If You Go ...

Staying There

There is no shortage of accommodations available in Seattle’s downtown core, from stately old landmarks like the Fairmont Olympic Hotel to ultra-modern luxury digs like the Four Seasons to numerous and unique boutique hotels. Kimpton has a quartet of the latter dotted throughout downtown, with the Monaco standing out as an ideal home base for the holidays. Its just four blocks from Westlake Center, five blocks from Pike Place Market and a block from a light rail station. Then there’s its high-ceilinged lobby with massive chandeliers and bigger still dolphin murals. Hang out there each night and meet other guests during the onehour hosted wine tasting. And reminders that you are on the whimsical West Coast are everywhere. Little wonder Condé Nast named it one of the top hotels in the Pacific Northwest for 2016. Better still, the Save Our Sanity (S.O.S.) special is on throughout the holidays, with up to 20 per cent savings on guest rooms and two complimentary glasses of champagne to toast the season. Visit Monaco-seattle.com

Eating There

The last thing you want to do after a busy day of shopping and holiday festivities is venture too far from your hotel for dinner. Which makes a stay at the Monaco all the better as its in-house restaurant is a true Seattle treasure. Named after the iconic New Orleans cocktail, Sazerac offers up fare not often associated with the Pacific Northwest — Southern U.S. food. However with all dishes made with local ingredients, the menu is a real fusion from two corners of the country. Visit sazeracrestaurant.com Brunch is also a holiday standard and a good opportunity to fuel up for the day’s activities. Head over to the Carlile Room, kitty corner to the iconic Paramount Theater. The latest — and 13th — establishment opened by Seattle’s top celebrity chef, Tom Douglas, it’s named after Seattle singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile, and pays homage to the lounges late-’60s/early-’70s in its decor. Its modern menu is infused with‘plant house’ingredients. Brunch is served Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m., and includes the amazing Planty Breakfast (pecan-flax toast, avocado, poached eggs, delicata squash, beets, sprouts). Visit thecarlile.com