I’m not much of a business traveler. Even when business demands travel, I’m still a strict pleasure seeker. Sometimes the hotel is the destination itself (Vegas!), but when I booked a room at Seattle’s Hotel Max, the hotel wasn’t the point - in hindsight, it’s what I recall the best.

If you’re like me, and can find sex appeal in the mere act of walking into a hotel, take a few deep breaths before entering the provocative Hotel Max. It’s an art gallery with a come-hither stare. It’s minimalist - with maximum suggestiveness. It’s masculine and feminine all wrapped up together, enticing to anyone who isn’t offended by a little sexy whisper in the ear.

A few moments at the glossy red check-in counter and I knew Hotel Max - a child of the ultra-cool Provenance Hotel collection - had an identity, and was sticking to it. The staff was coy about the long-haired mega-rockers I recognized in the lobby. I couldn’t get confirmation or denial of their identity, though I knew full well who they were. And the “don’t tell” approach wasn’t peppered with snickers, winks, or other confirming non-verbal cues, it was handled with admirable grace. I was impressed with the professionalism already; an impression that didn’t waver through my short, action-packed visit.

The elevator doors opened and I was stunned by dueling black and white door-sized photos of Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain. Love is bent over her guitar with a mash of blond locks obscuring her face, and Cobain is angling slightly away from the camera, but together, you spot their identity instantly. The photos, presumably taken at different live shows, are smartly placed in a face-off, where the torrid couple plays to, for, and in spite of each other. The door to every room on this level is done top-to-bottom with the gorgeous, blown-up black and white photography of rock photog Charles Peterson. Further investigation revealed each floor reflects the work of one single photographer (different on each level), and all photos are black and white, life-sized or larger.

The hallway lighting is gallery-esque, making the most of each photograph. When we might normally head straight to the room, unaffected by hallway ambiance, here we dallied, enjoying the images along the way.

Once inside the room, Hotel Max didn’t disappoint. In fact, they didn’t even stay consistent. They went to another level. The hotel is housed in an historic building, and the designers took great care to use the space to the best of its ability. I was reminded of hotels in Europe, while my companion mentioned similarities to well-kept vintage apartments in San Francisco.

The rooms are tight, and design-brilliant. Green-grey walls play off the Seattle sky, making it easy to breath. A closet door with a foggy glass inlay opens up to reveal the shower. Televisions are flat screen, nightstands are open construction rather than bulky drawer-ridden pieces. Closets are an anomaly in a building this old, so the hotel opts for a sleek armoire. Inside I found Max’s bathrobe of choice: plush terry cloth interior with a seer sucker shell. If you haven’t lounged in one, you should.

As I amusingly toured the room’s creative amenities - the phone has a “You Got It” button to ring the front desk - Hotel Max really set itself apart. First, I found the Spiritual Menu, offering nine different religious texts from the Torah to the Tao Te Ching. Next, a Pillow Menu with a variety from firm to soft, body to neck. And then, AA batteries. Batteries? Hmmm. Maybe for the remote?

No. Likely for the box next to them labeled Mini-Max, and housing a pink vibrator. I was floored, thrilled, impressed. I felt validated. Finally! A hotel that acknowledges the women in its life with more than a hair dryer. But that isn’t to say the Mini Max vibrator is for women only. Indeed, it is a carefully chosen unisex toy. Round of applause! Taking it to the next level again, Hotel Max offers a Hubba Hubba Kit with a number of delights including pink handcuffs and a tickle feather.

Moving on, the sheets are super high thread count. At once heavy and soft, they provide the ultimate sleep aid when coupled with the down comforter, pillow-top mattress, our pillows-du-jour from the menu, and the soft hum of the A/C. The age of the hotel demands window units, but they are top-of-the-line, small, quiet, and do a nice service by humming out Seattle’s bustling downtown streets below.

On another, better planned visit, we’ll stay for two days and not leave the hotel. Maybe take advantage of the Eat, Sleep, and Be Parked package. There’s enough art in the building to keep an enthusiast entertained for a weekend - if you leave the room. Room service can be ordered all night from Red Fin, Hotel Max’s award-winning Best Hotel Bar/Restaurant just off the lobby. The Asian fusion eatery serves up perfectly fresh sushi, Angus steak, and a lot more.

This hotel has sexy to spare - giving their guests a unique opportunity to soak some up into their own lives. It’s situated within striking distance of Seattle’s best attractions like the Pike Place Market, and the shopping district. There are more great restaurants than you can hit in one visit to this romantic city. And if you happen to be traveling alone, there’s quite literally no reason your stay shouldn’t be climactic.

Hotel Max
620 Stewart St.
Seattle, WA
Tel: (866) 833-6299
www.hotelmaxseattle.com

- Review by Emily Resling (missing.an.i@gmail.com)

Emily Resling feels at home in restaurants and hotels. She’ll eat anything she’s never heard of, and stay anywhere with a proper lock (though she prefers a concierge, a spa, and turn-down service). Her passion for culinary adventure is matched by her lust for writing about it, in hopes of guiding fellow foodies to uncharted territory. She feels fated to explore faraway places and eat local fare, which occasionally leaves her Seattle-bound plants ironically needing water.