Seattle’s Maxwell Hotel where pineapples rule

Last updated 12 February 2021

Seattle is a city visitors rarely want to leave. Located in the enchanting Pacific Northwest, as the State’s largest city, Seattle has drawn from a region packed with nature and cultural diversity.

Tucked in the pocket of the Puget Sound, Seattle pulses with an energetic vibe. There’s too much going on – like exploring outdoors, nature, live music, coffee houses, and incredible food experiences. Oh and let’s not forget it’s a UNESCO City of Literature.  I put my hand up and admit I was one of those visitors who really didn’t want to leave.

After four days of exploring then sneaking up to Vancouver for a weekend before returning for one more night in Seattle, I was sad to say farewell to the Emerald City.  Staying in the Maxwell Hotel for my last night was the perfect way to end an amazing ten-day vacation.

Please read my review of the quirky and very comfortable Staypineapple, The Maxwell Hotel in Seattle.

Convenient location

Staypineapple, The Maxwell Hotel is in Roy Street at the base of Queen Anne Hill and is an easy five-minute stroll to the Seattle Centre, where you’ll find the iconic Space Needle, MoPop, and the Chihuly Garden and Glass  As one of ten hotels belonging to the Staypineapple group (they have three other properties in Seattle) The Maxwell Hotel has embraced the humble pineapple in a very big way. Quirky pineapple touches throughout (inside and out) made this Queenslander feel right at home.

For the benefit of those readers not from Queensland, my home state is synonymous with pineapples. We even have a Big Pineapple you can walk through and Pure Gold Pineapples are sold all around Australia. So when I walked through the sliding doors and into the hotel lobby, the large mosaic pineapple embellished in the floor tiles, I smiled.

But let me tell you a little about the hotel and the features I loved.

 Quirky

This hotel is colourful and fun. Instagram worthy if that is your thing. The comfy chairs in the lounge area are made for conversation and not leaving the hotel, especially on the nights they have live music in the nearby Pineapple Bar.

Friendly staff

From the moment you walk inside the hotel entrance, you sense the friendly vibe from the staff. Nothing is too much trouble and they happily answered all my questions, including where to go for a quick and easy dinner on my last night.

They even allowed me to store an additional bag a week earlier (I was heading up to Vancouver for the weekend and didn’t need to lug my big suitcase for a quick break.)

And how cute: they refer to their staff as a “hard-working team of pineapples.”

My room

Should I be offended?

Because they checked me into a Prima Donna Suite.

This spacious room had two king-sized beds and a sleeper sofa – can accommodate six people. (If I’d brought my kids we’ have all comfortably fit in this space – and still had room for luggage. I.)

The bathroom: spa tub and walk-in shower.  The Tommy Bahama Travel Collection toiletries in a dispenser on the wall is a nod to sustainable practices.

Note: The bath is not built for tall people – but my 167cm frame fitted in comfortably.

My room included a microwave and coffee-tea making facilities and a cute pair of pineapple mugs.

The Bed

StayPineapple prides themselves on their Naked Experience. Pretty much encouraging you to get naked between the sheets. The beds feature double duvet European style bedding.

They even provide an instruction card on how to best ‘utilise’ your duvet – just in case you don’t know how to make the most of this European style of quilt!

They were clean, soft and the beds very comfy. Thumbs up from me after having a solid night’s sleep. The bed was so comfortable I didn’t want to throw the comforter off and get out of it the next morning. I wasn’t ready to accept this was the day I had to leave Seattle.

Because my flight wasn’t until 1pm, I made the most of my spacious suite and spread my bags out to do the final pack before the long-haul home to Aus.

Did I mention I slipped out to Nordstrom’s Rack in downtown Seattle the night before?

Oh wow – that place was bargain central, so there were a few additional packages (Christmas pressies) I had to squeeze in! Thanks to my Seattle friend Sue for the suggestion.

Back to the Maxwell. They have lightweight bathrobes in pale lemon. Staypineapple suggests they save you from having to answer the door naked! (So considerate.) Being lightweight, they would be perfect for our Brisbane climate.  And yes you can purchase a robe.

Reality check: I had no weight allowance left in my suitcase! (Next time?)

The extras: Cupcakes and a swimming pool 

Mini pineapple cupcakes for afternoon tea – picked up these from reception – try stopping at one!

A small indoor pool (heated in winter.)  Don’t go thinking this will allow you to work off any of those pineapple cupcakes. This pool is teeny.  Lifted off their website: Make like a pineapple and float in our indoor pool. At four feet deep it’s perfect for family frolicking but please don’t show off your diving skills.

Agree it’s ideal if you have little kids with you, they’d love it.

Bikes for guests if you want to be seen riding a yellow bike.

Shuttle Service departing every 30 minutes into downtown (except Sunday apparently.) Gary my driver who dropped me into Nordstrom’s Rack tells me more about Seattle during the 15-minute drive than I learned in my previous four days.  And a few Dad jokes thrown in for good measure.

Pineapple Bistro and Bar

You can purchase pizzas from a wood-fired oven or mac and cheese to stave off the munchies. They offer ‘crafty’ cocktails – whatever that was, too busy shopping I never had the time to find out. The U-shaped bar looked perfect for socialising and I was told that they have live music on certain nights (not my night, unfortunately.)

Dog-Friendly

I left my dog in Aus, but apparently, the Maxwell is a dog-friendly Hotel – just like Seattle is a dog-friendly city. Obviously if bringing your fur baby, you need to check with reservation staff in advance. Ask for the Pineapple Pup Package.

How to get there

You can take the monorail from Westlake Centre Mall (lookout there are more shops) in the city to the Seattle Centre next to the Space Needle and walk 10 minutes to the Hotel. There is a car park underneath, for a daily fee.

Proximity to the Space Needle and MoPop is handy as these are worth a visit as mentioned in my Seattle Highlights post.

The verdict 

If you’re after a boutique hotel in Seattle with a fun and friendly vibe, but not in the hustle and bustle of the city centre, the Maxwell is a great choice.  This Hotel embraces everything I love about Seattle: quirky, colourful and laid back.

Definitely an experience I’m ready to repeat.