Why here?
Along with stylish new hotels on the horizon (the Hotel Theodore debuts this summer and a Kimpton property is on deck), this exciting Northwest destination offers a freshly revamped exhibition center in Bellevue. Plus, the Washington State Convention Center will double in size by 2020.
AROUND THE STATE
• The 370-room Tulalip Resort Casino, 30 minutes north of Seattle, has completed a guest-room renovation. The property offers 30,000 square feet of meeting space and the T Spa.
• The 402-room Hotel RL, a reimagining of the Red Lion brand, has debuted in Spokane. Along with 30,000 square feet of meeting space, the property features on-site bike rentals and live stage shows.
Local Update
• Opening in 2019, the 120-room Bellevue Kimpton will be part of a mixed-use development scheduled to break ground this year. The hotel will have about 5,000 square feet of meeting space, a full-service restaurant and a rooftop swimming pool with adjacent event space.
• Construction begins at year's end on a $1.6 billion project to double the size of the Washington State Convention Center, which will have more than 850,000 square feet of space upon completion in 2020.
• The 1,260-room Hyatt Regency Seattle, opening about two blocks from the Washington State Convention Center in mid-2018, will feature 100,000 square feet of meeting space.
• The 347-room Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle's Southport debuts in June with 60,000 square feet of event space.
• A $12.5 million renovation has been completed at the 54,000-square-foot Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.
• The 151-room Hotel Theodore, a transformation of the former Roosevelt Hotel, debuts this summer with 2,415 square feet of meeting space.
TREE TOUR
Go zip-lining in
Bellevue, where two suspension bridges and six and a half cables are poised in the branches above verdant Eastgate Park, equally worth exploring on foot.
RAW & READY
Cast Iron Studios in Bellevue offers two adjoining raw event spaces ripe for creative configuring, with catering available from four local restaurants: Purple, Lot No.3, Barrio and the Commons. The space accommodates groups of up to 125 for dinner and 250 for a reception. (206) 838-3853
Meeting Hotels: Properties in Bellevue include the 732-room Hyatt Regency Bellevue, 384-room Seattle Marriott Bellevue, 353-room Hilton Bellevue, 337-room Westin Bellevue and 178-room Sheraton Bellevue Hotel.
Seattle offers the 1,236-room Sheraton Seattle, 891-room Westin Seattle, 557-room Renaissance Seattle Hotel, 450-room Fairmont Olympic Hotel and 355-room Seattle Marriott Waterfront.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Centers: Washington State Convention Center; exhibit space, 205,700 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 61. (206) 694-5000
Meydenbuer Center; exhibit space, approximately 54,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, nine. (425) 450-3777
Airport Transit: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, 17 miles from downtown Bellevue, 13 miles from downtown Seattle. Transfer cost by taxi, $60 to Bellevue, $40 to Seattle; by shuttle, $20
Taxes: Bellevue: room tax, 4.9%; sales tax, 9.5%; total tax on hotel rooms, 14.4%. Seattle: room tax, 7%; sales tax, 8.6%, total tax on hotel rooms, 15.6%
Group Venue: Take a trip into psychedelic art at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. This year's exhibits include "David Bowie: Starman." The facility can host groups of up to 3,000. (206) 770-2775
Contact: Visit Bellevue, (425) 450-3777
Visit Seattle, (206) 461-5800