This New Design-Led Hotel Brings Calm to Seattle’s Tech Core

The Afar take

It’s been an important year for hotels in Seattle—a scene that’s needed a jolt of truly distinctive places to stay. In many ways, the Seattle debut of the 1 Hotels brand—whose formula is design-forward sustainability—feels like a homecoming. Opened in April 2025 in the former Pan Pacific building in South Lake Union, the 1 Hotel Seattle offers a calm counterpoint to the urban rush, with an aesthetic defined by reclaimed wood and live plantings, and measurement-backed environmental practices to a city that values both nature and innovation.

Since the 1 Hotel brand’s 2015 launch, I’ve stayed in the Brooklyn and Miami outposts—both standout options in their respective cities. The fit in Seattle feels even more aligned: The biophilic design reminiscent of the region’s evergreen forests and winding waterways takes center stage, with such features as live-edge tables, undyed fabric wall hangings, and clusters of greenery everywhere. As a Pacific Northwest resident, I’m struck by how overdue this opening feels.

In a neighborhood whose hotels skew corporate and convention oriented, the 1 Hotel Seattle stands out as a refreshing design-led alternative. It has quickly become one of my go-to recommendations for visitors to the city, and it will be especially convenient for those looking to stay in tech-centric South Lake Union, which is anchored by Amazon’s campus and Google’s offices.

Photo by Mikkel Vang

Who’s the 1 Hotel Seattle for?

Business travelers with meetings in South Lake Union; guests who appreciate well-executed design centered on sustainability; light sleepers who prefer quiet evenings. The 1 Hotel Seattle is good for daytime explorers who want easy access on foot to Lake Union Park, the Amazon Spheres, and Seattle Center/Space Needle. The hotel is less ideal for nightlife lovers, as bars and late-night venues are limited nearby after office hours.

The location: South Lake Union

The South Lake Union neighborhood is about a 20-minute walk to Pike Place Market and 15 minutes on foot to the Space Needle and Seattle Center. The hotel is a short walk from Lake Union Park and Amazon’s campus, with quick access to I-5 via Mercer Street and the SLU streetcar along Westlake. My partner and I drove to the hotel, and found the valet service to be fast, efficient, and friendly. We were never waiting for our car longer than a handful of minutes.

Courtesy of the 1 Hotel Seattle

The rooms at the 1 Hotel Seattle

All 1 Hotels have a similar nature-first aesthetic centered on natural materials that’s on full display in the guest rooms here. Wood floors and live-edge surfaces are paired with side tables cut from reclaimed tree trunks, while textured, undyed fabrics keep the palette muted and timeless. A firm, nubby white sofa sits against broad windows that flood the room with daylight, and I found myself spending lots of time there working and writing.

In the bathroom, a stone-tiled shower floor felt soothing and gentle underfoot. My partner and I liked the refillable peppermint-inflected Bamford amenities, which came in large refillable dispensers with refreshing herbal notes. A filtered water tap next to the sink allowed me to hydrate to my heart’s content using the room’s dark green carafes made from reused wine bottles.

If views matter, ask for a higher floor with skyline or Space Needle views, and those who like to step outside for air should request one of the suites with private terraces.

The food and drink at La Loba

Photo by Miles Fortune

The hotel’s plant-filled, timber-accented La Loba restaurant was lively on our midweek visit. The chef is Barcelona-born, James Beard–nominated Oscar Amador Edo, who spent time at El Bulli and offers a rare opportunity to feast on Spanish flavors in Seattle. The bar turns out balanced cocktails and mocktails, and for dinner, there’s a seasonal tasting menu, but we liked the flexibility of the à la carte menu. The smoked candied salmon montadito is topped with Tillamook truffle cream cheese and local honey and it’s already a crowd-pleaser; while we enjoyed it, I prefer a more savory version of the region’s signature fish.

The tableside butcher’s beef tartare, served by the staff, feels like a bit of theater for a special night, and it’s worth the effort: The server folds in bone marrow, which adds a richer flavor, and offers a flight of sauces. We could have ordered seconds of the tarte flambée, a crisp flatbread layered with pastrami, crème fraîche, caramelized onions, and manchego.

Staff and service

The staff at the 1 Hotel Seattle delivered an easy, “Seattle casual” hospitality that felt friendly and unforced. Valets recognized us when we returned from dinner with friends. At La Loba, our bartender from earlier stopped by midmeal to ask how dinner was going as she passed our table. And on a neighborly note: My mother’s hairstylist, whose salon is next door, said the hotel invited her team in for dinner one night—a good-neighbor gesture that matched the tone of our stay.

Accessibility

The hotel offers step-free routes and elevators serve all floors. Entrances to the lobby and restaurants are large enough to accommodate wheelchairs. The eight ADA guest rooms have roll-in showers or accessible tubs (with seats and grab bars), lowered sinks, and communication features, including doorbells designed for the hearing impaired.

Sustainability efforts

The 1 Hotel Seattle is pursuing its LEED Silver certification with its efficiency and waste-reduction measures, which include high-efficiency systems, UV-filtered water, strategies that target a 37 percent cut in water use, diversion of 70 percent of construction waste, and an operating goal of 90 percent waste diversion via a True Zero Waste program with Foodprint Group.

Afar was a guest of the 1 Hotel Seattle. Our coverage is independent; the hotel did not review or approve this story.