The Edgewater Hotel
by the TopOfHotel team
The Edgewater is about actually sleeping over the water of Elliott Bay in a lodge-style room with your own fireplace, plus the rock and roll history of having hosted The Beatles — it wins on one-of-a-kind character, bay views and story rather than the polish of a newer hotel.
The Edgewater is about actually sleeping over the water of Elliott Bay in a lodge-style room with your own fireplace, plus the rock and roll history of having hosted The Beatles — it wins on one-of-a-kind character, bay views and story rather than the polish of a newer hotel.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a hotel that doesn't just sit near the sea but stands over the water itself — open the window and you look straight down at waves hitting the wooden pilings beneath you. That's the singular charm of The Edgewater Hotel, built on Pier 67, a pier reaching out into Elliott Bay, which makes it the only hotel in Seattle that genuinely stands on the water. It has been open since 1962, in time for the city's World's Fair. Rooms and suites are decorated in warm Pacific Northwest lodge style — real wood, leather furniture, red-and-blue wool patterns, and lakeside-cabin touches. What guests love most is the fireplace in every room: light it on a cold or rainy Seattle night, lean back on the bed and listen to the waves and the crackle of the fire. Waterfront rooms open onto a wide bay view all the way to the Olympic Mountains, and many have a balcony to step out, catch the sea air and watch the white ferries pass slowly. If you prefer warmth and story over the cool polish of a modern hotel, you'll likely fall for it from the first step.
Food and amenities
What makes The Edgewater more than an ordinary waterfront hotel is the legend attached to it. Back in 1964, at the peak of Beatlemania, The Beatles chose to stay here, producing the historic image of the band dropping fishing lines and fishing out the window into Elliott Bay — one of rock and roll's most-remembered shots, and the reason this hotel quietly became a pop-culture landmark in Seattle. Walk into the lobby and you find a wide mountain-lodge space with high ceilings, timber beams and a large stone fireplace ringed by soft sofas, plus big windows opening onto a full bay view — more plush lakeside cabin than city hotel. For food there's the Six Seven restaurant and a waterside lounge leaning on local seafood and ingredients. The overall feel is relaxed, friendly and distinctly Pacific Northwest, and plenty of guests say just sitting with a coffee or wine by the window, watching the boats and mountains, already makes the trip worth it.
Location and getting there
The Edgewater sits on Pier 67 along Alaskan Way, at the far end of Belltown where it meets Seattle's waterfront. A shoreline setting like this gives you open air and views you won't get from a hotel boxed in among towers. Walk south along the waterfront walkway for about 12-15 minutes and you reach Pike Place Market, the legendary market full of fresh-fish stalls, flowers, food and the first Starbucks. On the way you pass the Seattle Great Wheel, the ferry terminal and the aquarium. Getting into the city center or to the Westlake Link Light Rail station (Line 1) means walking uphill into town for about 12-15 minutes, because Seattle's waterfront sits below a fairly steep slope. If you're not keen on the climb or you're carrying heavy bags, a taxi or Uber is the easier call. In short, if the heart of your trip is the waterfront, the bay view and walking by the sea, this location is ideal — but if you want to be planted in the flat shopping and business core, be ready for the hill.
Things to know before booking
To be straight with you and help you decide: the most important point is the room view. The hotel splits rooms into a water-view side facing the bay and a city-view side facing the city or Alaskan Way, and the two are priced very differently. Most disappointed reviews come from getting a city-view room with no water in sight, or a view of the road or railway instead. If you're here for the waterfront charm, ask clearly for a water view when you book and accept paying more, because that's the whole point of coming. The second point is location and getting around — sitting at the far end of the waterfront means an uphill walk into town, noticeably farther than hotels in central Downtown, so budget for a taxi if you'd rather not climb. The third is age and upkeep: this hotel sells charm and story more than new-build polish, some reviews feel a few spots look dated or due for a refresh, and there are extra costs like valet parking and assorted fees worth confirming before you book. Come here because you love the waterfront experience and the legend, and treat shiny newness as secondary.
Our take
From reading through plenty of real guest reviews, The Edgewater Hotel sells "actually sleeping over the water of Elliott Bay, plus a fireplace in a lodge-style room, plus bay and Olympic Mountains views, plus the legend of The Beatles" with a character that's almost impossible to match in this city. If your picture of the trip is waking to waves under your room, lighting the fireplace with a glass of wine while you watch the ferries and the sunset over the bay, then strolling the waterfront to Pike Place Market, this is the most romantic, most characterful choice. But if you expect a spotless brand-new hotel, a flat location in the heart of the shopping district, or you'd worry about ending up in a city-view room with no water, weigh it carefully and lock in a waterfront room. Overall we give it 8.5/10 — best for couples after a waterfront stay with a story, more than for luxury polish and an easy walk into the city.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- It's the only hotel in Seattle built on Pier 67, reaching out over the water of Elliott Bay — you can lie in bed and hear the waves hitting the pilings beneath your room, an experience you simply won't find anywhere else.
- Every room has its own fireplace and is decorated in Pacific Northwest lodge style with real wood, leather furniture and red-and-blue wool patterns, giving it the warmth of a plush lakeside cabin on a cold day.
- Waterfront rooms open a window or balcony onto a wide view of Elliott Bay all the way to the Olympic Mountains, with white ferries gliding past and the sunset coloring the sky over the water.
- There's a legendary history here: The Beatles stayed in 1964, producing the famous shot of the band fishing out the window, which turned the hotel into a pop-culture landmark for the city.
- The Six Seven restaurant and waterside lounge lean on local seafood and ingredients, and the big lobby with its stone fireplace and bay view is a fine spot for an evening drink while you watch the boats and the mountains.
- Room prices vary a lot between the water-view side and the city-view side — rooms facing the city or Alaskan Way get no bay view at all, and some look onto the road or railway instead. Ask specifically for a water view when you book or you may be disappointed.
- The location is at the far end of the waterfront on the Belltown side, so walking into the city center or to Pike Place Market means following the shoreline and climbing a fair hill — farther than hotels right in Downtown. If you'd rather not walk uphill, budget for a taxi.
- This is an older hotel that sells charm and story more than the polish of a brand-new build. Some reviews feel a few spots look dated, and there are extra costs like valet parking and assorted fees worth checking before you book.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
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Insider Tips
- Book a water-view room specifically, and ideally one that reaches out over the water or has a balcony — that's the entire reason to stay here. City-view rooms are cheaper but miss the waterfront charm completely.
- Have the in-room fireplace lit in the evening, then open the curtains to watch the waves and boat lights in the bay — the hotel's most romantic moment, especially on a cold or classically rainy Seattle night.
- Walking the waterfront south toward Pike Place Market and the Seattle Great Wheel is easy, but if you're heading back uphill into town at night or carrying heavy bags, a taxi or Uber beats the climb.