How sustainable is your favorite Seattle-area hotel?

Earlier this month 1 Hotel Seattle — the newest in Seattle’s arsenal of sustainable, luxury hotels — started taking reservations and is set to open its doors in April 2025. 

But Seattle is a pioneer in the sustainability space for a reason. The city’s recycling rate is nearly double the national average, composting diverts 60% of local waste, and over 90% of our electricity comes from hydropower.  

While we'll happily welcome additional businesses committed to sustainability, 1 Hotel Seattle isn’t by a long shot the first to prioritize it. Here’s a look at some of the most notable eco-conscious luxury hotels in Seattle. 

Fairmont Olympic Hotel Seattle, Downtown Seattle 

The Fairmont Olympic is both a luxury hotel and a historic Seattle landmark. Literally. The hotel opened in 1924 and recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation, making it not only a destination for visitors, but a popular spot for the local business crowd to grab a cocktail in its expansive and welcoming lobby bar.

Amenities: The Fairmount uses energy efficient lighting and motion sensors throughout the property, a towel/linen reuse program to minimize water usage, and electric vehicle charging stations for guests traveling with EVs. 

Rooms: You’ll find low-flow showerheads and water efficient fixtures in each bathroom, and energy efficient HVAC systems to keep usage in check. The hotel also uses eco-friendly cleaning products and materials.

Food: Your meals are sourced from local farms, to support regional agriculture and reduce the environmental footprint that comes along with food transport. 

Programs: The Fairmont is part of Planet 21, Accor’s global sustainability program. Additionally, the Fairmont Bee Program has saved more than 180,000 bees through its rooftop bee hotel, and produces delicious, fresh honey the Fairmont uses in its restaurants. 

Cedarbrook Lodge, Seatac, Wash.

While you might not think of an upscale hotel experience when you think about Seatac, you should think again. Cedarbrook Lodge is a special spot with easy access to the airport but tucked away that it is truly a welcoming escape. The lodge is on 18 acres of land, and features Copperleaf Restaurant & Bar, a farm-to-table restaurant serving Northwest cuisine, and a luxury spa experience, making it something of an urban oasis.

Amenities: From the big stuff like LED lighting throughout the property and eco-friendly soap in guest rooms, to even the smallest of details like recyclable pens in the rooms, Cedarbrook takes sustainability seriously. 

Rooms: Like others on this list, the lodge uses smart energy systems to heat and cool rooms and minimize environmental impact. 

Food: Copperleaf Restaurant has taken ample strides with its commitment to agricultural stewardship, sourcing from local farmers, ranchers and vintners. The menus highlight responsibly sourced ingredients, and the restaurant is constantly looking for ways to ensure the items it features are coming from sustainable sources.  

Programs: Alongside recycling and composting programs, the hotel also participates in biofuel recycling. Additionally, it supports social services, environmental efforts, education and the arts in the Seatac community. 

Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle, Downtown Seattle

This IHG hotel in the heart of downtown Seattle is both sustainable and a luxury experience. First up, it is truly pet-friendly (no size or breed restrictions), and features complimentary bicycles, a yoga mat in every room and a fitness center complete with Peloton bikes. Another great perk for parents: The Hotel Monaco has a special family fridge program where guests can store breast milk while they stay. You can even ask the front desk to have plants placed in your room to brighten your experience.

Green Amenities: Rooms are stocked with Atelier Bloom amenities, in the form of large, refillable shampoo, conditioner, and shower gels — eliminating single-use plastic bottles. The hotel also provides EV charging stations for guests traveling with electric cars.  

Rooms: Smart Air systems are installed in each room, so motion-activated HVAC units turn on and off depending on room occupancy. Low-flow toilets also prioritize water conservation. 

Food: Kimpton sources from local farms for its restaurant Outlier, reducing carbon emissions and boosting the local economy. 

Partnerships: The hotel partners with Clean The World, which recycles unused soap for hygiene kits to those in need.

Hyatt at Olive 8, Downtown Seattle

This sleek hotel has a modern look with eco-friendly features embedded throughout. The wellness areas include a full-service spa with locally sourced ingredients for its treatments, an indoor warm saline pool, Peloton fitness center and a yoga studio.

Amenities: While many of the hotels here enlist similar eco-friendly practices, Hyatt at Olive 8 stands out a bit from the rest. This was the first hotel to fund King County’s Transfer of Development Rights program, which protected 284 acres of forest at Sugarloaf Mountain. On top of that, the hotel’s rooftop retains 75 percent of the rainwater that falls, and provides insulation for the building. 

Rooms: Dual-flush toilets and low-flow fixtures reduce water usage by 30%, which saves an estimated 2.4 million gallons annually. Housekeeping is provided on every third day, unless requested, and linens are changed as needed. 

Food: Hyatt sources 50% of its food locally, and ensures 60% of seafood is sustainably harvested. Composting programs divert 350,000 tons of food and yard waste from landfills annually, and the hotel donates untouched food to local nonprofits. 

Initiatives: The Hyatt’s lap pool does not use chemical chlorine, and instead employs a saline sanitation system that makes naturally occurring chlorine to keep itself clean. Rooftop wind turbines reuse fan exhaust, which, alongside efficient lighting, lowers overall energy consumption by 26%. 

Many of these Seattle hotels have been implementing eco-conscious measures for years. In a city like Seattle, it’s more notable if you’re not, at this point. And we haven’t even mentioned the smaller properties making their own unique contributions. Like Anacortes Inn on Fidalgo Island, whose lumber came from the owner’s farm, and was hand-milled onsite. 

So welcome to the Emerald City, 1 Hotel Seattle — you’re in very good company.