The Edgewater is the stay that makes a Seattle aquarium trip feel like part of the sea. Built out over Elliott Bay on Pier 67 and first opened in 1962, the year of the Seattle World's Fair, it bills itself as Seattle's only over-water hotel, and the best rooms put the water directly under the window, with ferries, freighters, seals and the Olympic Mountains beyond on a clear day. All 223 rooms have gas fireplaces, which turns a gray Seattle afternoon into a feature, and the lodge-style decor leans Pacific Northwest. Music history is part of the brand: the Beatles stayed here in 1964 and were famously photographed fishing out of their window, and the Beatles Suite preserves that story; there is a Pearl Jam Suite too. Six Seven Restaurant serves brunch and dinner over the water, and a coffee shop and lobby bar cover the rest of the day. The Seattle Aquarium and its newer Ocean Pavilion are a short, flat walk south along the rebuilt waterfront promenade, as is Pike Place Market up the hill. Drawbacks: there is no pool or full-service spa, parking is valet-only and pricey, and a nightly destination fee applies (it covers bikes, music rentals and fitness access). Fit: couples above all, aquarium-focused families who will spend their days out, and anyone who wants a memorable Seattle night on the water.
For aquarium visitors, the waterfront walk is the selling point. The rebuilt promenade connects Pier 67 with Pier 59 and the Seattle Aquarium, so mornings start with a stroll along the bay and the aquarium's harbor seals and sea otters, and evenings end back by the fireplace with the lights of the ferries on the water.
Room strategy
Book a water-view category — the over-water king with balcony, about 350 square feet with Olympic Mountains views, is the classic, and the over-water junior suites, about 450 square feet with a sleeper sofa, suit small families. City-view rooms are cheaper but miss the point of staying here. The Beatles and Pearl Jam suites, each about 750 square feet over the water, are the music-history splurges; the Pearl Jam Suite was designed with Eddie Vedder and the band's fan club. The Brim coffee shop handles early mornings before an aquarium opening.
Practicals
Valet parking only, so consider arriving by light rail and taxi or rideshare; the destination fee covers bike use, which is a pleasant way to ride the waterfront to Olympic Sculpture Park next door. Pair the stay with the Seattle Aquarium and, on a longer Pacific Northwest trip, Bonneville Hatchery and the Oregon coast.
Why stay here
- ✓Built over Elliott Bay on Pier 67
- ✓Gas fireplaces in every room
- ✓Over-water rooms with balconies
- ✓Six Seven Restaurant
- ✓Beatles Suite
- ✓Complimentary bikes
- ✓Fitness center access
- ✓Valet parking
Good questions
How far is it from the Seattle Aquarium?+
A short, flat walk south along the waterfront promenade from Pier 67 to Pier 59.
Is it really over the water?+
Yes — the hotel is built on Pier 67 over Elliott Bay and bills itself as Seattle's only over-water hotel.
Are there extra fees?+
A nightly destination fee covers bikes, music rentals and fitness access, and parking is valet-only. There is no pool or full spa.
