Visit Seattle

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel and the Alexis Royal Sonesta Hotel are both centrally located, historic hotels that make for perfect starting points. In a city that has seen so much new development in recent years, it’s rare to stay at a luxury hotel built on the original site of the University of Washington (the Fairmont) or one that rose from the ashes of the Great Seattle Fire (the Alexis). For more hotels like The Fairmont Olympic, check out Hotel Theodore, Motif Seattle, or the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle for more great options in the same neighborhood to use as your basecamp. Currently, serving as chef and founder of Milkwood & Company, a restaurant group that includes her three Capitol Hill eateries, Monica combines her talent for brand building with business development, resulting in thriving, inclusive spaces that reimagine the roles that restaurants play as tools for transformative change.

Here is an InTENtional List of small businesses whose contributions to the community are so much more than the delicious food, products, or services for sale. Seattle’s Chinatown-International District has a deep sense of cultural legacy and history, with a mix of businesses that have been around for a hundred years and those that started last year. With a number of items preserved from the original Higo store, there’s a delicious taste of time travel along with the thoughtfully curated design aesthetic and celebration of local makers and artists. Plus, at the beginning of the pandemic, owners Tamara and Linda Di Lello Morton immediately reached out to their community with the Food is Love project, providing thousands and thousands of meals to families and kids in need.

The founder of Savor Seattle, Angela guides us through two days of exploring the hidden gems of Pike Place Market and the Central District. A typical morning for me is almost like a mini food tour: a cup of coffee from Storyville Coffee and a dozen warm, cinnamon sugar donuts from Daily Dozen. After a day of walking the family through the market, pick up a warm beef and cheese or smoked salmon piroshky from Piroshky Piroshky, and head down to the new part of the Seattle Market waterfront. For more hotels like the Inn at the Market, check out The State Hotel, The Charter Hotel Seattle, Curio Collection by Hilton, and the Mayflower Park Hotel for a similarly great experience.

If you are searching for thoughtful gifts that will not only delight the recipient but also do a good turn for a worthy organization, consider supporting our region’s one-of-a-kind museums by shopping at their online museum stores. Not only are they stocked with unique, creative gifts for all ages, but your purchase helps these nonprofit museums at a critical time. Of course, another great option is to buy a gift membership if your intended recipient lives locally, and that gift will be sure to be appreciated all year. Here’s a list of some of my favorites, featuring art, jewelry, apparel, toys, Seattle memorabilia and more, including lots of options by local makers.