The Sorrento Hotel

Built in 1909 and designed to reflect the mission-style architecture of the Italian city it is named for, the Sorrento Hotel was recently named one of  the Top 25 Hotels in the United States by Condé Nast Traveler. However, there have definitely been rough periods in its one-hundred year history. In the 1970s, while Seattle grew more prosperous, the Sorrento grew less prominent. Before it could fade into complete obscurity, however, Michael J. Malone, a successful entreprenuer, bought and refurbished the hotel, renewing it to its previous luster and reputation. Now, not only can you enjoy high quality hospitality and dining here, but also a wide variety of entertainers, intellectuals and world-changing activists. For example, City Arts partners with One Pot to present Chamber vs. Chamber, a lively discussion and performance series hosted in the cozy, wood-paneled Fireside Room. Poets, artists, writers and performers have also been known to gather in the gorgeous Penthouse to present and discuss their work as part of the Sorrento's stellar lineup of year-round creative programming.

Fun fact: During World War I, the Sorrento was where military officers stayed while in town; a room in the west wing was once made into a Red Cross headquarters.