Have you ever been to the city where the Space Needle, Starbucks, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and “Grey’s Anatomy” come from? Not to mention the location of one of the most romantic films of the 80s (“When Harry Met Sally”)? Seattle is one of Washington’s largest cities and attracts business travelers from around the world.
Seattle is a city of constant change. From its early years as part of the gold rush to today, as home to some of the world’s most influential companies, it is a city built on innovation.
Downtown is home to some of the best business-friendly restaurants, hotels and activities America has to offer. This way you can relax or even extend your trip for some bleisure fun after long customer meetings and conferences. This gem of the American West Coast has it all!
Where to stay in Seattle on a business trip
Seattle has around 14,000 hotel rooms in the downtown area, which are used extensively by business travelers. From the Four Seasons with heated infinity pool to the W and Hyatt, you can find everything that is prestigious there.
However, if you decide to book a hotel room downtown, you’ll want to stay north of Pike Place Market and avoid southern neighborhoods like Pioneer Square. While West Seattle itself is a great area to visit, it’s not recommended to book accommodation here if you’re planning on holding meetings in the city. Traffic is common here and it can take up to an hour to get to the city center.
One of the trendiest areas in downtown Seattle is Belltown, which has a great selection of restaurants and bars and is within walking distance of Pike Place and Seattle Center. An absolute dream hotel for business travelers in this part of the city is, for example, the trendy boutique hotel Hotel Ändra.
Getting around Seattle
The largest airport in Seattle is Seattle Tacoma International Airport. The Link Light Rail connects the airport to the city center in just 38 minutes and runs every 8-10 minutes. The airport is also served by several bus routes operated by Sound Transit and King County Metro.
If you want to use public transportation in Seattle, you should get an ORCA card. It costs $3 and can be used for all-day passes ($8) on trams, light rail, buses and more. It’s a really convenient option for getting around the city center.
You can also get from A to B easily and safely in Seattle by foot. The city has a compact downtown core that is easy to reach by foot and offers many attractions. The city is also in many ways a “city of neighborhoods,” and many districts outside of the downtown core have diverse cultures. Crime statistics show that Seattle is relatively safe for its size.
Scooter Share and Bike Share also let you rent electric scooters and electric bikes to travel short distances, Link light rail rides, climate-friendly commutes, and more. You simply rent the nearest available scooter or bike, ride it to your desired destination, and leave it properly parked for the next person to ride.
Business travel Seattle: what you need to know about the Emerald City
Seattle’s most famous nickname is “The Emerald City,” a reference to the area’s lush evergreen forests. Seattle is also unofficially referred to as the “Rain City” and “Jet City.” The latter refers to the influence in the region of Boeing, the multinational aerospace company founded in Seattle (Boeing moved its headquarters to Chicago in 2001).
Job growth in Seattle has increased 2.7 percent annually over the past five years, and income has increased 4.7 percent annually over the same period, although it has remained stagnant elsewhere in the country. And Seattle is one of the few large metropolitan areas in America where more people are moving in than moving out.
Forbes Business Magazine ranks Seattle as one of the best cities in America to advance business and careers. The local skilled workers and booming economy contribute to making Seattle attractive to business travelers.
According to Forbes, the Seattle metropolitan area has an annual gross domestic product of $288.5 billion, a median household income of $86,574 and a median home price of $564,000.
Book your hotel in advance
Business trips to Seattle are serious; four of the largest US companies have their headquarters there: Starbucks, Microsoft, Amazon and Boeing. And the two richest people in the world live in the metropolitan region: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
If you plan to explore the Emerald City for business, consider booking a well-located hotel room in advance to avoid disappointment and high room prices.
DID YOU KNOW?
Up to a quarter of hotel rooms are booked by business travelers at any given time! This is why it’s important to book in advance.
Keep it informal
As an innovation hub, Seattle is home to many startups. The work culture is therefore very informal and largely individualistic. Many employees are motivated to advance their careers. This creates a culture that encourages innovation and forward-thinking, with a tendency to move at a fast pace, a clear focus on results and productivity, and a willingness to take risks.
Interestingly, in the United States, unlike some other cultures, there is no strong cultural commitment to age or business hierarchies. Instead, the focus is typically on individual achievement and personal progress.
American business communication isn’t about using the most difficult English words to impress your colleagues. Quite the opposite. The key is to be clear and concise. So skip fancy words and say what you mean. With cities like Seattle and Portland, the Pacific Northwest has a very laid-back, green image. He represents great love for nature and environmentally friendly practices. Here you can find more tips for business trips to the USA.
Seattle’s port is a major gateway for trade
The Port of Seattle, which also operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, is a major gateway for trade with Asia and cruises to Alaska, and is one of the largest ports in the United States in terms of container capacity.
Seattle is a rainy city but not the rainiest in the US
Seattle has a reputation for being one of the rainiest cities in the United States, but the city isn’t even close to the rainiest place in the country. There are many other cities that get a lot more rain – especially considering hurricane season. As it turns out, the rainiest city in the US is actually in the south: Louisville, Kentucky.
Seattle has 3% of the US’s startups
Seattle is a smart and bold choice for tech entrepreneurs. Seattle’s growth, diversity efforts and educated population prove that it is not a new Silicon Valley, but a humble tech mecca ready for innovative startups.
Make your Seattle business trip easy
Managing business travel plans can be a time-consuming and complex task. However, thanks to technology and innovative travel solutions, it’s now easier than ever to consolidate all of your business travel bookings in one place.
For your next business trip to Seattle, make the booking process and travel options as easy as possible. A travel management platform like Get Going can help you with this. The platform makes it easy to book flights, hotels and car rentals, and with automated travel policies and 24/7 support, you can be sure your business will benefits from streamlined travel.
