Restoration of Seattle's historic Fairmont Olympic Hotel uncovers a well-kept secret

Seattle’s Fairmont Olympic Hotel opened in the Roaring '20's and could be a fresh hotspot in the 2020's.

A $25 million restoration has transformed the Olympic Bar and lobby area – though, guests won’t feel like they’re walking into an entirely different hotel.

"We have so many memories for so many years and we didn't want to take away those memories from our guests and from our community,” said General Manager Sunny Joseph.

Careful attention was paid to updating the space without losing the historic appeal.

In one case, a large piece of the hotel’s grand history was re-discovered when workers pulled up the carpet on a staircase: Original terrazzo and marble flooring, hand-laid by Italian artisans in 1924.

"As we were bringing the old carpet down, we found this treasure!" Joseph said. "We said forget - yes, we ordered these carpets, put them on the side. We are going to restore it."

The original 300-pound chandeliers were also carefully dismantled, labeled, polished, restored and painstakingly relocated from the Georgian Restaurant to the Spanish Foyer and Ballroom.

Wrapping around the mezzanine level is a "history walk," where visitors can check out the original hotel registry and historic photos.

Even the restoration’s one new element is inspired by something old: a kinetic art installation, imported from Spain and positioned above the bar, has a nautical theme.

"The original logo of the hotel was a ship,” Joseph said. “So we wanted to tie us to the past."

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel is located at 411 University St. in downtown Seattle. The Olympic Bar is open daily for food and beverage service on a first come first served basis. Afternoon tea is also available on the weekends and requires reservations. Joseph said visitors are welcome to tour the mezzanine level, even if they’re not registered to stay the night.

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