If you’re planning a city break in Seattle, my advice is simple: stay within walking distance of Pike Place Market. It’s my favourite place in the city, and a base nearby means you can drop in for breakfast and wander down to the water at sunset without thinking about transport. That’s why Hotel 1000, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, caught my eye: it sits at 1000 First Avenue in downtown Seattle, about an eight-minute walk from Pike Place Market and a few minutes from the Puget Sound waterfront.
I lived on Mercer Island for three years as a teenager, and when I went back in October a few years ago, what struck me most was how green Seattle is. (If you’re new to the region, my interesting facts about Washington State are a good primer.) Here’s why Hotel 1000 appeals to me, and how I’d spend a food and wine weekend from there.
Hotel 1000 at a glance
- Address: 1000 First Avenue, downtown Seattle, WA 98104
- Pike Place Market: about an eight-minute walk
- Airport: about 13 miles from Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA)
- Cruise terminals: Pier 66 about a mile; Pier 91 a 10 to 20 minute taxi ride
- Rooms: 120 rooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, renovated 2023
- Food and drink: All Water Seafood & Oyster Bar; Rosebay cocktail bar
- Wellness: spa, sauna, 24-hour gym, no pool
- Recognition: MICHELIN Key, 2024 and 2025
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Why stay near Pike Place Market?
Pike Place Market opened in 1907 and has been a Seattle icon for well over a century. The classics I remember are still there, but the Market is now far more diverse. There is so much packed in that I’d recommend a food tour so you don’t miss the icons: the Gum Wall in Post Alley, the fishmongers at Pike Place Fish Market throwing salmon over customers’ heads, and the original Starbucks store.
The Market is also now properly connected to the water. Overlook Walk, an elevated park that opened in October 2024, takes you down from the Market to the new waterfront promenade, which was still being built on my last visit. From Hotel 1000 you can make an easy loop: up First Avenue to the Market, down Overlook Walk, and back along Puget Sound.
What makes Hotel 1000 a good base for Pike Place Market?
Location matters more to me than almost anything in a city hotel. Hotel 1000 was renovated in 2023 and has 120 rooms and suites. What caught my eye first were the floor-to-ceiling windows, which frame either the city or Elliott Bay. That has personal resonance: our Mercer Island home had floor-to-ceiling windows looking out at Mount Rainier, and it’s still my strongest memory of living there. I also always look for a good shower, and many rooms have a glass-surround shower alongside the hotel’s signature pedestal tub that fills from the ceiling.
As a seafood lover, I like the sound of All Water Seafood & Oyster Bar, which focuses on fresh Pacific Northwest catch. Rosebay, the cocktail bar that opened in 2023, builds its menu around local and sustainable ingredients, and Jetsetter Magazine has listed it among the world’s best hotel bars. A bar I’d feel comfortable sitting in alone after a day of tasting is a big plus for me.
There’s a spa offering massages and facials, and booking sites list a sauna, which is the part I’d make a beeline for after a day on my feet. There’s also a 24-hour gym and room service for nights when I’m too tired to go out. The hotel holds a MICHELIN Key, first awarded in 2024 and again in 2025.
One practical note, because I dislike hidden fees: there’s a nightly destination fee on top of the room rate, and breakfast isn’t included, so check both when you book. I’d also ask the concierge for their local tips; a good concierge is one of the things I value most in a city hotel.
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Where can you taste Washington wine in Seattle?
I’m a huge fan of Washington State wine. Most of the state’s vineyards are east of the Cascades, in areas such as Walla Walla, but many wineries have tasting rooms in Seattle. SoDo Urbanworks, on First Avenue South near the Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park stadiums, is home to around ten wineries and tasting rooms.
Rotie Cellars makes Rhône-style blends from Washington fruit, so it’s the place to go if you love Côtes du Rhône. A couple of doors away, Sleight of Hand, another Walla Walla winery, is known for The Archimage, a Bordeaux-style blend led by Cabernet Franc. Both wineries were founded in 2007, and their tasting rooms are a good introduction to what Walla Walla does well.
Further south, Georgetown is a funkier, more industrial neighbourhood. House of Smith’s Jet City tasting room, from winemaker Charles Smith, one of the early champions of Washington wine, fills a former Dr Pepper bottling plant beside Boeing Field.
Round off the afternoon at Fran’s Chocolates, whose Georgetown headquarters is the home of its famous salted caramels. They were fairly amazing. Fran’s also has a shop at 1325 First Avenue, a few blocks from the hotel.
I’ve written more about where to taste in my guide to the best wineries in Washington State.
Is Woodinville worth a day trip from Seattle?
Woodinville, about 30 minutes north-east of downtown, has more than 100 tasting rooms. It’s the easiest way to taste widely if you can’t get out to Walla Walla. On my visit I tasted my way around a range of them:
- Chateau Ste. Michelle: Washington’s founding winery and the place that put Woodinville on the wine map when its chateau opened in 1976. I normally favour boutique producers, but I loved its wines and its grounds.
- EFESTĒ: a family-run winery whose wines, such as Big Papa Cabernet Sauvignon and Lola Chardonnay, are named after family members.
- Pondera: winemaker Shane Howard’s tasting room, best known for Cabernet-led blends.
- Rocky Pond: an estate winery where I had a terrific tasting platter. Its Woodinville tasting room keeps limited hours, so check before you go.
- DeLille Cellars: founded in 1992 and one of Woodinville’s oldest wineries, it was a pioneer of Washington’s Bordeaux-style blends. Its tasting room is in the former Redhook Brewery.
- Long Shadows: set up to invite renowned winemakers from around the world to each make a single wine from Washington fruit. Its Woodinville tasting room moved in 2024 to a new spot near DeLille.
I drove, but from downtown I’d book a tour. Several operators combine Woodinville with Snoqualmie Falls, a 268-foot waterfall that draws more than 1.5 million visitors a year.
Where to eat and what to see near Hotel 1000
Downtown, I ate at Purple Café and Wine Bar on Fourth Avenue, which was excellent. For breakfast, Tom Douglas’s Dahlia Bakery in Belltown is a great stop, though it’s most famous for its triple coconut cream pie. The Olympic Sculpture Park on the waterfront is free and well worth the walk, and the Space Needle is a classic you should do at least once.
For the best evening views, see my pick of places to watch the sunset in Seattle.
How to get to Hotel 1000 from Sea-Tac Airport
The hotel is about 13 miles from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The Link light rail runs from the airport to downtown in around 40 minutes, and Symphony is the closest station. If you land early or fly out late, ask about early check-in and luggage storage when you book.
October marks the start of Seattle’s wetter season, which is also part of why the city is so green. Pack a waterproof whatever the month.
Is Hotel 1000 a good hotel before an Alaska cruise?
Yes, if you’re sailing to Alaska, Hotel 1000 also works as a pre-cruise stay. The Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 is about a mile north along the waterfront, while Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91, used by most of the big Alaska lines, is a 10 to 20 minute taxi ride. The Alaska cruise season runs roughly from May to October.
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Frequently asked questions
How far is Hotel 1000 from Pike Place Market?
About an eight-minute walk north along First Avenue.
Is Hotel 1000 close to the Seattle cruise terminals?
Pier 66 (Bell Street) is about a mile away, a walk or a short taxi ride. Pier 91 (Smith Cove) is around 3 miles further and needs a taxi or rideshare. Check which terminal your cruise uses.
Does Hotel 1000 have a pool or sauna?
There’s no pool. The spa offers treatments, booking sites list a sauna, and there is a 24-hour fitness centre.
Does Hotel 1000 charge a resort or destination fee?
Yes, a nightly destination fee plus taxes is added to the room rate. Check the current amount and what it includes when you book.
Can you go wine tasting in Seattle without a car?
Yes. SoDo Urbanworks and Georgetown are a short taxi ride from downtown, and several operators run day tours to Woodinville.
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Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.