W Hotels Worldwide opened the W Bellevue Hotel in the heart of downtown Bellevue, Wash., in mid-August, the brand’s first new-build property since 2010.
As with all W properties, the design centers around the unique history, environment, and culture of a destination. In this case, W Bellevue is on the shores of Lake Washington, where the architects took inspiration from the setting to give the hotel a contemporary lake house feel. Guests are greeted by a striking, reclaimed wood staircase and surrounded by rich, colorful street art created by international artist Gaia. The hotel’s “Living Room” (or lobby) has repeating A-frame ceilings and resembles that of a log cabin home. Off of the Living Room is “The Porch,” where guests can mingle in the open-air with a cocktail, or relax on a swing by a fire.
In addition to 220 guest rooms and 25 suites, a 2,300-square-foot, two-bedroom “Extreme WOW Suite” is located on the 13th floor. It features views of Lake Washington, an in-room pool table and poker table, and retractable flat-screen TV. Porch swings line the outside border of the suite, giving guests the sense of floating over Bellevue. The 10,000 square feet of meeting space includes a 4,425-square-foot Great Room, breakout rooms, and boardrooms.
Chef Jason Wilson, a James Beard Award–winning chef, partnered with W Bellevue to create two unique dining and drinking experiences. The first is The Lakehouse, which showcases a Northwest farmhouse concept. The second is a speakeasy-inspired lounge called Civility & Unrest. Here, Chef Wilson offers guests an insider, craft cocktail experience.
The hotel is located near Bellevue Collection, a 250-store shopping center, and just minutes from Seattle, home to well-known technology companies such as Amazon and Microsoft.
