Spread across 16 stories in the city’s University District, the Graduate Seattle has arrived within a historic 1930s structure at the threshold of the University of Washington.
While paying homage to the building’s original details, the design from AJ Capital Partners features fresh moments with elements including two 18-foot-long purple plaid sofas, a cozy fireplace, and a two-story wall installation of vintage amplifiers and speakers in the lobby. Additional purple details reflect the university’s colors as well. The lobby will be enhanced with the café Poindexter Coffee later this month, while the Mountaineering Club is installed across the rooftop as a bar and restaurant concept. In addition to more than 5,000 square feet of meeting and event space, all 154 guestrooms are adorned with crab wallpaper—a nod to the Puget Sound—and artwork that highlights Seattle celebrities, from astronaut Michael P. Anderson and rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot. The Art Deco roots of the property is expressed through black and white floor tiles and pale pink walls.
“We’re bringing the hotel’s art deco legacy back to life, and adding elements of Pacific Northwest comfort, a celebration of Washington’s amazing landscapes and touches of the Graduate sense of humor,” says Andrew Alford, CCO of AJ Capital Partners. “You won’t find another hotel in Seattle with custom Bruce Lee lamps, velvet paintings of Sir Mix-a-Lot or a wall of speakers and amps.”
