Best In Seattle: The Alexis Hotel

Kiefer Sutherland should have stayed in Seattle. Weeks before heading off to New York City and, um, head-butting a fashion designer, the 24 star chilled out at the Alexis Hotel in Seattle and could not have been cooler if he was sporting a plaid shirt. Even when he found that the restaurant was fully booked for a function, the notorious bad-boy was laid back. Call it the Seattle chilled-out vibe, or perhaps the even more Zen atmosphere at the Alexis.

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The historic registry-listed hotel is holding its own as a low-key celebrity magnet for stars who visit the northwest hub. The intimate 121-room hotel has reason for a new look with a newly completed $10 million overhaul. The results are significant: while not as modern as a newly built Hotel 1000 just across the street, what it happily lacks in sleek, it makes up for in boutique charm, with spacious rooms displaying unique homey touches and charismatic windows.  The lack of pool and the small exercise room might turn off some. I swapped the treadmill for a brisk walk through nearby Pike Place market and circled back to Pioneer Square which killed two birds with one stone: tourism and weight loss all in one! (Although I did set that last part a step back with a hearty breakfast at the quirky but refined Library Bistro and  scotch later in the day at the Bookstore Bar (poet Maya Angelou is a frequent visitor to this hotel and bar with its 60 different scotches).

The big-star of the hotel is the art which is why the place might attract the likes of Angelou. Original works are everywhere - lobbies, guest rooms, a Gallery room.  Each of the seven massive suites feature works of art as well as a theme taken from the Seattle art scene (Kiefer stayed in the Seattle Art Museum Suite)..

The service was also top of the line which is especially noteworthy given the affordable rates ($250 for a King Deluxe Room? Amazing!). One example of their emphasis on hospitality was when Rihanna had a canine emergency during a visit (pre-Grammy fracas of course). The concierge worked the phones securing a late-night grooming session for Oliver, her toy-poodle. When you're surrounded by this kind of beauty, even a dog doesn't want to look shabby.