At the risk of stating the obvious: Seattle looks pretty sweet from the 39th floor. Eye-to-eye with cranes and skyscrapers, with the waters of Puget Sound and the snowcapped peaks of the Olympic Mountains sparkling in the distance, this downtown penthouse shows the city from all its best angles. It’s the way you’d like to reveal it to a first-time visitor, if you intended to make them fall in love with the place.

Fitting, considering that this 4,400-square-foot stunner sits at the tippy top of the Hyatt at Olive 8, a boutique hotel frequented by patrons of the nearby Paramount Theatre, Seattle Convention Center, and Starbucks Reserve Roastery. In short, it’s a section of the city populated by people experiencing Seattle in its Sunday best—or maybe its most professional.

The penthouse itself also comes dressed to impress. Built in 2008 and recently renovated by Susan Marinello, a local interior designer with international acclaim, the space balances striking, 10.5-foot ceilings and glassy windowed expanses with warm, natural finishes. The result looks thoroughly modern without falling into the genre’s clichés. Foregoing stark, glossy white in favor of earthy colors and textures—like the creamy travertine seen in the bathrooms and fireplace, or the especially impressive calacatta marble slab that tops the kitchen island—helps ground the lofty space. Amid mostly light finishes, dark wood paneling adds contrast and depth.

Cream carpeting in the primary bedroom, expanded by Marinello into a stately standalone suite with a massive walk-in closet, brings some unexpected coziness to the sleek, minimalist design. The home feels simultaneously ultra-luxe and livable—something many a five-star resort strives to achieve.

Think of the whole affair as something like Eloise at the Plaza, but a little more rainy and all grown up. In addition to resort-style luxury and the best views in the building, penthouse residents get access to all the hotel’s amenities: a three-lane lap pool, spa and sauna, and 24-7 concierge services, to name a few. Eloise would especially approve of the two private elevators—and the cool hotel garbage chutes. Those with more adult concerns might be impressed by the unit's four reserved parking spaces.

The home offers another hot commodity that’s exceedingly rare in the downtown core: 1,000 square feet of private outdoor living space, in the form of a wraparound terrace. It’s fully covered, so those awe-inspiring views can still be enjoyed—with some help from the outdoor fireplace—by folks who love Seattle from every angle and in every weather.

Listing Fast Facts

737 Olive Way #3901 Seattle, WA 98101
Size: 4,400 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
List Price: $7,200,000
List Date: 12/2/2023
Listing Agent: Lance Neely, Heritage Residential