Fairmont Olympic Hotel
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA landmark luxury hotel in downtown Seattle, opened in 1924 and recognized for its Italian Renaissance architecture and long association with the city's civic and social life.
Last updated August 22, 2026
Overview
Fairmont Olympic Hotel is a historic luxury hotel in downtown Seattle, Washington. Originally named The Olympic Hotel, it opened in December 1924 on land known as the Metropolitan Tract, a four-block downtown property that had once formed part of the original site associated with the University of Washington. The hotel was created through a civic and commercial effort to give Seattle a major world-class lodging institution after World War I, when local business leaders believed the growing city needed a suitably prominent hotel for visitors, conventions, entertainment, and business events. The building was designed by New York architect George B. Post & Son, with Seattle architects Bebb and Gould serving as local supervising architects. Its Italian Renaissance-inspired design, grand public rooms, and prominent downtown location established the property as one of Seattle's leading hotels from the moment it opened. Construction began in 1923, and the completed building hosted a grand opening dinner and dance on December 6, 1924, attended by more than 2,000 people. The hotel was operated in its early years by Frank A. Dudley and United Hotels Company. The property has remained closely connected to the evolution of downtown Seattle. In the 1950s, the Metropolitan Theatre, which had stood within the surrounding development, was demolished and replaced by a motor entrance serving the hotel. Western Hotels assumed management in 1955 and later became Western International. In 1980, management transferred to Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Four Seasons then carried out a major modernization, converting more than 750 smaller guest rooms into approximately 450 updated rooms and suites. The hotel reopened in 1982 as the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel. Ownership and operating arrangements changed again in the 1990s and early 2000s. The University of Washington sold a majority interest to JMB Realty in the mid-1990s, and in 2003 the property was sold by the university and JMB to Legacy Hotels. Management was assigned to Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, and the hotel adopted the Fairmont Olympic name on July 31, 2003. The property subsequently became part of the Fairmont portfolio associated with Accor. It joined Historic Hotels of America in 2018, reflecting its architectural and historical significance. A further renovation carried out from 2020 through 2022 modernized the hotel while retaining its historic character. The work was reported as costing $25 million. In December 2024, the property was sold to Los Angeles-based Trinity Investments. Fairmont continues to represent the operating and hospitality brand, while the hotel functions as a destination for overnight accommodation, dining, receptions, meetings, weddings, and other events. Its core appeal is the combination of a central Seattle location, historic architecture, formal public spaces, and contemporary luxury-hotel services.
History
Fairmont Olympic Hotel originated in a post-World War I campaign by Seattle civic and business leaders to establish a world-class hotel in the downtown core. The Seattle Chamber of Commerce appointed a committee to advance the project, which selected an undeveloped portion of the Metropolitan Tract as the site. The tract had historical ties to the University of Washington: Arthur A. Denny had donated the land for the Territorial University, and although the university later moved north of Portage Bay, it retained ownership of the downtown property. The university leased the land to the Metropolitan Building Company in 1904 under an arrangement intended to benefit the institution over a fifty-year period. Local leaders later created the Community Hotel Corporation to finance the hotel. A naming contest conducted by The Seattle Times attracted 3,906 entries, from which the name The Olympic was selected. In 1922, the development company appointed George B. Post & Son of New York as architects and hired Seattle's Bebb and Gould as supervising architects. The resulting design drew on the Italian Renaissance tradition and gave the building the formal character expected of a major city hotel. Groundbreaking took place on April 1, 1923. The steel frame was erected beginning in January 1924, and the building was completed in November of that year. Construction reportedly cost $5.5 million, including $800,000 for furnishings. The hotel opened on December 6, 1924, with a large dinner and dance attended by more than 2,000 Seattle residents and guests. Its opening established the property as a major venue for accommodation, dining, civic gatherings, and social events. The hotel complex changed as downtown transportation and entertainment patterns evolved. In 1953, the University of Washington's Board of Regents extended the hotel lease while approving plans to demolish the Metropolitan Theatre, a local institution that had opened in 1911. The theatre closed after its final performance on December 4, 1954, and was subsequently demolished. Its former location was used for a new motor entrance to the hotel. Western Hotels assumed management on August 1, 1955. The company adopted the Western International name in 1963 and continued operating the hotel until September 1, 1980. Management then passed to Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. By that point, the hotel had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, helping reinforce the importance of preserving its historic architecture. Four Seasons undertook a reported $60 million renovation. The project transformed the room inventory by replacing more than 750 small guest rooms with approximately 450 updated rooms and suites. The renovated hotel reopened on May 23, 1982, under the name Four Seasons Olympic Hotel, followed by a formal reopening celebration on July 10. Ownership became more complex in the mid-1990s, when the University of Washington sold a 64 percent interest to Chicago-based real-estate investment firm JMB Realty. In 2003, the university and JMB sold the property to Legacy Hotels, which placed management with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. The property became The Fairmont Olympic Hotel on July 31, 2003. It later operated within the Fairmont brand structure associated with Accor. The hotel's heritage role was further recognized in 2018, when it joined Historic Hotels of America. From 2020 to 2022, the property underwent another renovation reported at $25 million. The work sought to refresh the guest and public experience without abandoning the historic identity that distinguishes the building. In December 2024, ownership transferred to Los Angeles-based Trinity Investments. The hotel remains an active Fairmont-branded luxury property serving accommodation, dining, meetings, weddings, and other events in downtown Seattle.
- 2024
Ownership transfers to Trinity Investments
[1]Trinity Investments acquired the hotel in December.
- 2022
Major renovation concludes
[1]A renovation conducted from 2020 to 2022 was completed.
- 2018
Joins Historic Hotels of America
[1]The hotel entered the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Historic Hotels of America program.
- 2003
Fairmont Olympic name adopted
[1]Fairmont Hotels & Resorts began managing the hotel and the property was renamed Fairmont Olympic Hotel on July 31.
- 1982
Reopens after major renovation
[1]The property reopened as the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel after a substantial room and facilities modernization.
- 1980
Four Seasons takes over management
[1]Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts replaced Western International as operator.
- 1979
National Register listing
[1]The hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1955
Western Hotels assumes management
[1]Western Hotels began operating the property on August 1.
- 1924
The Olympic Hotel opens
[1]The hotel opened on December 6 following completion of construction and a large inaugural dinner and dance.
- 1923
Construction begins
[1]Groundbreaking occurred on April 1 for the planned Olympic Hotel.
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Products and positioning
A historic urban luxury hotel combining landmark architecture, formal hospitality, contemporary accommodations, and high-end dining and event services.
Hotel accommodation · 1924
Guest rooms and suites
The hotel's principal offering is full-service luxury accommodation in a landmark downtown building. Its room inventory has been reshaped over time, most notably during the Four Seasons renovation that replaced more than 750 small rooms with approximately 450 updated rooms and suites. The current proposition combines contemporary guest amenities with the architectural atmosphere and formal public spaces associated with the historic property.
Restaurant
The Georgian
The Georgian is identified with the hotel's dining offer and represents the property's formal restaurant experience. It complements the hotel's broader hospitality proposition by serving guests and local patrons within the historic Fairmont Olympic setting.
Hospitality events · 1924
Meetings and events
The hotel provides spaces and services for business meetings, conferences, receptions, weddings, and other private or social functions. Its central location, historic interiors, and established role in Seattle civic life support an event-oriented positioning alongside overnight accommodation.
Brand decisions
2024
Sale to Trinity InvestmentsM&ABackground
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel was offered within the commercial lodging-property market after its long history of institutional and branded management changes.
Action taken
Los Angeles-based Trinity Investments acquired the hotel in December 2024.
Aftermath
The property remained a Fairmont-branded hotel following the ownership transfer.
2020
Historic-property renovation beginsStrategyBackground
The hotel initiated a renovation intended to update the property while preserving its landmark character.
Action taken
Renovation work continued through 2022 across the hotel property.
Aftermath
The modernization was completed in 2022.
Renovation cost. $25 million (2020-2022)
2003
Fairmont assumes management and rebrands the propertyM&ABackground
Following the sale by the University of Washington and JMB Realty to Legacy Hotels, the new ownership structure selected Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to manage the property.
Action taken
The hotel was renamed Fairmont Olympic Hotel on July 31, 2003.
Aftermath
The property became part of the Fairmont hotel portfolio while retaining its historic Seattle identity.
1980
Transfer from Western International to Four Seasons managementStrategyBackground
After Western Hotels and its successor Western International had operated the property for roughly twenty-five years, management of the historic hotel was transferred to Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
Action taken
Four Seasons assumed hotel management and subsequently undertook a major modernization program.
Aftermath
The hotel reopened in 1982 with a substantially reconfigured room inventory and the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel name.
Renovation cost. $60 million (1980-1982)
Recent events
- 2024
Fairmont Olympic Hotel sold to Trinity Investments[1]
M&A
The hotel was sold in December 2024 to Los Angeles-based real-estate investment firm Trinity Investments.
- 2022
Renovation completed after a two-year modernization program[1]
Other · Product generation
A renovation undertaken from 2020 to 2022 updated the property while retaining its historic identity; the reported project cost was $25 million.
- 2018
Fairmont Olympic Hotel joins Historic Hotels of America[1]
Other
The hotel joined Historic Hotels of America, a National Trust for Historic Preservation program recognizing historically significant lodging properties.
- 2003
The Olympic Hotel adopts the Fairmont name[1]
M&A · Leadership change
After a change in ownership, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts assumed management and the property was renamed Fairmont Olympic Hotel.
- 1982
Four Seasons completes major renovation and reopens the hotel[1]
Other · Product generation
Following a major renovation that consolidated more than 750 smaller guest rooms into approximately 450 updated units, the hotel reopened as the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel.
- 1979
Fairmont Olympic Hotel added to the National Register of Historic Places[1]
Other
The hotel received formal recognition on the National Register of Historic Places, supporting preservation of its historic architecture.
Sources2 sources
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