Seattle - Flipbook - Page 13
A STORIED URBAN LANDMARK
Since 1924, Seattle’s Grand Dame has been
a hallmark of luxury and elegance, welcoming
travelers to indulge in unparalleled service.
Much has changed through the decades, but
our dedication to the guest experience has
remained constant.
Fairmont Olympic Hotel is a storied landmark
and iconic 昀椀xture of Seattle society. A classic
gathering place in the heart of the city, it was
and still is a place to see and be seen,
offering visitors, dignitaries, and Seattle locals
an exquisitely designed stage from which to
stay, connect, and experience the emerald city.
AN EDUCATIONAL START
The land where The Fairmont Olympic Hotel
stands was initially deeded by Arthur Denny in
1861, back when it was the original site of the
University of Washington. later in 1911, a
theatre known as the Metropolitan Theatre
was built on the site after the university
outgrew its home and moved location.
A decade later, a proposal was made to build
a grand hotel that would wrap around the
theatre on three sides, taking up the entire
city block.
A PRESIDENTIAL FAVORITE
With the stock market crashing in late 1929,
The Olympic, like many hotels nationwide,
suffered for business. Still, people on the go
always needed places to stay, including
politicians hot on the campaign trail.
On September 20, 1932, a train pulled into
town bearing Governor Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, the Democratic nominee for
President. Roosevelt was driven to the Olympic
as thousands cheered in the streets and threw
confetti from the windows above. The crowd
outside the hotel’s main entrance was so large
that the Governor slipped in through the staff
entrance on 5th Avenue, where he surprised
soup cooks, busboys, and chambermaids
coming off the freight elevator before making
it to his suite. Meeting the next day with civil
leaders and delivering a speech to a packed
house at the Seattle civic center, he later
returned in September 1937 as President with
his wife eleanor, during which The Olympic
Hotel became command central for the
President’s staff and headquarters to the
number of press reporters that followed him
on his travels.
pRESTIGE | Fairmont Olympic Hotel
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