Travel
Old Ballard Hotel Gets Extreme Makeover
Hotel Ballard is back with exciting modern updates and its original Old World elegance.
By Jana Moseley August 9, 2011
This article originally appeared in the September 2011 issue of Seattle magazine.
Ballard residents, rejoice: A new boutique hotel gives visitors an alternative to sleeping on your couch.
Built in 1902 for the American Scandinavian Bank (the words “Bank Building” still appear on the façade), the two-story building at the heart of Ballard Avenue became a hotel in 1920. In more recent decades, it served as a rundown refuge offering weekly residence rates.
Enter Mark Durall, general manager at Olympic Athletic Club (across the street), armed with a vision of returning the building to its glory days. The revamped hotel ballard, open since July, is fully updated, but retains its Old World elegance with original trim, fir flooring and a striking ceiling medallion in the light-filled lobby.
Rates for the 16 rooms range from $79 to $229 (the highest price gets you a private bathroom; other rooms share facilities down the hall), and guests can access Olympic’s gym amenities free of charge. You may want to stay there yourself.
5300 Ballard Ave. NW; 206.789.5011; hotelballard.com.
Follow Us
Food Flight
The best portable meals to grab on the way to Sea-Tac
Crunching through a fresh bánh mì at the far end of Terminal C at Sea-Tac International Airport or unwrapping an oversized cemita during boarding sits just at the edge of acceptable airport behavior. Not because someone shouldn’t be able to enjoy some of Seattle’s finest sandwiches or slices en route, but simply because...
Hidden Washington: Leavenworth All Year
This Bavarian-style village in the Cascade Mountains offers more than just Oktoberfest and Christmas celebrations
Beyond the beer and bratwurst and lively seasonal celebrations — notably Oktoberfest with a “K” and Christmas with a heaping dose of Nutcrackers — Leavenworth is a fabulous place to spend a long weekend...
