Renaissance Seattle by Color Our Town

Color Seattle Presented By

Welcome to Renaissance Seattle Hotel

Discover the gem of the Pacific Northwest’s "Emerald City," where you will truly live like a local. Whether you are reading a book in our Media Room or out exploring Seattle attractions just steps away like Pike Place Market, Lumen Field, Pioneer Square and the downtown Waterfront, you will enjoy a memorable stay at our luxury hotel.

Seattle - one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in the Pacific Northwest!

Known for its stunning waterfront, iconic Space Needle, and the lush greenery of its parks, Seattle is a city that is full of life and energy. Whether you're here to explore the vibrant music scene, indulge in the famous coffee culture, or simply take in the breathtaking views of the mountains and water, you'll find that Seattle has something for everyone.

Make some unforgettable memories in this unique and welcoming city. Our Navigators stand by to curate an indigenous and local experience.

1. Renaissance Seattle Hotel

Taking a cue from the iconic architecture of the Seattle Central Library, you will find a sophisticated literary theme throughout the Hotel. Conveniently located near our sports facilities, as well as Pike Place Market, The Gum Wall, and upscale shopping and dining.

Unwind in spacious, guest rooms with stunning views of Puget Sound, the mountains and city skyline. Enjoy delightful PNW cuisine, locally sourced and sustainable in The Fig and The Judge.

2. The 515 Bar

Celebrate with a unique cocktail made by our expert mixologists. This lovely lounge bar serves a delicious array of mouthwatering meals and savory beverages.

3. Space Needle

One of the world’s most recognizable and photographed landmarks, the Space Needle is a treasured icon that has epitomized Seattle’s innovative and forward-thinking spirit. Conceptualized by Edward Carlson in 1959, designed by John Graham, Jr. and Victor Steinbrueck, and built for the 1962 World’s Fair by the Howard S. Wright Construction Company, the tower’s futuristic design symbolizes humanity’s Space Age aspirations. Standing over 600 feet tall, the tower’s saucer-shaped top house offers visitors Seattle’s only 360-degree indoor and outdoor panoramic views of the downtown cityscape, Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, and the Cascades and Olympic mountain ranges.

Photo by cpaulfell

4. Pike Place Market

Created by Seattle City Councilman Thomas Revelle in 1907, Pike Place Market is one of the United States’ oldest and largest continuously operating public markets. Considered by both residents and visitors alike as a defining city icon as well as the soul of Seattle, the Market is best known for its fresh fish throwing, neon sign and clock, and Rachael the piggy bank. Most importantly, the Market is home to the world’s first Starbucks café–making it the birthplace of a business empire that has given a little bit of Seattle to the world over. Likewise, Pike Place Market remains Seattle’s neighborhood marketplace to this day, as it is the center of fresh, locally produced, and highquality foods, goods, and handcrafted products.

Photo by Daniel Schwen

5. Seattle Central Library

Adopted as a branch of Seattle city government in 1890, The Seattle Public Library moved around to various locations in order to find more space. After a fire burned down the Library's first home at the Yesler Mansion in 1901, Andrew Carnegie gifted $200,000 for a new library building. Designed by P.J. Weber in a Beaux-Arts style and completed in 1906, this new library was Seattle’s first Central Library. Seattle’s second Central Library – designed by Bindon & Wright and Decker Christenson & Kitchin in the international style and completed by the Lloyd Johnson Co. and the Morrison-Knudsen Co. Inc. in 1960 – contained a drive-thru service window, an Abstract modern art collection, and a film department with 1,000 16-millimeter films. Seattle’s third and current Central Library – designed by Rem Koolhaas and LMN Architects and completed by Hoffman Construction Co. in 2004 – is a sight to behold. This library can contain up to 1.45 million books and other materials, a four-level "Books Spiral" with the nonfiction collection in a continuous loop, a “Mixing Chamber” with computers and information desks, and an exterior skin of insulated glass on a steel structure.

Photo by DVD R W

6. Seattle Art Museum

The center for world-class visual arts in the Pacific Northwest since 1933, the Seattle Art Museum is as much a part of Seattle's landscape as Pike Place Market and the Space Needle. Initially situated at Carl Gould’s landmark Art Deco structure in Volunteer Park, the Museum moved to its current downtown location in 1991. Designed by Robert Venturi, this building features Jonathan Borofsky’s Hammering Man at its entryway. Its 2007 expansion has a stainless steel façade that responds to its urban surroundings and the Pacific Northwest’s light and landscape, while its spacious interiors provide an inviting environment to experience art. SAM also features Olympic Sculpture Park–a luscious greenspace that is highlighted by stunning works of art like Alexander Calder’s The Eagle and Jaume Plensa’s Echo. With collections, installations, galleries, and exhibits that features art from around the world, SAM invites you to wander through their beautiful museum.

Photo by Dolovis

7. Seattle Great Wheel

Envisioned by Hal Griffith in 1989 and built from Chance Rides' R60 model, the Seattle Great Wheel has been a staple on the Seattle central waterfront since it opened in 2012. Located at the end of Pier 57 next to Waterfront Park and near the Seattle Aquarium, the 175-foot-high ride features 42 climate-controlled gondolas that can hold up to eight passengers each. One of the gondolas is a VIP gondola, with red leather seats and a glass floor, which seats four. Each ride is three full rotations of the wheel and can last from 10 to 20 minutes. As one of Seattle’s newest icons, the Seattle Great Wheel has consistently appeared in footage shown during sporting events, as well as on postcards and other souvenirs.

Photo by Ron Clausen

8. Pioneer Square / Pioneer Building & Pergola

Established in 1852 as the Emerald City’s first neighborhood, Pioneer Square has been Seattle’s anchor as the city has evolved from a small settlement to world-class metropolis. Featuring the perfect balance of old and new, walk through its storied streets to experience the neighborhood’s beauty and history alongside all of its businesses, shops, eateries, and night life. It's all here, waiting to be explored.

Designed and built by Elmer Fisher in 1892 as a tribute to Henry Yesler and Seattle's pioneers, the Pioneer Building is a fascinating blend of Victorian and Romanesque Revival styles. For its decorative exuberance, the Pioneer Building is one of Seattle's most beloved historic buildings.

Designed by Julian Everett and built in 1909, the Iron Pergola is a lavish Victorian-style waiting shelter that features decorative wrought iron columns. Today the structure is one of Pioneer Square’s most memorable features.

Photo by ESB Professional

9. Gum Wall

Down an alleyway next to Seattle’s Pike Place Market is a hidden work of art dubbed the Gum Wall. This unexpectedly colorful display is an excellent representation of Seattle’s unique charm and character. Started in the 1990s when local patrons in line for an improv show at Post Alley’s Market Theater stuck their used gum on the wall, the Gum Wall has now grown to over 50 feet wide. Though the stench of chewing gum can be somewhat pungent, the Gum Wall makes up by being an alluring mix of gorgeous colors and intriguing textures. While some believe the Gum Wall glorifies littering, to most the Gum Wall stands as a beautiful work of collective art. It is such a treasure to Seattle that in 2015, the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority cleaned up the wall for the first time in 20 years. Beginning the very next weekend, locals and tourists collectively started to recreate the wall at the same location as before–which shows how dedicated Seattleites are in loving and preserving its quirky hidden gems.

Photo by Buiobuione

10. Lumen Field

Located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood, the multi-purpose Lumen Field is home to the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks, the Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC, and National Women's Soccer League’s OL Reign. Opened in 2002 as Seahawks Stadium, the facility was renamed to Qwest Field in 2004 and then to CenturyLink Field in 2011 before being rebranded to Lumen Field in 2020. With a capacity to hold nearly 69,000 rowdy fans and a roof that covers 70 percent of the seating area, Lumen Field can get incredibly loud. So loud in fact, that this arena was considered by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s loudest stadium. This loudness is not just audial but also physical, as in 2011 Seattle Seahawks running back Marshall Lynch performed his famous ‘Beastquake’ run against the New Orleans Saints. The ‘Beastquake’ came from the fact that the screams and vibrations of the fans was so intense that it actually registered 2 on the Richter scale. Now that is impressive!

Photo by Another Believer

11. Seattle Aquarium

The region’s premier resource for hands-on marine experiences and conservation education, the Seattle Aquarium offers fun, exciting ways to discover more about Puget Sound and the world’s oceans. Opened in 1977 and managed by the Seattle Aquarium Society since 2010, the Seattle Aquarium’s animal collection is housed within six major exhibits: Window on Washington Waters, Life on the Edge, Pacific Coral Reef, Birds & Shores, the Underwater Dome, and Marine Mammals. Their mission towards inspiring conservation of the Marine Environment is reflected in everything they do – exhibits, events, programs, and research activities. As the United States’ ninth largest aquarium by attendance and among the top five paid visitor attractions in the Puget Sound region, the Seattle Aquarium has over its history hosted over 27 million visitors and provided marine conservation education to two million students.

Photo by Joe Mabel

Interesting Things to Look Out For:

1. Renaissance Hotel Seattle

A luxury retreat situated in the epicenter of Downtown Seattle.

2. The 515 Bar

Enjoy our delectable meals and savory drinks.

3. Space Needle

Go up to the Needle, view the magnificent Chicago Skyline, and check out the revolving restaurant.

4. Pike Place Market

See the famous fish tosses.

5. Seattle Central Library

Find your favorite novel among the more than 1.4 million books available in the Library.

6. Seattle Art Museum

Be amazed with the Museum's signature

Hammering Man statue.

7. Seattle Great Wheel

Ride the Wheel and marvel at the Seattle skyline.

8. Pioneer Square/ Pioneer Building

Check out the Underground Tours and uncover Seattle's early history.

9. Gum Wall

Leave your mark at this offbeat location .

10. Lumen Field

Get enveloped in the raucous crowds of die-hard Seahawks fans.

11. Seattle Aquarium

Observe all of the wonderful marine animals.

Copyright © 2023, Jake Rose

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email author at jake@colorourtown.com.

Cover art and back cover art by Brenda Zabala.

Line illustrations by Ivan Myerchuk, and Jake Rose

Printed in USA

Color Our Town Press

www.colorourtown.com

Opposite Page - Lobby

The lobby features a wide range of books set among comfy chairs.

Photo by cdrin