48 Hours in Seattle’s Dog Friendly Hotel Ändra

Seattle has always been a bit of a dichotomy to me - though its cultural roots are heavily influenced by the emergence of Grunge music back in the ‘80’s, it now acts as a hub for numerous tech giants such as Amazon and Microsoft. Though the downtown area has its fair share of sleek high-rise buildings and modern structures, the city is also surrounded by 360 views of wilderness in the form of mountains, forests, and ocean.

A prime example of this perfect marriage of contrasting elements is Hotel Ändra, where we had the pleasure of staying for a couple nights - located in the heart of downtown, this boutique hotel is 100% authentically Seattle!

The Property

Established in 2004, Hotel Ändra is an independent boutique hotel nestled between South Lake Union and Belltown, right in the heart of downtown Seattle. Though it has been around for almost twenty years now, the hotel recently went through a massive renovation, reimagining their Scandinavian design (a tribute to Seattle’s Nordic heritage) to truly encompass the “hygge” environment of comfort and coziness. The hotel truly feels like a home away from home after a full day of exploring everything Seattle has to offer, from Pike Place market (a 5-min walk away) and the Space Needle to shopping, dining, speakeasy-style cocktail bars, and music venues!

Amenities

One of the things that brings this boutique hotel to “luxury status” is definitely the amenities - first and foremost being how dog friendly it is! Not only can dogs stay free of charge (seriously, no extra pet fees!),as soon as we walked into our Superia queen room, we were greeted with a whole presentation of items to make Koda’s stay as comfortable as possible: separate food and water bowls, a rubber mat for the bowls, and even a cozy blanket for him to lay on. The hotel also has a rewards program for its return customers and will often treat guests with “surprise and delight” gifts - we received a lovely welcome gift upon arrival curated with local goods!

The room itself was both cozy and spacious at the same time - I was so amazed to see that we had a walk-in closet AND a seating area with a couch. It actually made it so easy to spend a lot of our time in the room, as I could work from the desk during the day (thanks to the hotel’s free wifi) and also grab takeout for breakfast/lunch and eat in the living area, which had a large coffee table perfect for casual dining. At night, it took almost zero effort to fall asleep on the plush bedding with down comforters, and in the morning, we had our own Nespresso maker with complimentary pods to help us wake up. Little details like these, as well as the integrated USB outlets, reading lights above the beds, TV with Google Chromecast (so we could still binge Only Murders in the Building during our downtime), and even free newspaper delivery every morning made us feel like we had all the comforts of home but in a super luxurious setting!

Day 1

At check in, we were greeted at the front desk by Fabrizio, the concierge who may be one of the FRIENDLIEST people I have ever met! I’ve read that Seattle sometimes gets a bad rep for being a pretty unfriendly city, but that is definitely not the case at Hotel Ändra - every member of the staff made us feel so welcome throughout our stay (many even remembering us by name after only a single introduction) and the level of hospitality was just on another level. Fabrizio also took the time to include a list of dog-friendly places for us to check out during our time in the city which was so thoughtful and super helpful!

After getting settled into our room, we had some free time so we decided to “play tourist” and go visit the Space Needle, only a 15-minute walk away. On the way, we passed Westlake Center, a huge shopping center that we’d actually go to pretty often when we’ve visited the city in the past - it’s the perfect place to easily spend an entire day browsing and shopping. At Seattle Center (where the Space Needle is located), we did a quick loop around the area, admired some of the outdoor glass sculptures from Chihuly Garden (highly recommend visiting to see their glass artwork if you’re ever in the area, but note that the indoor museum does not allow dogs), and headed back to the hotel. On the way back, we put in a take out order at Serious Pie, a Tom Douglas hotspot known for their amazing pizzas and right across the street from Hotel Ändra - I believe they have outdoor (dog-friendly) patio seating in the summer, but they hadn’t opened it up yet when we went. Not a problem, because we got to enjoy some really great pizza (which I think I have a pretty high bar for, living in Brooklyn) while streaming Hulu and lounging on the couch :)

Day 2

Breakfast - Dahlia Bakery

The next morning, after a cup of coffee in the room, we went across the street to Dahlia Bakery to grab some breakfast. Of course my eyes are always bigger than my stomach so we ended up leaving with a couple breakfast sandwiches (one bacon, one veggie), a savory scone, a mochi doughnut, and an oatmeal cookie. There’s a few tables for patio seating outside and the Serious Pie indoor seating area that folks are welcome to use until lunch service begins at 11 AM, but we ended up bringing the food back to the hotel so I could continue my workday.

A few other breakfast/brunch options in the area also include:

Biscuit Bitch - a Southern-inspired grab and go (w/ online ordering), known for their biscuit sandwiches and espresso; multiple locations with the closest being a 6 minute walk from the hotel.
The Crumpet Shop - Seattle’s first and original crumpet baking company, located in Pike Place market. They offer breakfast, sweet, and savory topped crumpets and you really can’t go wrong with any of the choices, although I usually go with the most simple butter + honey or maple butter one!
Moore Coffee - family owned and super cozy, located next to the Moore Theatre and Moore hotel, only two blocks from right across the street from Hotel Ändra - they have the cutest latte art for their coffees (I’ve gotten a bear and a dog during past visits!) and various pastries/sandwiches.
Lola - this Mediterranean spot (also a Tom Douglas establishment) is actually connected to the lobby of Hotel Ändra - we ended up here for dinner instead, but if you’re looking for a cute sit down brunch spot, their fresh donuts are INCREDIBLE!

Lunch - Pasta Casalinga

The rest of the morning was filled with meetings and work calls, but we managed to take a quick lunch break and decided to grab some takeout at Pike Place. One of my absolute favorite places in Seattle for years was a little pasta shop called Il Corvo - they were only open for lunch on weekdays and offered a rotating (tiny) menu of freshly made pasta everyday. Sadly, they permanently closed in 2020 during the pandemic, and since then, I’ve been trying to find a way to fill that pasta-shaped hole in my heart. I decided to check out Pasta Casalinga, which felt slightly reminiscent of my old fav - they operate in a pretty petite space in Pike Place Market and offer only five different homemade pastas on their menu (which changes weekly): From the Ocean (seafood), From the Farm (meat), From the Garden (vegetable), Lasagna, and Pomodoro. We got that week’s From the Ocean, which was a spaghetti alla chitarra with sardines, garlic scapes, and yellow curry, and From the Farm, a pipe pasta with Calabrian sausage, purple cauliflower and candied lemon. I loved all the interesting ingredients and flavors in each, and the portions were huge.

If you’re not feeling pasta, a few other lunch options that are also worth checking out at Pike Place are:

Beecher’s Cheese - depending on when you go, there might be a line out the door, but this is a “tourist” spot that I personally love. The line doesn’t feel that tedious because you’re likely mesmerized, looking through the glass wall into the cheesemaking kitchen the entire time, and honestly, watching fresh cheese being made is kind of cool. Once you get to the front, you have the option of a few different sandwiches, grilled cheeses, soups, and mac and cheese (of course).
Piroshky Piroshky - a compact Russian bakery serving a lengthy list of 20+ varieties of piroshki - a type of Russian baked bun with various fillings. I especially love their savory ones with meat and/or potato!
Pike Place Chowder - sort of self explanatory but they serve Seattle’s (arguably best) clam chowder, and yes they do have bread bowls. They also have outdoor seating (though limited)!

My go-to move is usually to grab a few things from one (or all) of these spots and sit at one of the picnic tables along the waterfront to enjoy a “Pike Place feast” - as long as you have someone who can go inside to order the food while the other person waits with your dog outside, this is the most pet-friendly option!

Dinner - Lola

We had the pleasure of dining out on the outdoor patio of Lola for dinner on our last night downtown. The cuisine is modern and Greek-inspired, while still staying true to local ingredients from the Pacific Northwest. Everything on the menu looked super enticing, but we opted to share a few plates, including the chicken kebabs, a grilled octopus special, the alaskan ling cod, and sugar snap peas. Although we were still pretty full from our pasta lunch, we still managed to clean every plate, and kept some stomach space for the fresh, made-to-order doughnuts. Koda was given a bowl of fresh water during our meal, and was also spoiled with some homemade gourmet dog biscuits from Dahlia Bakery across the street :)

Highly recommend checking out Lola for a meal (although I’d call ahead if you’re bringing a dog since their patio seating is limited)! A few other dinner options near the area if you’re staying for longer are:

List - known for their daily happy hour menu (all bar food 50% off), they have a decent menu of small plates and an even longer list (ha, get it?) of cocktails, wines, and other beverages. They also have a small outdoor seating area that is dog friendly!
The Pink Door - probably one of the most well-known / featured places in Seattle, this Italian restaurant is located in Post Alley (right in front of Pike Place Market) and offers nightly entertainment that can range from burlesque shows to aerial performances and live jazz music. Reservations are highly recommended - their outdoor patio seating is also dog friendly, though they ask you to call ahead since they limit the number of dogs allowed at a time.
Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar - Taylor Shellfish has been farming high-quality, sustainable shellfish since the 1890’s and their oyster bar (about a 20 min walk or quick Uber ride from the hotel) is one place to experience fresh PNW seafood. They also have a few dog-friendly tables outside!
Serious Pie - we grabbed take out from here our first night and brought it back to the hotel, but there are also a few parks in the area where you can go to eat outside / picnic with your dog. Highly recommend trying a few of their pizzas here (their crust is sort of like a crispy focaccia so it feels more like a pizza/flatbread hybrid than your average Dominos) and the triple coconut cream pie (also from Dahlia’s).

After dinner, Koda and I went to meet up with a long-time “Insta” friend - Kiba! We met Kiba (@kiba.aussie on Instagram) and his owners at Nana’s Green Tea, a cute little Japanese shop featuring all kinds of matcha-flavored desserts. It was so fun to have Koda and Kiba finally meet after having followed their Instagram for (over four!) years, and his owners are really the sweetest people ever - it really was the perfect way to end our short stay in the city. Of course we also had to get a pic :)

Day 3

The morning before checking out, we decided to get one last breakfast at Dahlia Bakery (their breakfast sandwiches are just TOO good!) - we stopped by a little later this time, probably around 9 AM, and there was already a line almost to the door, so I would definitely suggest going earlier if you can if you want to avoid a wait!

After coffee and breakfast, we said our goodbyes to Hotel Ändra and headed back home - the end to a short but very sweet trip :)