Seattle's Historic Mayflower Park Hotel

Ah Seattle. Good times. We'll definitely be back. And most likely, we'll again stay at The Mayflower Park Hotel, a 75 year-old gem in uptown Seattle.

The hotel began as the Bergonian Hotel on July 16th, 1927 and has been in constant operation ever since. It was designed by B. Dudley Stuart and cost $750,000 to build. The name "Bergonian" came from the hotel's then proprietor, Stephen Berg, who was a prominent builder at the time. 

Opening prices for rooms at the hotel ranged from $2.00 to $3.50 for one person and $3.00 to $4.50 for 2 persons. Rooms with twin beds were $4.00 to $5.50 and suites were $5.00 to $10.00 per night.

Here's a picture of the lobby and reception desk inside the hotel, which has been restored with crystal chandeliers, brass and period antiques.

In 1974, Birney Dempcy formed a limited partnership to purchase the hotel. At the time, it had been foreclosed upon and was very run down. Birney renamed the hotel The Mayflower Park awaiting the development of the city's Westlake Park.

Following major renovations in 1976 and 1988, the Mayflower Park is always being upgraded and refurbished to keep it as beautiful as it was when it opened in 1927. Recently, the hotel was recognized as one of the Historic Hotels of America because of it's history and architecture. The Mayflower Park prides itself on being "quite simply, one of a kind" which has become their marketing slogan.

Their logo and marketing pieces are quite beautiful, and here is the

little welcome present that was waiting for me in the room.

Tea, fruit and nut mix, and chocolate truffles were in the bag.

Our room was so comfortable, had 2 televisions, and had the option of converting into two rooms by a sliding door. The couch in our suite's main room could be pulled out for extra guests.

We stayed on the ninth floor, and it provided a fantastic

view of holiday lights and activities going on below us.

 

One amenity I always look for in a hotel is the fitness room. And Mayflower Park's is located on the third floor. It is equipped with 2 treadmills, a stairclimber, and 2 stationary bikes, as well as a set of free weights I found very useful. The BF would run outside and I would retreat to the workout room so that later in the day we were free to enjoy our meals at Andaluca, Place Pigalle, and Fall Line Winery.

Here's another shot of the lobby. There was a Christmas party
in the room upstairs on one of the evenings of our stay.

This is inside Oliver's, the bar in The Mayflower Park. The spot used to be one of the first Bartell Drug Stores, since the hotel was built during Prohibition and no areas were designated to serve alcohol. The dining area of the hotel was a coffee shop located where Andaluca is now, and in part of that area, Andaluca once lived as a barber shop. Prices in the 54-seat coffee shop ranged from 10 cents for coffee, to 20 cents for chicken broth, and $2.00 for a sirloin steak. Oliver's (shown below), opened in 1976 and became Washington's first "daylight" bar. Prior to that, Washington had "blue laws" that prohibited anyone from looking into a lounge where hard liquor was sold.

The huge windows and lights outside made it such a romantic place to be.
Here's another shot from where I was sitting.

Oliver's features a special cocktail called The Golden 27, honoring the year the hotel originally opened as the Bergonian. Here's the recipe:

Golden 27

Half fill a mixing glass with ice, then add 1/4 oz. Lemoncello Lemon Liqueur, 1 1/4 oz. Ketel One Vodka, 1 oz. Bombay Sapphire Gin, and a pinch of Gold Luster Dust. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Following dinner on one of the nights of our stay, we had dessert in our room. I found just what I needed on the room service menu... my favorite: fruit and cheese!!

So many happy memories and so much fun in Seattle. Thank you to all my advertising partners!

If you are planning a visit to Seattle, please consider the Mayflower Park hotel. They've got a few ongoing specials including one for New Years and in 2012, they are teaming up with the Seattle Art Museum during their showcase of Paul Gauguin.

You can find The Mayflower Park Hotel on twitter here and their Facebook page is here.

Napa Trip Day Two: Napa Valley Marriott: Wowed by the Transformation!

After wine tasting in the Silverado area at Duckhorn and Frank Family, my BF and I headed back towards true Napa Valley to check into the Napa Valley Marriott.

It had been a few years since my last stay there. Since then, the hotel has undergone a $7 million facelift that was completed in April of this year. I was completely happy with my stay last time, so when I walked into the hotel, I was shocked at the transformation from quaint and comfortable to modern and fabulous!

The remodel project was completed in two phases over 15 months. At the end of it all, 275 rooms, the spa, meeting space, fitness center and the hotel lobby were redone.

Here's a little rundown of the many new and updated features of the Napa Valley Marriott:

• The Spa at the Napa Valley Marriott

• a heated outdoor pool and whirlpool
• a fitness center
• 275 guest rooms, featuring Marriott’s Revive bedding
• VINeleven Restaurant and Bar
• 20,000 square feet of event space
• a complimentary daily wine and cheese tasting

What I can't get over is that it was such a nice place to stay before the remodel (not to mention now), and so what I can honestly say is this: For the ambiance of the hotel and the quality of the room versus the price (rates begin at about $159 per night), it's the best hotel deal Napa Valley has to offer. Also, here's a list of their current package deals, combining a stay at the Napa Valley Marriott with such activities as the Napa Valley Wine Train, a golf outing, or a hot air balloon adventure.

For more photos of the property please check out their photo gallery here.

Here's a picture of the new dining area (VINeleven Restaurant and Bar). We were on our way to dinner at Hurley's (post to come) when I took this shot of one of the handsome bar tables (there are three or four large ones in the room.)

I was not aware the Napa Valley Marriott had the updated restaurant with such a desirable menu (hello Artisanal Cheese Plate!!), or I would have considered eating dinner right in the hotel that night! Extra tip: My buddy Rick Bakas recommends the chickpea fries. I guess they really are "Crazy Good" as the menu states.

In the morning if you wish, you can enjoy breakfast (served buffet style) on the patio. The set up is completely gorgeous and the food looked fantastic. 

Who goes to Napa to workout? I DO, OK?! ;) Here's a photo of the gym (located right next door to the hotel), equipped with treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and free weights. There's also a little towel refrigerator which was a nice added touch.

Below is a picture of the room we stayed in. The patio door opens up to a little seating area outside. We had coffee outside the next day and listened to all the activity on the patio during breakfast. :)

In front of the full length closet mirror (an amenity I appreciate),

before heading to dinner at Hurley's in Yountville.

There's a great laid back and positive vibe going on in the lobby both in the morning and at night. I witnessed the staff and how they are happy to be there in their behavior towards other guests (not just me). In turn, the guests all seemed to be enjoying themselves and their surroundings.

During the evening, there is a complimentary daily wine and cheese tasting, featuring various area wineries.

Here's a picture of their outdoor patio and firepit. It was a little chilly that evening, but I can only imagine the fun outside once things heat up!

Speaking of fun, what are you doing New Years Eve? I want to let you know about the party Napa Valley Marriott is throwing on December 31st:

Ring in the New Year in the Napa Valley! This year the Napa Valley Marriott is taking you back in time to an era of afros and bellbottoms.

Event includes: Live Disco Music from San Francisco Band Groovus 

Hosted Hors d'oeurves stations from Executive Chef Brian Whitmer: Action stations to include prepared-to-order VINeleven's specialties:

Chicken-Cashew Lettuce Cups, Porcini Ravioli, Crispy Fried Asparagus with Meyer Lemon Aioli and much more. Local oysters opened to order. 

Starbucks 'Viennese-style Coffee Bar with Biscotti and Freshly Baked Pastries
Balloon Drop at Midnight
Party favors
Midnight Toast sponsored by Domaine Chandon
Disco attire suggested and awards for Best Dressed Male and Female
Photo booth on-hand with free, unlimited photo prints of you and your friends
2012 Fortune Teller
Raffle and Silent Auction to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Napa Valley featuring hotel stays, spa treatments, trips, wine and more!

Tickets to the party are $75.00 per person + taxes/fees. You can click here to order!

Or if you are interested in staying overnight, the NVM has a package that includes all of the above plus:
Overnight accommodations for 2
2 tickets to the Napa Boogie Bash
A New Year's Day Recovery Breakfast for 2: featuring our "KC Barbecue Bloody Mary's", Breakfast Chorizo Burger "Sliders" and big screen football games
Late check out of 1pm on Sunday, January 1st

$299.00 + tax per couple. You can click here to purchase the package.

You can find the Napa Valley Marriott on Facebook here, and follow them on twitter here.

Morning view from our patio. Thank you, Napa Valley Marriott. :)