructed on 1st Avenue and Stewart Street.
At its founding, the hotel was part of the Thompson Hotels, a brand of Commune Hotels & Resorts, which was owned by John Pritzker.{{cite news |last=Cooper |first=Jeanne |date=June 23, 2016 |title=Thompson Seattle hotel |url=https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Thompson-Seattle-hotel-8321120.php |website=SFGate |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/2025.06.23-090851/https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Thompson-Seattle-hotel-8321120.php |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Thompson Seattle is a segment of a mixed-use development that houses both the hotel and 95 serviced apartments. When it opened, a partnership between Geolo Capital and TC Real Estate Development was the owner of the development. Douglas Howe and Shawn Parry, previous leaders of Touchstone, were the owners of TC. Touchstone, Geolo, and TC had made public in August 2014 that their construction property would be run by the Thompson Seattle brand.{{cite news |last=Bhatt |first=Sanjay |date=August 1, 2014 |title=Touchstone names operator for hotel near Pike Place Market |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/touchstone-names-operator-for-hotel-near-pike-place-market/ |newspaper=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090347/https://www.seattletimes.com/business/touchstone-names-operator-for-hotel-near-pike-place-market/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Thompson Seattle began operations on June 1, 2016, and is the ninth Thompson branch.{{cite news |last=Saltzstein |first=Dan |date=December 16, 2017 |title=A Stylish Seattle Hotel Whose Location Can't Be Beat: For proximity to Seattle's greatest hits, it doesn't get much better than the 12-story Seattle Thompson, just a few blocks from the Puget Sound waterfront. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/travel/seattle-thompson-hotel-review.html |newspaper=The New York Times |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215052528/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/travel/seattle-thompson-hotel-review.html |archivedate=February 15, 2018 }}{{cite magazine |last=Russillo |first=Jack |date=November 3, 2016 |title=Local Rooms: Thompson Seattle |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/travel-and-outdoors/2016/11/local-rooms-thompson |magazine=Seattle Metropolitan |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090445/https://www.seattlemet.com/travel-and-outdoors/2016/11/local-rooms-thompson |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} A ribbon-cutting event was held on June 28 that year.{{cite magazine |date=June 29, 2016 |title=Slide Show: Thompson Seattle Grand Opening |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/the-met-pages/2016/06/slide-show-thompson-seattle-grand-opening |magazine=Seattle Metropolitan |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090340/https://www.seattlemet.com/the-met-pages/2016/06/slide-show-thompson-seattle-grand-opening |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Thompson is the inaugural Pacific Northwest location under the Thompson brand.
Commune and the luxury hotel operator Destination Hotels merged, creating a new company called Two Roads Hospitality in September 2016.{{cite press release |date=October 8, 2018 |title=Addition of Alila, Destination, Joie de Vivre, Thompson and tommie brands to the Hyatt portfolio will strengthen Hyatt's lifestyle and wellbeing offerings for high-end travelers worldwide |url=https://newsroom.hyatt.com/news-releases?item=123739 |publisher=Hyatt |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20241003113032/https://newsroom.hyatt.com/news-releases?item=123739 |archivedate=October 3, 2024 }} Including Thompson Seattle, there were 10 Thompson properties in 2017 under Two Roads Hospitality.{{cite magazine |last=Miller |first=Fran |date=July 7, 2017 |title=Seattle-bound? Check-out the Thompson. |url=https://www.walnutcreekmagazine.com/2017/07/07/149548/seattle-bound-check-out-the-thompson- |magazine=Walnut Creek Magazine |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250318071726/https://www.walnutcreekmagazine.com/2017/07/07/149548/seattle-bound-check-out-the-thompson- |archivedate=March 18, 2025 }} After Hyatt acquired Two Roads Hospitality in November 2018, the Thompson brand became part of Hyatt.{{cite press release |date=March 27, 2019 |title=World Of Hyatt Includes More Rewarding Stay Experiences With The Introduction Of Thompson Hotels |url=https://newsroom.hyatt.com/news-releases?item=123814 |publisher=Hyatt |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240815140532/https://newsroom.hyatt.com/news-releases?item=123814 |archivedate=August 15, 2024 }} Thompson Seattle entered into a partnership in 2020 with The Emerald, a condominium, which was opening in the middle of the year. The deal allowed condominium residents to access the hotel's amenities such as parking, charging stations for electric vehicles, and dining discounts. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in Seattle in 2020, Hyatt said that it was set to furlough 178 staff members across its Hyatt Regency Lake Washington and Thompson Seattle properties and would do 50 permanent job cuts at the latter.{{cite news |last=Nellis |first=Natasha |date=June 18, 2020 |title=Spokane hoteliers hope to buck West Side trends |url=https://www.spokanejournal.com/articles/1782-spokane-hoteliers-hope-to-buck-west-side-trends |newspaper=Spokane Journal of Business |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122214407/https://www.spokanejournal.com/articles/1782-spokane-hoteliers-hope-to-buck-west-side-trends |archivedate=January 22, 2025 }} The travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler included Thompson Seattle as one of the 75 hotels on its 2024 Gold List, which features the hotels it considers the finest.{{cite news |last=Montalvo |first=Rosemary |date=December 19, 2023 |title=Seattle is home to one of the world's best hotels, according to new Condé Nast ranking |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article283252898.html |newspaper=The News Tribune |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090552/https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article283252898.html |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}
Location
Located in Downtown Seattle, Thompson Seattle is situated on the summit of a sharply inclined hill on 1st Avenue.{{cite news |last=Doucette |first=Kitt |date=November 25, 2022 |title=Thompson Seattle Hotel Is Your Best Nest in the Emerald City |url=https://www.mensjournal.com/travel/thompson-seattle-hotel-review |magazine=Men's Journal |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090546/https://www.mensjournal.com/travel/thompson-seattle-hotel-review |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}{{cite news |last=Shapley |first=Haley |date=November 1, 2017 |title=Thompson Seattle |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/washington/seattle/hotels/thompson-seattle-hotel/ |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250315054918/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/washington/seattle/hotels/thompson-seattle-hotel/ |archivedate=March 15, 2025 }} It occupies one-fourth of a block. The hotel offers views of Seattle Great Wheel and Pike Place Market, which it is uphill by one block from.{{cite news |last=Bramucci |first=Steve |date=January 12, 2024 |title=Hotels We Love: The Thompson Seattle Pairs The City's Best Location With Sleek Design |url=https://uproxx.com/life/hotels-we-love-thompson-seattle/ |website=Uproxx |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090615/https://uproxx.com/life/hotels-we-love-thompson-seattle/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}{{cite news |last=Cooper |first=Jeanne |date=July 19, 2018 |title=Suite Spot: Thompson Seattle sleek and chic from rooms to rooftop |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/travel/article/Suite-Spot-Thompson-Seattle-sleek-and-chic-from-13088468.php |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921152334/https://www.sfchronicle.com/travel/article/Suite-Spot-Thompson-Seattle-sleek-and-chic-from-13088468.php |archivedate=September 21, 2021 }} It is within walking distance of Colman Dock, the Olympic Sculpture Park, the Seattle Aquarium, and the Seattle Art Museum. Close to the hotel, there are numerous diverse food and nightlife spots. A Biscuit Bitch branch is directly opposite the hotel, while the shopping mall Westlake Center is around 0.3 miles away. Nearby entertainment options include the Moore Theatre and the music venues The Showbox and The Triple Door.
Architecture and decor
The Seattle-based architectural firm Olson Kundig designed the 12-story Thompson Seattle, a four-star boutique hotel.{{cite news |last=Malverty |first=Margot |date=April 10, 2023 |title=Seattle's Best High-End Hotels |url=https://observer.com/2023/04/best-luxury-hotels-seattle-washington/ |newspaper=The New York Observer |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090629/https://observer.com/2023/04/best-luxury-hotels-seattle-washington/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}{{cite magazine |last=Rastogi |first=Nina Shen |date=August 9, 2016 |title=Why Thompson Seattle Is the City's Best New Hotel |url=https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-08-09/why-thompson-seattle-is-the-citys-best-new-hotel |magazine=Condé Nast Traveler |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090615/https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-08-09/why-thompson-seattle-is-the-citys-best-new-hotel |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} It has a geometric glass outer structure.{{cite magazine |last=Voelker |first=Jessica |date=October 1, 2024 |title=Review: Thompson Seattle. An architecture and design lover's dream. |url=https://www.cntraveler.com/hotels/seattle/thompson-seattle |magazine=Condé Nast Traveler |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090646/https://www.cntraveler.com/hotels/seattle/thompson-seattle |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Echoing the deviation in the street grid formed by the intersection of 1st Avenue and Stewart Street, the arrangement of each two stories is subtly misaligned. Dan Salzstein of The New York Times thought that the structure's outside resembles "piled-up offset glass rectangles". Hana R. Alberts, a writer for the New York Post, called the building "glassy, asymmetrical and architecturally avant-garde".{{cite news |last=Alberts |first=Hana R. |date=July 12, 2016 |title=This brand-new Seattle hotel is anything but grungy |url=https://nypost.com/2016/07/12/this-brand-new-seattle-hotel-is-anything-but-grungy/ |newspaper=New York Post |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090652/https://nypost.com/2016/07/12/this-brand-new-seattle-hotel-is-anything-but-grungy/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The Michelin Guide thought that the hotel looks like a shimmering tower of "charmingly misaligned" glistening glass boxes.{{cite news |title=Thompson Seattle |url=https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/hotels-stays/seattle/thompson-seattle-8194 |website=Michelin Guide |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090551/https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/hotels-stays/seattle/thompson-seattle-8194 |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Remarking on the abundance of glass in the design, Uproxx{{'}}s Steve Bramucci thought that "there's something voyeuristic about the design that feels sort of titillating" since guests in their rooms can take in the cityscape while the city can peer back at them. He called it a "bold design" that makes a striking impression amid the mid-century structures and renovated warehouses that are predominant in numerous Pacific Northwest hotels. Windows that span from the ceiling to the floor pull into hotel rooms views of the waterfront Pike Place Market. Condé Nast Traveler writer Nina Shen Rastogi said this embodies Olson Kundig's "call-and-response design". The building's architect Tom Kundig said, "People are coming back to the urban core to live and to use the city. This building captures that change." The middle of the building has an open-air courtyard, which can be entered through the street and the alley.
Prior to implementing the property's interior design, staff members of parent corporation Commune Hotels & Resorts explored Seattle spots such as Capitol Hill and Ballard to get a feel for Seattle living.{{cite news |last=Payne |first=Patti |date=May 31, 2016 |title=Exclusive: Take an inside look at luxury hotel Thompson Seattle, set to open Friday |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2016/05/31/exclusive-take-an-inside-look-at-luxury-hotel.html |newspaper=Puget Sound Business Journal |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250623061140/https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2016/05/31/exclusive-take-an-inside-look-at-luxury-hotel.html |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} A variety of art books are showcased in the lobby.{{cite news |title=Fodor's Expert Review: Thompson Seattle |url=https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/washington/seattle/hotels/reviews/thompson-seattle-284360490 |publisher=Fodor's |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090719/https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/washington/seattle/hotels/reviews/thompson-seattle-284360490 |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Other books in the lobby are about tree houses, log cabins as well as related topics about living outside.{{cite news |title=Thompson Seattle: A sophisticated, vintage vibe in Seattle |url=https://www.forbestravelguide.com/hotels/seattle-washington/thompson-seattle |publisher=Forbes Travel Guide |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090803/https://www.forbestravelguide.com/hotels/seattle-washington/thompson-seattle |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The lobby is partitioned from the restaurant Conversation by a floating staircase featuring glass edges. Curved floor lamps provide lighting for a pine green-colored sectional sofa made of velour. The lobby has metal-finished decor, bookcases made of wood, and a large quilted stuffed teddy bear with a patchwork design.{{cite magazine |last=Gallaher |first=Rachel |date=April 13, 2018 |title=Destination: Seattle |url=https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/seattle-travel-guide-design/ |magazine=Surface |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090751/https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/seattle-travel-guide-design/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Shelves feature pottery and sculptures made of metal. In a nod to the city's aviation background, the inside features uncovered concrete and steel surfaces.{{cite magazine |title=Thompson Seattle |url=https://www.afar.com/places/thompson-seattle-seattle-e863ba39-c7ac-41d8-a0c6-73030ddeebd8 |magazine=AFAR |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090814/https://www.afar.com/places/thompson-seattle-seattle-e863ba39-c7ac-41d8-a0c6-73030ddeebd8 |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}
The décor blends retro and contemporary aesthetics through touches of luxury along with whimsical art pieces by local artists. The dark walls are adorned with chalk sketches. The hotel's furnishings are made of mohair and leather.{{cite magazine |last=Speros |first=Will |date=June 2, 2016 |title=Thompson Hotels Opens in Seattle: The 158-room property was crafted by Olson Kundig, Studio Munge, and Jensen Fey |url=https://hospitalitydesign.com/news/hotels-resorts/thompson-hotels-opens-in-seattle/ |magazine=Hospitality Design |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090803/https://hospitalitydesign.com/news/hotels-resorts/thompson-hotels-opens-in-seattle/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The Daily Telegraph travel writer Haley Shapley said that underneath the sparkling exterior, the hotel pulls off a ritzy feel despite having a relaxed, at-home ambiance. There are unforeseen features such as an elevator welcome mat that rotates its messages based on the time of day—displaying "Good Morning", "Good Afternoon", and "Good Evening"—adding a lighthearted vibe.
Condé Nast Traveler reviewer Jessica Voelker thought that the hotel caters to design enthusiasts who subscribe to Dwell. Praising the hotel's "epic design details", she called the hotel as "Seattle's most stylish stay" through its "modern-yet-friendly furnishings". Salzstein, The New York Times journalist, said that although the hotel is not "a sui generis neighborhood spot", it provides "a pleasant, modestly stylish environment". Fodor's praised the "design-savvy" hotel for its subtle nods to Pacific Northwest culture. According to Forbes Travel Guide, Thompson Seattle nods to its nightlife brand reputation through its widespread use of midnight blues, forest greens, and velvet materials. Nine.com.au travel writer Noelle Faulkner liked the hotel's "chic Mad Men-goes-coastal interiors".{{cite news |last=Faulkner |first=Noelle |date=October 25, 2016 |title=Five Seattle hotels every traveller must make time for |url=https://travel.nine.com.au/destinations/seattle-hotels/b7ef2950-724b-405f-8222-b8cb7327aebf |publisher=Nine.com.au |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090829/https://travel.nine.com.au/destinations/seattle-hotels/b7ef2950-724b-405f-8222-b8cb7327aebf |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Seattle Metropolitan reviewer Jack Russillo called the hotel "upscale", "chic", and "cooler than Seattle's usual vibe", while Moira McCarthy of the Boston Herald deemed it "a mashup of elegant and laid-back simplicity".{{cite news |last=McCarthy |first=Moira |date=April 5, 2018 |title=Visit Seattle for warmer weather, cool eateries, artsy neighborhoods |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/04/05/visit-seattle-for-warmer-weather-cool-eateries-artsy-neighborhoods/ |newspaper=Boston Herald |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090820/https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/04/05/visit-seattle-for-warmer-weather-cool-eateries-artsy-neighborhoods/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}
Amenities
=Guest rooms=
The hotel has 152 rooms and five types of suites. There are accessible rooms that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Owing to the structure's design, the hotel used 30 unique floor plans for the rooms. Thompson Seattle has rooms tailored for prolonged stays that are equipped with complete kitchens and private laundry. Guests may bring pets to the hotel. Rooms follow the mid-century modern design and have a masculine aesthetic. They are given a gentler vibe through subtle feminine elements such as art, candles, and bookcases. Paying homage to Seattle's history in aviation and sea transport, the hotel's rooms have hardwood floors and a palette featuring flight jacket leather shades as well as navy blue and white paired with bronze touches. Across the property, rooms feature crisp, subdued decor and charcoal shades. They blend deep-toned wood textures, and duvets with pin stripes.
Thompson Seattle rooms have windows that span from the ceiling to the floor.{{cite news |last=Boorstin |first=Sharon |date=January 17, 2019 |title=Float over the city on a weekend escape to Seattle |url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-escape-seattle-20190117-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090839/https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-escape-seattle-20190117-story.html |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Rooms offer different kinds of views including of the water, the courtyard, and the city. One in four hotel rooms give guests an uninterrupted sightline to Elliott Bay, which is part of Puget Sound. According to Condé Nast Traveler reviewer Jessica Voelker, the windows in the "Water View" rooms in structure's westward section give viewers the sensation of being suspended above Puget Sound. The walls are adorned with a hodgepodge of eccentric art, while the wing-shaped headboards are dark-toned and generously sized. The headboards have reading lights embedded into them and the room has a cozy office chair. A {{convert|42|in|cm|adj=on}} television is positioned over the chair. Rooms in 2017 were equipped with Amazon Alexa gadgets set up to respond to common questions.
Black-and-white tiles cover the bathroom's floor. The bathroom features a rainfall showerhead, marble baths, glass shower doors, and a twisted shower curtain. The New York Times reviewer Dan Saltzstein in 2017 lamented the design of the shower curtain for causing water to a pool in one corner during a shower. He liked that the toilets had a low-flush setting that conserved water but criticized the hotel's decision to jump on the bandwagon of having "a half-privacy wall not-at-all-separating the toilet from the rest of the bathroom". In a 2018 review, Jessica Yadegaran of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found the bathroom to be faintly illuminated so had to move to her desk to put on her makeup.{{cite news |last=Yadegaran |first=Jessica |date=April 25, 2018 |title=Inn-Escapable: Seattle's sleek Thompson Hotel at Pike Place |url=https://www.ajc.com/travel/inn-escapable-seattle-sleek-thompson-hotel-pike-place/vf5A0zb3T8AepjrLNwK9nL/ |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090819/https://www.ajc.com/travel/inn-escapable-seattle-sleek-thompson-hotel-pike-place/vf5A0zb3T8AepjrLNwK9nL/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The most expensive room when the hotel opened in 2016 was the Thompson Suite. The room featured couches made of leather, a coffee table made of marble, cowhides spread across the maple flooring, and a huge tub. The suites that face the water are equipped with telescopes to give a clearer view of the area. In mid-2023, the hotel opened two penthouse suites. Spanning {{convert|320|sqft|sqm|abbr=on}}, each unit had a spacious kitchen, was equipped with a wine refrigerator and record player, and had posters featuring bands. Guests who stayed at the penthouse suites in 2023 could sign up for personalized culinary lessons and rent high-end fashion pieces.{{cite magazine |last1=Compagno |first1=Natalie |last2=Freitas |first2=Greg |date=August 1, 2023 |title=Seattle Summer Staycation |url=https://seattlemag.com/travel/seattle-summer-staycation/ |magazine=Seattle Magazine |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090732/https://seattlemag.com/travel/seattle-summer-staycation/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}
The minibar features drinks and craft-produced snacks. In 2024, it contained crackers produced by Beecher's Handmade Cheese, which sells products at Pike Place Market. That year, the minibar had caramels coated in dark chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt as well as small Hendrick's Gin and Glenlivet bottles. The rooms are equipped with flasks, umbrellas, and candles that are Thompson-branded. Fodor's lamented that a number of the rooms were tiny and certain rooms receive intense sunlight in the afternoon. Frommer's criticized the hotel's housekeeping team for failing to complete several cleaning chores though said it might have been a one-off incident.{{cite news |last=Cochran |first=Jason |title=Thompson Seattle |url=https://www.frommers.com/destinations/seattle/hotels/thompson-seattle/ |publisher=Frommer's |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208163311/https://www.frommers.com/destinations/seattle/hotels/thompson-seattle/ |archivedate=December 8, 2021 }}
=Restaurants and bar=
==The Nest==
File:Thompson Seattle rooftop bar The Nest logo with black background.png
Thompson Seattle has a lounge and rooftop bar called The Nest. The Huxley Wallace Collective designed the appetizer-sized communal dishes on the bar's menu.{{cite magazine |last=Hale |first=Lara |date=June 13, 2016 |title=Take in Panoramic Views of the Puget Sound at Thompson Seattle |url=https://seattlemag.com/food-and-culture/take-panoramic-views-puget-sound-thompson-seattle/ |magazine=Seattle Magazine |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090829/https://seattlemag.com/food-and-culture/take-panoramic-views-puget-sound-thompson-seattle/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Situated on the uppermost level on the 13th floor, the bar has both interior and an exterior seating and offers appetizers and cocktails.{{cite magazine |last=Ratterman |first=Rebecca |date=September 18, 2017 |title=These Are the Best Views in Seattle, So of Course They're Stunning |url=https://seattlemag.com/these-are-best-views-seattle-so-course-theyre-stunning/ |magazine=Seattle Magazine |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623090836/https://seattlemag.com/these-are-best-views-seattle-so-course-theyre-stunning/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} It is modeled after The Aviary, a cocktail bar in Chicago.{{cite news |last=Vinh |first=Tan |date=August 3, 2016 |title=Welcome to the most magnificent rooftop bar in Seattle |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/welcome-to-the-most-magnificent-rooftop-bar-in-seattle/ |newspaper=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091615/https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/welcome-to-the-most-magnificent-rooftop-bar-in-seattle/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} There is a patio that seats 250 people.{{cite magazine |date=July 28, 2016 |title=Three Impressions of The Nest: The rooftop bar atop the Thompson Hotel offers views, drinks in flamingos and more fun |url=https://seattlemag.com/food-and-culture/three-impressions-nest/ |magazine=Seattle Magazine |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091643/https://seattlemag.com/food-and-culture/three-impressions-nest/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The Nest can hold roughly 80 people indoors and 150 outdoors but that seating is provided only for 50 indoors and 80 outdoors.{{cite news |last1=Clement |first1=Bethany Jean |last2=Vinh |first2=Tan |date=May 16, 2019 |title=Rooftop bars are all the rage in Seattle — we rated the 4 hottest ones for your summer enjoyment |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/rooftop-bars-are-all-the-rage-in-seattle-we-rated-the-4-newest-ones-for-your-summer-enjoyment/ |newspaper=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091802/https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/rooftop-bars-are-all-the-rage-in-seattle-we-rated-the-4-newest-ones-for-your-summer-enjoyment/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The venue is {{convert|3500|sqft|sqm|abbr=on}} and is equipped with two fire pits in the terrace in the al fresco space. Its deck is {{convert|120|ft|m}} from which customers can see the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound's Elliott Bay. The Seattle Great Wheel and Bainbridge Island can also be viewed from the rooftop bar.{{cite news |last=Harper |first=Elizabeth |date=September 12, 2019 |title=From Gourmet Wild Game to Wine Country to Whiskey Pours, Seattle Thrills—Come Rain or Shine |url=https://www.modernluxury.com/from-gourmet-wild-game-to-wine-country-to-whiskey-pours-seattle-thrills-come-rain-or-shine/ |magazine=Modern Luxury |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250623091656/https://www.modernluxury.com/from-gourmet-wild-game-to-wine-country-to-whiskey-pours-seattle-thrills-come-rain-or-shine/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Tan Vinh of The Seattle Times compared the scene on the rooftbar to that on the lido deck of a cruise ship, stating that people can see ferries traversing Puget Sound as well as islands and the Olympic Mountains blanked with snow.{{cite news |last=Vinh |first=Tan |date=May 31, 2017 |title=Negroni slushies, Negroni floats: Everything is on the table during Negroni Week |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/negroni-slushies-negroni-floats-everything-is-on-the-table-during-negroni-week/ |newspaper=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091702/https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/negroni-slushies-negroni-floats-everything-is-on-the-table-during-negroni-week/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}
Earlier hotels in the Thompson brand had rooftop bars. The company decided to include a rooftop bar in its Seattle property since during days with good weather, customers enjoy being outdoors. As Seattle experiences cloudy weather, the hotel included interior seating. The furniture includes armchairs, sofas, and bar stool.{{cite magazine |last=Harowitz |first=Sara |date=February 16, 2018 |title=Thompson Seattle |url=https://montecristomagazine.com/travel/thompson-seattle |magazine=Montecristo Magazine |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091731/https://montecristomagazine.com/travel/thompson-seattle |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The bar's hub of production is in a room encased with glass.{{cite magazine |last=Vermillion |first=Allecia |date=June 6, 2016 |title=Josh Henderson's Scout Opens Today in the New Thompson Seattle Hotel |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2016/06/josh-henderson-s-scout-opens-today-in-the-new-thompson-seattle-hotel |magazine=Seattle Metropolitan |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091808/https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2016/06/josh-henderson-s-scout-opens-today-in-the-new-thompson-seattle-hotel |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Bartenders there cut large ice chunks from huge, rectangular blocks. The bar has a geodesic dome area called the Rain Drop, which began operations in July 2023 and is equipped with a karaoke machine and a fireplace.{{cite magazine |last=Stein |first=Joel |date=May 9, 2024 |title=How Seattle Graduated From Grunge Mecca to Gen Z Destination |url=https://lamag.com/latravel/seattle-vacation-hotels-food-visit |magazine=Los Angeles |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091758/https://lamag.com/latravel/seattle-vacation-hotels-food-visit |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Young professionals make up a significant part of the bar's clientele. Through happy hour, the bar attracts people who live nearby to visit.
Drinks are dispensed from copper containers shaped like flamingos. Bird-inspired names are given to the cocktails, which undergo barrel aging and batching to allow the bar to maintain a consistent taste.{{cite news |last=Callaghan |first=Adam H. |date=January 27, 2016 |title=The Nest Rooftop Bar Promises Unbeatable Views, Customized...Ice? |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2016/1/27/10841078/the-nest-scout-restaurant-josh-henderson-under-construction |website=Eater |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091928/https://seattle.eater.com/2016/1/27/10841078/the-nest-scout-restaurant-josh-henderson-under-construction |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Alcoholic drinks offered include spirits, beers crafted by nearby producers, and punch made of Courvoisier and vodka. The Flamingo is a cocktail served in a copper-crafted punch bowl molded like a flamingo. A large drink designed for multiple people, it contains Perrier-Jouët, cognac, vodka, rum, lime juice, and pineapple juice. Another drink is the Pacific Loon, which has toki, a whisky from the Japanese brewing company Suntory, along with ginger, lemon, and orgeat syrup. Other cocktails include the YasQueen, which is made of cachaça from Novo Fogo, amaro di angostura, orgeat syrup, and lime; and the RoseAllDay, which is made of the gin Tanqueray, the wine Cocchi Americano, sparkling rosé, and lime. The Spaghetti Western contains Woodford Reserve bourbon mixed with tomato basil, balsamic vinegar, parmesan, and lemon, while the Moon Lake contains gin, a soft drink, mint, lemon, and crème de violette.{{cite magazine |last=Ran |first=Tiffany |date=June 27, 2013 |title=The Best Ways to Patio Dine in Seattle |url=https://seattlemag.com/food-and-culture/the-best-ways-to-patio-dine-in-seattle/ |magazine=Seattle Magazine |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091816/https://seattlemag.com/food-and-culture/the-best-ways-to-patio-dine-in-seattle/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The bar uses Woodinville whiskey in its bourbon and rye-based drinks.
There is no kitchen in the venue so food is served through carts. A dish the bar serves is influenced by Pan-Asian skewers and includes mushrooms, prawns, and pork belly. Other dishes are cheese plates, charcuterie, nuts, olives that are marinated, and pickled vegetables sourced from the market. The Daily Telegraph{{'}}s Haley Shapley lauded the bar's "well-curated snacks and interesting items" though thought they were relatively expensive. Time Out liked the "vibrant atmosphere" and "tasty snacks".{{cite magazine |date=April 13, 2017 |title=Thompson Seattle |url=https://www.timeout.com/seattle/hotels/thompson-seattle |magazine=Time Out |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091759/https://www.timeout.com/seattle/hotels/thompson-seattle |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Dan Saltzstein of The New York Times praised the bar in 2017 for giving patrons "stunning views" and thought that the drink prices were reasonable but wished the bar had a wider selection from local breweries. The Men's Journal writer Kitt Doucette had a different view in 2022, liking that the bar served plenty of Pacific Northwest wines, showcasing the plentiful offerings of the region. Condé Nast Traveler reviewer Jessica Voelker thought that although The Nest feels geared towards being slightly "bro-centric", its "spectacular panoramic views" overshadow any rude conduct. Remarking on the dining menu, Uproxx{{'}}s Steve Bramucci wished that it was "more robust and inventive" though acknowledged the venue primarily is for socializing over drinks before hitting the nightlife scene.
==Scout==
File:Thompson Seattle restaurant Scout logo.png
Next to the lobby, the hotel's restaurant Scout that seated 75 people. A private opening was held on June 1, 2016, while a public debut happened on June 6, 2016.{{cite news |last=Callaghan |first=Adam A. |date=June 9, 2016 |title=Step Inside Scout, a High-End Ode to Woodsy Charm |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2016/6/9/11894998/scout-restaurant-thompson-seattle-hotel-josh-henderson-photos |website=Eater |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091857/https://seattle.eater.com/2016/6/9/11894998/scout-restaurant-thompson-seattle-hotel-josh-henderson-photos |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The restaurant could be reached from both the street and the courtyard.{{cite news |last=Keeley |first=Sean |date=April 26, 2016 |title=See Inside Thompson Seattle Hotel Before Doors Open on June 1 |url=https://seattle.curbed.com/2016/4/26/11510230/thompson-seattle-hotel-olson-kundig-opening |website=Curbed |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091816/https://seattle.curbed.com/2016/4/26/11510230/thompson-seattle-hotel-olson-kundig-opening |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Scout had lighthearted decor and was described by Condé Nast Traveler as being a "glam-rustic" venue.{{cite magazine |last=Jefferys |first=David |date=March 3, 2017 |title=The Most Seattle Thing Ever? Dinner and a Tattoo at the Thompson Hotel |url=https://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-most-seattle-thing-ever-dinner-and-a-tattoo-at-the-thompson-hotel |magazine=Condé Nast Traveler |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091825/https://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-most-seattle-thing-ever-dinner-and-a-tattoo-at-the-thompson-hotel |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The restaurant was decorated with books including Cabin Porn and Rock the Shack as well as retro Boy Scout mugs. The Eater restaurant critic Adam A. Callaghan liked Scout's "charming kitsch". The Daily Telegraph{{'}}s Haley Shapley thought the restaurant evokes the image of a snug woodland cabin through its macramé plant holders, vibrant plaid upholstery, and Douglas fir dining surfaces where the wood grain is clearly visible.
A large painting featuring a fish mouth agape lines the area's perimeter. Made of army green wool, the counter chairs were produced by a manufacturer of casino seating. Scattered around it are Erich Ginder-produced light pendants. Booths had blue plaid, pink, and orange upholstery. Looming above the entrance is a large stuffed bear made of plaid flannel. The bear's flannel complements the padded seating in the dining space and the waitresses who are outfitted in denim shirts and "bold black-and-white checked skirts". The interior designer, Matthew Parker, incorporated references to Seattle and expressed the concept of "scout" in the decor. Over the booth seating, the lights mimic the cranes in the vicinity. In an allusion to camp blankets, the booths have flannel made of plaid. The private area named "Cabin" that seats 20 people is a log cabin-inspired structure, substituting real logs with uneven, light-colored wood pieces.
Scout offered meals spanning breakfast to dinner and had a children's menu.{{cite magazine |last=Vermillion |first=Allecia |date=January 27, 2016 |title=Josh Henderson Will Open a Restaurant and Cocktail Bar in the New Thompson Seattle Hotel |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2016/01/josh-henderson-will-open-a-restaurant-downtown-in-the-new-thompson-seattle-hotel |magazine=Seattle Metropolitan |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091839/https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2016/01/josh-henderson-will-open-a-restaurant-downtown-in-the-new-thompson-seattle-hotel |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} When the restaurant opened, it had a 10-person chef's table featuring dishes inspired by Asian cuisine and served Pacific Northwest dishes. Dishes were served from a set menu. Diners moved to a new hotel setting for every chef's table course. The final course ended at The Nest, the hotel's rooftop bars, where diners partook in desserts and drinks.{{cite news |last=Hill |first=Megan |date=August 23, 2016 |title=Sky-High Hotel Restaurant Now Offering Chef's Counter Experiences |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2016/8/23/12609036/scout-thompson-hotel-chefs-counter-menu-the-nest |website=Eater |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091847/https://seattle.eater.com/2016/8/23/12609036/scout-thompson-hotel-chefs-counter-menu-the-nest |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Breakfast when Scout began operations included a risotto containing arugula pesto, grains, and seeds, as well as eggs served alongside grilled asparagus on top of mushroom brioche. The culinary lineup centered around recently caught fish, grass-fed beef, and mushrooms collected from the wild. Local dishes included shellfish from Puget Sound and mushrooms from Cascade Range. Entrees included chicken cassoulet and short ribs, while dessert included chocolate tart mixed with kumquat, espresso-flavored ice cream, and lemon curd. The Seattle Times restaurant critic Providence Cicero had a mixed review of the desserts in 2016, stating that the chocolate tart "disappointed" while the almond tart "dazzled". Scout used serving carts for dishes like oysters that they shucked in front of diners.{{cite news |last=Callaghan |first=Adam H. |date=June 1, 2016 |title=If You Booked a Room at Fancy New Thompson Seattle, You Can Dine at Scout Today |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2016/6/1/11821240/thompson-seattle-hotel-scout-restaurant-josh-henderson |website=Eater |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091856/https://seattle.eater.com/2016/6/1/11821240/thompson-seattle-hotel-scout-restaurant-josh-henderson |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}
Josh Henderson, who had created Huxley Wallace Collective, founded Scout. The Collective, which had received a James Beard Foundation Award nomination, managed Scout. The founding executive chefs were Henderson and Derek Simcik. Although Henderson occasionally would pay a visit to the restaurant, he was primarily based at another restaurant.{{cite news |last=Clement |first=Bethany Jean |date=June 10, 2016 |title=5 new Seattle restaurants, 2 resurrected ones and 4 more on the way |url=http://seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/5-new-seattle-restaurants-plus-2-resurrected-ones-fun-food-events-and-more/ |newspaper=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091906/https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/5-new-seattle-restaurants-plus-2-resurrected-ones-fun-food-events-and-more/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Simcik created Ink'd, a tattoo event, on a day in 2017. Customers could get tattoos early in the evening and then eat a dinner centered around tattoo culture. Dishes included "stained glass" (featuring herring), "ink" (featuring scallops), and "tattooed" (featuring pork). Other themed dinners focused on hip hop.
San Francisco Chronicle travel writer Jeanne Cooper said seafood took center stage at the restaurant and recommended the breakfast dish of bagel containing gravlax, which has salmon. Montecristo Magazine{{'}}s Sara Harowitz found the food to be "high-end but approachable". Eater reviewer Megan Hill lauded Scout's "beautifully plated dishes that let the ingredients do the heavy lifting".{{cite news |last=Hill |first=Megan |date=May 5, 2017 |title=3 Places to Try in Seattle This Memorial Day Weekend, May 26–29 |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2017/5/5/15560524/seattle-restaurant-recommendations-may-2017 |website=Eater |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092011/https://seattle.eater.com/2017/5/5/15560524/seattle-restaurant-recommendations-may-2017 |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Amberly McAteer, a travel writer for The Globe and Mail, thought the restaurant's avocado toast was the "fanciest" she had eaten.{{cite news |last=McAteer |first=Amberly |date=August 10, 2017 |title=Less hippie, more hip |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/less-hippie-more-hip-seattles-pike-place-gets-a-makeover-incool/article35935433/ |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092008/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/less-hippie-more-hip-seattles-pike-place-gets-a-makeover-incool/article35935433/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Giving the restaurant 3.5 stars in 2016, Providence Cicero of The Seattle Times called "Scout attractive to the haves, but still accessible to the have-less. You’ll eat extremely well no matter which way you go."{{cite news |last=Vinh |first=Tan |date=June 7, 2017 |title=5 new Seattle happy hours: seafood platters, steak frites, $2 beers |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/5-new-seattle-happy-hours-seafood-platters-steak-frites-2-beers/ |newspaper=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091928/https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/5-new-seattle-happy-hours-seafood-platters-steak-frites-2-beers/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}
Around mid-2018, Thompson Seattle took over Scout's management from the Huxley Wallace Collective after the Collective fragmented.{{cite magazine |last=Milne |first=Stefan |date=March 19, 2019 |title=Thompson Seattle Announces the Replacement for Scout |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2019/03/thompson-seattle-announces-the-replacement-for-scout |magazine=Seattle Metropolitan |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092056/https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2019/03/thompson-seattle-announces-the-replacement-for-scout |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}{{cite magazine |last=Vermillion |first=Allecia |date=July 12, 2018 |title=Three of Josh Henderson's Restaurants Will Migrate to Renee Erickson's Group |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2018/07/josh-hendersons-restaurants-join-renee-ericksons-sea-creatures-group |magazine=Seattle Metropolitan |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092057/https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2018/07/josh-hendersons-restaurants-join-renee-ericksons-sea-creatures-group |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Scout ceased operations on January 14, 2019, to allow for a full overhaul and rename.
==Conversation==
File:Thompson Seattle restaurant Conversation logo.png
Conversation is a restaurant connected to the hotel's lobby. Opened on May 8, 2019, it replaced Scout, which had shut down in January.{{cite news |last=Hill |first=Megan |date=May 8, 2019 |title=Downtown's Thompson Hotel Unveils Its Restaurant Do-Over |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2019/5/8/18537006/downtown-thompson-hotel-conversation-scout-open-redesign-photos |website=Eater |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092110/https://seattle.eater.com/2019/5/8/18537006/downtown-thompson-hotel-conversation-scout-open-redesign-photos |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} People who live in the area frequent the restaurant more than tourists.{{cite news |last=Cicero |first=Providence |date=November 17, 2016 |title=Seattle's 10 best new restaurants of 2016 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/seattles-10-best-new-restaurants-of-2016/ |newspaper=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092106/https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/seattles-10-best-new-restaurants-of-2016/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Conversation was designed by Rebel House Design, which is based in Chicago.{{cite news |last=Speros |first=Will |date=July 29, 2019 |title=Conversation Restaurant Opens at the Thompson Seattle: Midcentury style meets contemporary minimalism at the hotel's sleek new eatery. |url=https://hospitalitydesign.com/news/f-b/conversation-restaurant-thompson-seattle/ |magazine=Hospitality Design |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092125/https://hospitalitydesign.com/news/f-b/conversation-restaurant-thompson-seattle/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The restaurant overlooks the sea with an unobstructed view of the Olympic Mountains that cast a purple silhouette against the western skyline. Occupying {{convert|4200|sqft|sqm|abbr=on}}, Conversation has seating for 110 people. It provides seating for 44 people in the room, 30 people at the lounge, 24 people at a private space, and 12 people at the bar.{{cite news |last=Garnick |first=Coral |date=May 9, 2019 |title=New Thompson Hotel restaurant revealed (Photos) |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/05/09/new-thompson-hotel-restaurant-revealed-photos.html |newspaper=Puget Sound Business Journal |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250623060943/https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/05/09/new-thompson-hotel-restaurant-revealed-photos.html |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} The restaurant has an open kitchen and is furnished with Douglas fir tables showing signs of heavy use. Men's Journal reviewer Kitt Doucette described the restaurant as a refined fusion of a traditional diner and a homelike dining atmosphere. Hospitality Design{{'}}s Will Speros thought the restaurant fuses midcentury design with modern minimalism. The Seattle Times restaurant critic Providence Cicero found that Scout's "luxuriously arch décor pokes fun at the city's sartorial clichés".{{cite news |last=Cicero |first=Providence |date=August 18, 2016 |title=Scout leaves hotel fare behind, shines with Chef's Counter experience |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/scout-leaves-hotel-fare-behind-shines-with-chefs-counter-experience/ |newspaper=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623091831/https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/scout-leaves-hotel-fare-behind-shines-with-chefs-counter-experience/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} There is an open kitchen. The space is filled with native greenery, grounding the palette of steel, concrete, and black walnut. Seating areas feature mohair banquettes, leather furniture, and George Nakashima-architected chairs. Chandeliers provide lighting to the diners. A fireplace has tailor-made panels made from fluted walnut, and the bar space is decorated with glazed zellige tiles.
Michelin Guide called it a "sharing-focused" restaurant that emphasizes in-person interaction. The restaurant's aim is to serve as a getaway from the online world of Internet browsing and text messaging that jeopardize in-person socializing. The founding executive chef was Derek Simcik, who considered having "a tableside phone valet" who collected diners' phones and stowed them until the meal was over. To encourage conversation, Conversation placed 12 tiny cards in the menu containing questions diners could ask each other.{{cite magazine |last=Voelker |first=Jessica |date=October 22, 2019 |title=In the Era of Instagram, a Seattle Restaurant Bets on Conversation |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2019/10/in-the-era-of-instagram-a-seattle-restaurant-bets-on-conversation |magazine=Seattle Metropolitan |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092138/https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2019/10/in-the-era-of-instagram-a-seattle-restaurant-bets-on-conversation |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} A sample question is "If you could only eat one kind of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?"
Conversation's founding executive chef was Derek Simcik, who had managed Scout, its predecessor. Simcik was educated in French cooking techniques and has family in the Southern United States, which heavily influenced the redesigned menu. Conversation serves international cuisine including French and Japanese such as the dish lamb en croute in 2022. The restaurant serves dishes inspired by Seattle's food culture with ingredients sourced from the area's fauna and flora. Examples in 2021 and 2022 included kabocha soup, mushroom toast, manila clams paired with sourdough, halibut served alongside a fava bean stew, a chinook salmon yakisoba dish, and Kurobuta pork collar.{{cite news |date=October 14, 2021 |title=Seattle's Elysian Brewing and Georgetown Morgue Team Up for a Frightful Beer Delivery Service |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2021/10/14/22726744/seattle-elysian-brewing-and-georgetown-morgue-team-up-for-a-frightful-beer-delivery-service |website=Eater |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092220/https://seattle.eater.com/2021/10/14/22726744/seattle-elysian-brewing-and-georgetown-morgue-team-up-for-a-frightful-beer-delivery-service |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Eater{{'}}s Megan Hill said in 2019 that that a creative plating of a dish was a pig's head cut into two and delivered with its teeth still in place. It served on a huge platter containing kimchi apples, garlic, and ketchup made with cherries as the base.
A dessert served in 2019 was called "London Fog" and contained cotton candy, oat streusel, Earl Grey mousse, vanilla soy milk, and lemon-flavored ice cream shaped in a quenelle. Other desserts served that year included an ice cream sandwich containing corn ice cream and a fudge popsicle containing black truffle, honey, and chocolate. Andrew Meade of KOMO-TV visited the restaurant in 2024 and praised the crème brûlée for being "the epitome of sweetness and texture".{{cite news |last=Meade |first=Andrew |date=April 1, 2024 |title=A night of delightful discoveries at Conversation Kitchen & Bar |url=https://komonews.com/seattle-refined/a-night-of-delightful-discoveries-at-conversation-kitchen-bar-thompson-hotel-downtown-seattle-eat-drink-pnw |publisher=KOMO-TV |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092204/https://komonews.com/seattle-refined/a-night-of-delightful-discoveries-at-conversation-kitchen-bar-thompson-hotel-downtown-seattle-eat-drink-pnw |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Voelker, the Condé Nast Traveler reviewer, praised Conversation for its "excellent cocktails". The restaurant served the pearl mule cocktail in 2022 which Uproxx{{'}}s Steve Bramucci found to be "light and crisp". Conversation served Mia's Joke, a cocktail whose name is inspired by Pulp Fiction.
Kaleena Bliss became the executive chef and departed in the middle of 2022 to join the Chicago Athletic Association, a Hyatt hotel.{{cite news |last=Owen |first=Rob |date=March 15, 2024 |title=WA-raised chef Kaleena Bliss to compete on Season 21 of 'Top Chef' |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/tv/wa-raised-chef-kaleena-bliss-to-compete-on-season-21-of-top-chef/ |newspaper=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092247/https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/tv/wa-raised-chef-kaleena-bliss-to-compete-on-season-21-of-top-chef/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} Thompson Seattle had a "Tattoo Artist in Residency" initiative that year that allowed customers to book sessions with visiting tattoo artists. Conversation designed custom cocktails paying homage to the artists. In celebration of the cannabis celebration on 4/20, the bar hosted the event High at the Nest in 2025. It served themed light bites such as Chicken McNuggets, pizza rolls, and small tacos and played the stoner films Dude, Where's My Car? and Pineapple Express.{{cite news |last=Cheadle |first=Henry |date=April 10, 2025 |title=Seattle's Sushi By Scratch Is Back Open After Bizarre Permitting Snafu |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2025/4/10/24405137/seattles-sushi-by-scratch-reopens-after-being-closed-by-health-department |website=Eater |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092242/https://seattle.eater.com/2025/4/10/24405137/seattles-sushi-by-scratch-reopens-after-being-closed-by-health-department |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }}
=Facilities and services=
Thompson Seattle has a tiny, no-frills gym that is open to both hotel guests and residents of the neighboring apartment complex. Open 24 hours, it is on the third floor and offers a view of 1st Avenue.{{cite magazine |last1=Flatt |first1=Marika |last2=Flatt |first2=Analise |date=July 1, 2023 |title=Not So Sleepless in Seattle: 24 Hours in Seattle |url=https://texaslifestylemag.com/travels/not-so-sleepless-in-seattle-24-hours-in-seattle/ |magazine=Texas Lifestyle Magazine |accessdate=June 23, 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623092306/https://texaslifestylemag.com/travels/not-so-sleepless-in-seattle-24-hours-in-seattle/ |archivedate=June 23, 2025 }} It does not have a swimming pool. When the hotel had opened, its general manager led the Thompson Running Club on runs two mornings each week. In 2017, the hotel served Caffe Ladro coffee for two hours each morning. The hotel has three floors of underground parking and meeting rooms. Encompassing both interior and exterior areas, over {{convert|5000|sqft|sqm|abbr=on}} is allocated for meeting spaces.
The hotel provides a concierge service. Staff members give restaurant suggestions and arrange table reservations. For a fee, concierges in 2018 offered personalized tours around Belltown and Pike Place Market. Guests in 2024 could join a dog-guided truffle foraging experience that ran for two hours followed by a truffle-themed dinner featuring four courses. Men's Journal reviewer Kitt Doucette wrote in 2022 that the hotel's patrons were given discounts to local businesses and had "friendly and accommodating" employees. He said this gives the hotel a "homey and comfortable" vibe avoiding the "transactional, cookie cutter experience" projected by certain hotels. The Daily Telegraph{{'}}s Haley Shapley stayed at the hotel in 2017 and criticized how certain marketed amenities—including turndown service and sparkling wine at check-in—failed to be provided.
References
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External links
- [https://www.hyatt.com/thompson-hotels/seath-thompson-seattle Official website]
Category:2016 establishments in Washington (state)
Category:Buildings and structures in Downtown Seattle
Category:Hotels established in 2016