Andrew Pickup is senior director of communications for Microsoft in Asia, and is based in Singapore. Microsoft itself is headquartered in Seattle, so he makes frequent trips to the city and has visited there in total over 50 times.
Best hotel for business?
Downtown, I tend to stay at Hyatt at Olive 8. Centrally located, still relatively new, modern design and friendly staff. 24 hour gym and pool - always good for me, given the inevitable jetlag incurred flying from Singapore to Seattle. Restaurant Urbane does something magical with their scrambled eggs.
Over Lake Washington, in nearby Bellevue, it’s got to be the Westin. Modern, purpose-built and built-for-business. Get a high floor and bathe in the wonderful views over the surrounding lakes. Bellevue Mall, including the Microsoft store, is directly opposite. Enjoy!
Best hotel for pleasure?
That would be Hotel 1000 on the waterfront. Service here is exceptional - professional, courteous and discreet, staff anticipate your needs and remember you. Sounds simple, but very few hotels do this consistently well. Rooms are luxurious, well-designed, huge bathtubs and, for some, great views over the water.
That would be Hotel 1000 on the waterfront. Service here is exceptional - professional, courteous and discreet, staff anticipate your needs and remember you. Sounds simple, but very few hotels do this consistently well. Rooms are luxurious, well-designed, huge bathtubs and, for some, great views over the water.
Best bar for celebrating?
If you are going to get drunk, probably best to be discreet about it. So I’d recommend Bath Tub Gin & Co, a small, dimly-lit, subterranean speakeasy in the lively Belltown area of the city. You locate it down an alleyway, in the former boiler room of a hotel. Discreet enough for you?
If you are going to get drunk, probably best to be discreet about it. So I’d recommend Bath Tub Gin & Co, a small, dimly-lit, subterranean speakeasy in the lively Belltown area of the city. You locate it down an alleyway, in the former boiler room of a hotel. Discreet enough for you?
Best bar for a business drink?
That would be the bar at Metropolitan Grill, Seattle’s best steakhouse. Mahogany-paneled walls, a 60 foot black marble bar and the best (and strongest) martinis in town. Definite old-school atmosphere. This is where Don Draper and Roger Sterling would bring a client to close the deal.
That would be the bar at Metropolitan Grill, Seattle’s best steakhouse. Mahogany-paneled walls, a 60 foot black marble bar and the best (and strongest) martinis in town. Definite old-school atmosphere. This is where Don Draper and Roger Sterling would bring a client to close the deal.
Best restaurant for business lunch?
Chef Tom Douglas is the Godfather of the food scene in Seattle, owns over a dozen restaurants (and counting). So it would be remiss for me not to include one of his places here. Lola serves up delicious and healthy Mediterranean food and is centrally located, near the Convention Centre, so convenient for a business lunch (or breakfast). Recommend the crushed, garlic roast potatoes.
Chef Tom Douglas is the Godfather of the food scene in Seattle, owns over a dozen restaurants (and counting). So it would be remiss for me not to include one of his places here. Lola serves up delicious and healthy Mediterranean food and is centrally located, near the Convention Centre, so convenient for a business lunch (or breakfast). Recommend the crushed, garlic roast potatoes.
Best way to spend an hour in-between meetings?
Seattle is surrounded by water. Get on it…
Seattle is surrounded by water. Get on it…
If you only have time to one thing in my city, then do this… OK, a little cheesy, but visit the Space Needle, Seattle’s most iconic landmark. Originally built for the 1962 World Fair, more than 50 years later it’s still the city’s most popular attraction. And from the viewing platform at 500 feet above the ground, it’s not difficult to see why. Breathtaking, uninterrupted 360-degree views across downtown Seattle, the waterfront, Elliott Bay, Mount Rainier and the Olympic mountain range. Sunset is an especially good time to visit.
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