Populus Seattle: Luxury Hotel Where Art, Sustainability, Design, and Fine Dining Meet

Seattle is a city known for its breathtaking vistas alongside cutting-edge industry. But before it was a tech hub, this Pacific Northwest (PNW) jewel had a thriving timber industry in the mid-19th century. Warehouses and other buildings were constructed in the downtown corridor to support it, but their original purpose has long since passed. These buildings have been rehabbed into workspaces, housing, and, in the case of Populus Seattle, a luxury hotel.

Populus Seattle is set inside a restored warehouse in the Pioneer Square neighborhood and serves as the cultural anchor of RailSpur, a new micro-district within greater Pioneer Square developed by Urban Villages. It’s a pedestrian-first hub for art, design, and dining. Formerly known as the Westland Building, the hotel is an adaptive reuse property, meaning that its 1907 history has been modernized and given a second life. The original Douglas fir flooring, for instance, was pulled up, restored, and now serves as custom furniture and frames for the hotel’s unique art program.

Populus has two locations—Seattle and Denver—and both are carbon-positive properties, meaning they remove more carbon from the atmosphere than they take in. In Seattle, this means preservation, as well as a rooftop converted into a pollinator-friendly native plant habitat and local forest reforestation projects.

The 120 guest rooms at Populus Seattle pay homage to the building’s history and the surrounding landscape of the Emerald City and greater PNW. The fir beams line the ceilings, and exposed brick walls recall its former life as a warehouse. Other tones, from accent walls to the flooring to the bedding, are clad in deep blues, sage greens, and hues that capture a woodsy yet sophisticated vibe.

Original art by local artists lines the walls of the rooms and the common spaces of the hotel. Through a partnership with ARTXIV, Populus is a rotating residency for creatives, with a working studio space next door and a place to showcase their work. Every piece in the hotel is for sale, and when one is purchased, it’s replaced with something new.

While the hotel is meant for the discerning traveler, both out-of-towners and locals love the food and drinks at Populus Seattle. Its signature restaurant is Salt Harvest, located on the second floor. Anchored by a wood-fired hearth, the cuisine embraces Seattle’s geography with local seafood, meats, and produce. Seating in the restaurant can include a glass-wrapped solarium with hanging plants for an indoor-outdoor experience, or a look into the kitchen at the Chef’s Counter. Firn, located on the top floor, is the neighborhood’s first and only rooftop bar.

Eugene Kim, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of My Modern Met, had the opportunity to stay at the hotel while visiting. “Populus Seattle is where art, design, and sustainability intersect,” he says. “I was truly moved by the vision of its developers, Urban Villages, who take an environment-first approach with initiatives like One Night One Tree: where every night a guest stays, a tree is planted.”

“Entering the hotel through the Ghost Forest and approaching the stairs is a breathtaking experience. Inside, you’re surrounded by striking artwork at every turn—including in the rooms. I also have to give my highest compliments to Chef Conny at Salt Harvest—the food was not only beautifully prepared but also incredibly delicious. To top it off, I enjoyed creative cocktails at Firn and soaked in the beautiful Seattle skyline from the rooftop bar.”

To learn more about Populus Seattle and make a reservation, visit the hotel website.

Luxury hotel Populus Seattle is set inside a restored warehouse in the Pioneer Square neighborhood and serves as the cultural anchor of RailSpur, a new micro-district within greater Pioneer Square.

Formerly known as the Westland Building, the hotel is an adaptive reuse property, meaning that its 1907 history has been modernized and given a second life.

The original Douglas fir flooring, for instance, was pulled up, restored, and now serves as custom furniture and frames for the hotel’s unique art program.

Original art by local artists line the walls of the rooms and the common spaces of the hotel.

Through a partnership with ARTXIV, every piece in the hotel is for sale, and when one is purchased, it’s replaced with something new.

Both out-of-towners and locals love the food and drinks at Populus Seattle. Its signature restaurant is Salt Harvest, located on the second floor.

Firn, located on the top floor, is the neighborhood’s first and only rooftop bar. Visit it for skyline views and cocktails crafted with elemental forms of ice.

Populus Seattle: Website | Instagram | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Populus Seattle. 

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