Sorrento Hotel

This grand working hotel on First Hill is a fine example of Italian Renaissance architecture. Built in 1909 by a Seattle clothing merchant, the Sorrento was one of the first hotels designed to absorb the crowds arriving in Seattle for the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (the 1909 World's Fair held in Seattle). Don’t miss a chance to nose around the interior opulence, including the wood-paneled Fireside Room, where you can come on Wednesdays for Seattle's least rowdy event: Silent Reading Party.