Seattle’s Hotel Sorrento is celebrating its 113th birthday this month. And while the property has been renovated and restored as needed over the years, it still maintains plenty of its original fixtures (and charms). In fact, staying here feels like going back in time in all the best ways, so it’s no wonder some of the hotel’s most famous guests apparently never left. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, you’ll enjoy a lively stay at this historic treasure.
Hotel Sorrento was built in 1909, just before the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition was held in Seattle.
Hotel Sorrento / Facebook The hotel was originally owned by a Seattle clothier named Samuel Rosenberg. Some of its earliests customers were guests of the Exposition.
A lot has changed over the years, but a lot has stayed the same, like the iconic Fireside Room.
Hotel Sorrento / Facebook When the hotel was purchased in the 1980s by the Malone Family, who fully renovated the building, they left important details like the Rookwood tiles around the fireplace in the Fireside Room. To this day, this is a great spot to come have a cocktail, meet a date, and enjoy some live music.
When the hotel first opened, there was a restaurant on the seventh floor, which was impressive since the building once had unobstructed views of the Sound.
Hotel Sorrento / Facebook These days, guests can dine at STELLA, a fresh modern restaurant with tasty Italian-inspired cuisine.
Whether you visit STELLA for breakfast or dinner, prepare to be blown away by the seasonally rotating menu.
Jessica Wick It isn’t easy choosing between pasta dishes and gems like almond chicken piccata, so you might want to bring a friend or two and share several entrees.
Save room for dessert, because it’s a crime to leave without trying the Rosenberg’s Primitivo Poached Pear.
Jessica Wick The pear is stuffed with cheesecake filling and surrounded by a graham cracker crumble, and you will dream of it for weeks.
The 76 guest rooms and suites are all furnished with some unique 1909 details like carved wood moldings and vintage furnishings.
Management / TripAdvisor They do all have one thing in common: incredibly comfortable beds.
But if you spend time on the 4th floor, particularly in room 408, you just might come face to face with the ghost of Alice B. Toklas. She is usually dressed in white and black.
Hotel Sorrento / Facebook Alice moved to Seattle in 1890 to study at the University of Washington, and she lived an exciting life. She was a cannabis activist who is credited with inventing the pot brownie. No one knows why she has chosen to haunt this hotel, but she seems harmless.
Alice apparently isn’t the only spirit to wander the halls of Hotel Sorrento.
Hotel Sorrento / Facebook Apparitions have been spotted by guests and employees alike, and the night guards have seen empty elevators come to the lobby and open on their own. Sorrento was named one of the country’s 13 most haunted hotels by USA Today in 2015. That being said, any ghosts who may or may not be haunting this place seem to be in good spirits.
Hotel Sorrento / Facebook
Haunted or not, Hotel Sorrento is a delightful place to spend an evening. The service is top notch, the rates are reasonable, and any paranormal encounters are just a bonus.
Hotel Sorrento / Facebook
The hotel was originally owned by a Seattle clothier named Samuel Rosenberg. Some of its earliests customers were guests of the Exposition.
When the hotel was purchased in the 1980s by the Malone Family, who fully renovated the building, they left important details like the Rookwood tiles around the fireplace in the Fireside Room. To this day, this is a great spot to come have a cocktail, meet a date, and enjoy some live music.
These days, guests can dine at STELLA, a fresh modern restaurant with tasty Italian-inspired cuisine.
Jessica Wick
It isn’t easy choosing between pasta dishes and gems like almond chicken piccata, so you might want to bring a friend or two and share several entrees.
The pear is stuffed with cheesecake filling and surrounded by a graham cracker crumble, and you will dream of it for weeks.
Management / TripAdvisor
They do all have one thing in common: incredibly comfortable beds.
Alice moved to Seattle in 1890 to study at the University of Washington, and she lived an exciting life. She was a cannabis activist who is credited with inventing the pot brownie. No one knows why she has chosen to haunt this hotel, but she seems harmless.
Apparitions have been spotted by guests and employees alike, and the night guards have seen empty elevators come to the lobby and open on their own. Sorrento was named one of the country’s 13 most haunted hotels by USA Today in 2015. That being said, any ghosts who may or may not be haunting this place seem to be in good spirits.
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Address: Hotel Sorrento, 900 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
