Westin Seattle
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn upscale twin-tower hotel in downtown Seattle and the flagship property of the Westin Hotels & Resorts brand.
Last updated August 26, 2026
Overview
Westin Seattle is an upscale high-rise hotel complex in downtown Seattle, Washington. It is the flagship property associated with the Westin Hotels & Resorts brand, which is part of Marriott International. The hotel occupies a prominent site near the city's commercial core and is distinguished by its two large, near-identical towers, extensive guest-room inventory, conference facilities, and long-standing role in Seattle's lodging and convention market. The property originated as the Washington Plaza Hotel, a major urban development announced on December 28, 1966, by Western International Hotels and Alcoa. The project was planned for the site of the historic Orpheum Theatre and was intended to add a modern, large-scale hotel to a downtown area that had not seen a comparable new hotel construction since the adjacent Benjamin Franklin Hotel was completed in 1929. Western International president Edward E. Carlson selected John Graham & Associates as architect and Howard S. Wright Construction Company as builder. Both firms had previously worked on Seattle's Space Needle, helping give the project a strong connection to the city's modern architectural identity. The original hotel consisted of a single 40-story south tower. Construction reached the top of the tower in January 1969, and the property opened on June 29 of that year. At opening, Western International operated the Washington Plaza together with the neighboring Benjamin Franklin Hotel, creating a combined complex of 715 rooms. The original tower rose approximately 121 meters, or 397 feet, and immediately became a major feature of the downtown skyline. A major expansion followed in the early 1980s. The aging Benjamin Franklin wing was demolished in July 1980 to make room for a second tower. During the redevelopment, Western International Hotels changed its corporate name to Westin Hotels. The Washington Plaza became the first property in the chain to adopt the Westin name, taking the name The Westin Hotel on September 1, 1981. The new north tower opened in June 1982. At approximately 137 meters and 47 stories, it became Seattle's tallest hotel and retained that distinction until the opening of the Hyatt Regency Seattle in 2018. The two towers form the defining visual identity of the property. The hotel is also linked to Seattle's downtown business and tourism infrastructure through its proximity to offices, retail, cultural attractions, and major transportation connections. In 1981, Westin opened a corporate headquarters in the Westin Building directly across the street; the building and hotel shared a parking garage, further integrating the property into the company's Seattle development footprint. Westin Seattle's principal offering is conventional full-service upscale lodging, supplemented by meeting and event space and other hotel services. Its positioning reflects Westin's premium-upscale emphasis on business travel, leisure stays, wellness-oriented hospitality, and an elevated urban guest experience. The hotel is a single property rather than a separately traded company, and no standalone ownership, revenue, or stock information is established in the supplied sources. Its present brand affiliation is with Marriott International through Westin Hotels & Resorts.
History
Westin Seattle began as the Washington Plaza Hotel, a development announced by Western International Hotels and Alcoa on December 28, 1966. The project was conceived for the former Orpheum Theatre site in downtown Seattle and represented one of the city's first major new hotel developments in several decades. Western International president Edward E. Carlson selected John Graham & Associates to design the building and Howard S. Wright Construction Company to construct it. The firms had also collaborated on the Space Needle, linking the hotel project to Seattle's mid-century architectural modernization. The Orpheum Theatre began to be demolished in August 1967. The initial hotel plan called for one 40-story tower, now known as the south tower, with an approximate height of 121 meters. The tower was topped out in January 1969, and the Washington Plaza opened on June 29, 1969. Western International operated it in conjunction with the neighboring Benjamin Franklin Hotel. Together, the connected properties contained 715 rooms and formed a substantial downtown lodging complex. The original configuration changed in the early 1980s. The aging Benjamin Franklin wing was demolished in July 1980 to clear the site for a second tower. During this period, Western International Hotels changed its corporate identity to Westin Hotels. On September 1, 1981, Washington Plaza became The Westin Hotel, making it the first property in the chain to receive the Westin name. The company also opened a corporate headquarters in the Westin Building across the street in 1981; the office building and hotel shared a parking garage. The second tower opened in June 1982. Rising approximately 137 meters across 47 stories, it was designed to closely complement the first tower and established the twin-tower profile that remains the property's defining architectural feature. The north tower was Seattle's tallest hotel until 2018, when the Hyatt Regency Seattle opened. Over subsequent decades, the hotel continued operating as a major upscale downtown property within the Westin portfolio. Its importance derives both from its size and from its position in Seattle's central business and tourism district. It provides accommodation, meeting and event facilities, and associated full-service hotel amenities for business travelers, leisure guests, and groups. The property is also part of the broader history of Westin Hotels & Resorts, which later became part of Marriott International. Popular culture has occasionally used the towers as a visual reference; the cover of Modest Mouse's 1997 album featured the hotel towers. No supplied source establishes a separate corporate entity, standalone listing, or property-level financial disclosure for Westin Seattle.
- 2018
Seattle's tallest-hotel record ends
[1]The hotel was surpassed as Seattle's tallest hotel by the newly opened Hyatt Regency Seattle.
- 1997
Hotel towers appear on Modest Mouse album cover
[1]The hotel's twin towers were featured on the cover of an album by alternative rock band Modest Mouse.
- 1982
North tower opens
[1]The 47-story north tower opened in June, completing the twin-tower hotel complex.
- 1981
Property renamed The Westin Hotel
[1]The Washington Plaza became the first property in the chain renamed under the Westin identity.
- 1981
Westin corporate headquarters opens nearby
[1]Westin opened a corporate headquarters in the Westin Building directly across the street from the hotel.
- 1980
Benjamin Franklin wing demolished
[1]The older adjoining wing was demolished to make room for a second hotel tower.
- 1969
Washington Plaza opens
[1]The initial 40-story south tower opened on June 29, 1969.
- 1967
Orpheum Theatre demolition begins
[1]Demolition began to prepare the site for construction of the Washington Plaza Hotel.
- 1966
Washington Plaza project announced
[1]Western International Hotels and Alcoa announced plans for a major new hotel on the former Orpheum Theatre site in downtown Seattle.
Products and positioning
Premium-upscale full-service urban hotel focused on business travel, leisure stays, meetings, and wellness-oriented hospitality.
Hotel accommodation · 1969
Guest rooms and suites
The core offering is full-service upscale accommodation distributed across the property's two high-rise towers. The room inventory serves both business and leisure visitors staying in central Seattle, with the twin-tower format providing a large urban lodging capacity.
Hospitality and events · 1969
Meetings and event facilities
Westin Seattle operates as a convention- and business-oriented hotel as well as a leisure property. Its meeting, conference, banquet, and event capabilities support corporate gatherings, group stays, and social functions in a downtown setting.
Hotel services · 1969
Food and beverage services
As a full-service upscale hotel, the property provides food and beverage services associated with guest stays, meetings, and events. Specific restaurant names and current operating details are not established in the supplied reference material.
Brand decisions
1981
Rebrand Washington Plaza as The Westin HotelStrategyBackground
Western International Hotels changed its corporate name to Westin Hotels while the second-tower redevelopment was underway.
Action taken
The Washington Plaza adopted the name The Westin Hotel on September 1, 1981, becoming the first property in the chain to use the Westin name.
Aftermath
The property became the flagship hotel associated with the Westin Hotels & Resorts identity and remained a prominent downtown Seattle hotel.
1980
Expand the hotel with a second towerStrategyBackground
The original complex included the aging Benjamin Franklin wing, and the property required redevelopment to create a larger and more unified modern hotel complex.
Action taken
Westin demolished the Benjamin Franklin wing and proceeded with construction of a second tower beside the original Washington Plaza tower.
Aftermath
The north tower opened in 1982 and established the twin-tower configuration that defines Westin Seattle. It also made the property Seattle's tallest hotel for several decades.
Recent events
- 2018
Westin Seattle loses tallest-hotel distinction[1]
Other
The hotel ceased to be Seattle's tallest after the Hyatt Regency Seattle opened.
- 1982
Second tower opens at the Westin Seattle[1]
Product generation · Product launch
A 47-story north tower opened in June, completing the hotel's defining twin-tower configuration and making it Seattle's tallest hotel at the time.
- 1981
Washington Plaza adopts the Westin name[1]
Other
Following Western International Hotels' corporate renaming as Westin Hotels, Washington Plaza became the first property in the chain to be renamed The Westin Hotel.
- 1969
Washington Plaza opens in downtown Seattle[1]
Product launch
The first tower of the hotel opened on June 29, creating a major new downtown property operated by Western International Hotels.
- 1966
Western International Hotels and Alcoa announce Washington Plaza development[1]
Other
The two companies announced plans for an $18 million large-scale hotel on the site of Seattle's former Orpheum Theatre.
Sources1 sources
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