We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly.
We support the following browsers: Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox. Mac: Safari.
Free Newsletter

Interested in The Fairmont Olympic Seattle and Seattle?

We'll send you updates with the latest deals, reviews and articles for The Fairmont Olympic Seattle and Seattle each week.

The Fairmont Olympic Seattle: Traveler Reviews

Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating:
  • A summary score based on quality, quantity and age of traveler ratings.
4 of 5 stars 98 reviews
98 Reviews
5.0 of 5 stars
65
4.0 of 5 stars
16
3.0 of 5 stars
7
2.0 of 5 stars
6
1.0 of 5 stars
4
TripAdvisor Popularity Index:
  • Measures overall traveler satisfaction based on ratings, reviews and other sources.
#14 of 117 hotels in Seattle
Show Hotel DetailsHide Hotel Details
  • Hotel class: 5 of 5
  • Rooms: 450
Description: Italian Renaissance-style Hotel located in heart of the business district, 1 block from Fifth Avenue Theatre. This description is based on information provided by the hotel.
Address:
411 University St.
Seattle, WA 98101
Check Rates: $406 Avg. Price
mm/dd/yyyy mm/dd/yyyy
Check Rates
Opens one window for each offer. Please disable pop-up blockers.

TripAdvisor Traveler Reviews

Reviews of The Fairmont Olympic Seattle

( 17-21 of 98 )
“Dissapointed at the Olympic”

The Fairmont Olympic Seattle

3 of 5 stars
Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)
Mar 16, 2008
0/1 found this review helpful

I will have to admit, this hotel is well over rated, especially for the price. I am quite surprised every one reviews it as if its as fancy as staying in one of the Las Vegas 4 or 5 star hotels or better.
In Las Vegas, this hotel would be considered a 3 star.

The lobby is one of the least fancy i have ever seen in any fairmont property, (and i have stayed at at least a dozen of them.)

I will give credit to the fact there was one lady at the concierge was very very kind, it was surreal.
There on the other hand, was a male concierge , who ignored me as he flirted with a woman who was in town asking where the hip clubs would be, he must have stood there talking to her for 15 minutes , not even looking at me, or telling me he would be right with me in a moment,, nothing.
I never did get the help that i needed.

Next off, there is no place to buy any snacks, well there is a gift shop in the lower level which has about 2 flavors of potato chips to choose from, 1 cooler of beverages, maybe 4 types of chocolate bars, etc,etc, and it closes quite early.

My main beef with the Olympic is that the rooms are small, and we received two single beds in our room, (that was just great for a romantic getaway for me and my wife, we got to sleep in two seperate beds). I went down to the front desk and there was no option to upgrade to 1 king bed without paying extra fees.For that kind of money , this is very surprising to me
I have heard of two queen beds, but 2 single beds?I worried I would fall off the edge in the middle of the night.
Who out there enjoys sleeping in a single bed?I did not know they even make those anymore do-they?

The rooms also could use some renovating, including a flat screen tv for starters, its not common to get the old sears TV in the year 2008 in your room if you are in a upper class hotel.

The location was great on the other hand, right across from the Purple restaurant, which has an unbelievable wine wall that is so high , it has a spiral staircase built around it to go up to get the bottle they need.

Also nearby there is a great restaurant named the Brooklyn, 5 star dining for sure, great atmosphere, no candle light dinners or anything but very hip. Walking distance to almost anything you would need, such as the famous Pike Place Market, or the downtown shopping center and shops.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Location
    • Disliked — Small beds
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
jbold's Summary
Date of Stay: January 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Romantic getaway
Age group: 25-34
Member since: March 06, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
    • 2 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
probably not
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, Pet owners
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Great food / Wine, Shopping
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $406 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“True Excellence”

The Fairmont Olympic Seattle

5 of 5 stars
Atlanta, Georgia
Feb 11, 2008
1/2 found this review helpful

If I had to rate this hotel and staff on a scale of 1 to 10, I'm giving it a 20. Excellence in EVERYTHING. Hoorah. It's worth every penny spent. I'll certainly be back.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Location & Staff
    • Disliked — There wasn't anything I disliked about the Fairmont.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
PaintTheCity's Summary
Date of Stay: February 2008
Traveled with: Solo traveler
Visit was for: Business
Age group: 35-49
Member since: October 20, 2005
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, Pet owners
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $406 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Classic charm”

The Fairmont Olympic Seattle

Nov 14, 2007
3/4 found this review helpful

Having spent the previous night in the W across the street, this hotel was a complete opposite in terms of it's furnishings.

The candid photos (by others) do a great job in displaying the traditional classic floral decoration of the rooms, with comfy sofas in lieu of trendy cushion seats.

All the usual amenities that you would expect from this class of hotel, but in a more sumptous format: high count cotton bed sheets, robes and slippers in the bathroom, quality toiletries, expensive mini-bar, safe, non-plasma TV, CD player etc.

The shower was over the bath (prefer a separate unit) and the bathroom itself a little small, but the large bedroom (had upgraded to an executive room) made up for this.

Nice touches like an umbrella in the wardrobe and friendly staff, made the place feel homely. The hotel is looking very slightly tired in some areas, but these large vast traditional places must take some upkeep.

Views from the rooms are poor, as the hotel is surrounded by other large buildings on all sides.

In summary, if you want trendy and modern go to the W, but if its classic sumptous comfort you desire, this is the place. Oh and try to get a high floor, away from the city noise below.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Classic floral and sumptous
    • Disliked — Price
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nick_From_Manchester's Summary
Date of Stay: November 2007
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Business
Age group: 35-49
Member since: December 24, 2005
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
most likely
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway, Older travelers, Families with young children
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $406 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Classic but not perfect”

The Fairmont Olympic Seattle

4 of 5 stars
New York
Oct 3, 2007
2/3 found this review helpful

Stayed here for a medical meeting. Did not start out well, as, though I had a reserved an Executive King Suite, they warned me that "the only one they had left was on the 2nd floor" (near health club and street noise), despite the fact that I heard them giving the traveler next to me at check-in an upgrade to a suite on the tenth floor. I opted for a deluxe room on the 6th floor. The room was well appointed, medium sized and generally comfortable, if a notch below Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton levels in finishes and level of upkeep. The other major problem I had was that my key card kept deactivating - I literally ended up at reception at least once a day during my 5 days there to have it re-keyed. They suggested that it might have something to do with my cellphone, but I kept it in different places and it was clear to me that it was being deactivated by the hotel.

Otherwise, the service was good, health club was attractive, food was so-so, though there are lots of great food options nearby (Purple and Wild Ginger stood out).

One other minor complaint - coffeemaker (they have those nice single cup pod ones these days) in room would have been really nice, though they have complimentary coffee in health club and lobby.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Location, classic older hotel with good service
    • Disliked — Some service lapses
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
entrad's Summary
Date of Stay: September 2007
Traveled with: Solo traveler
Visit was for: Business
Age group: 35-49
Member since: October 17, 2005
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
most likely
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Business meeting / Event
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $406 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Fairmont Seattle”

The Fairmont Olympic Seattle

4 of 5 stars
Riverside, California
Sep 19, 2007
4/7 found this review helpful

We are in seattle for 3 weeks due to my husband's work. So the Fairmont is the first of 3 reviews that will appear.
The Fairmont certainly lives up to it's 5 star rating everythin from the lobby to the rooms is immaculate and beautifully furnished.
I do have a few complaints or comments
1) Food is outrageously expensive! I don't mind paying top price for a good meal but it better be GOOD!
for example breakfast why should eggs, toast and potatoes cost $22 dollars I mean that's just too much.
2) On one afternoon our room was not made up. I called and asked why and they said they had until 4:30 to make up rooms. I had been out of mny room the entire day from 8:30 am until 3 pm. THey didn't seem in any big hurry to get to my room so I just had then bring towels and tolitries.
I enjoyed the fitness center the most they have a wonderfully warm pool and spa as well as a variety of fitness equipment and a lovely ladies locker room furnished with most things a woman could need. The staff there was helpful and cheerful assisting with guests needs.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
redheadedangel41's Summary
Date of Stay: September 2007
Member since: April 27, 2005
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $406 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com

Reviews of The Fairmont Olympic Seattle

( 17-21 of 98 )
Travelers Who Viewed This Property Also Viewed
*Average price
Write Your Own Hotel Review
Been to The Fairmont Olympic Seattle? Share your experiences!

Do You Own The Fairmont Olympic Seattle?

The Fairmont Olympic Seattle Address

411 University St., Seattle, WA 98101