It's 1964. You're a struggling hotel on Seattle's waterfront and The Beatles - having been turned away by every other hotel in town - are in need of a place to stay. What do you do? Well, if you're The Edgewater Hotel, you make a call to Brian Epstein, take out some extra insurance, and cement a place in history for decades to come.
The stories surrounding The Beatles' visit to Seattle and The Edgewater are a perfect microcosm of the insanity that was Beatlemania. The hotel was forced to build a barbed wire fence to hold back the throngs of teenage girls waiting outside. Some tried sneaking in with the hotel's daily laundry, others booked a room the night before the band arrived and then hid under the bed instead of checking out. The hotel even hired a few members of a local high school football team to serve as security - how effective they were against the charms of their attractive classmates is probably debatable.
But perhaps the craziest stunt of all came when the lads decided to try their hand at fishing from the window of their suite. The scene produced one of the most famous photographs of the era and a cover of Life Magazine, however, it also inspired several girls to attempt a swim across Elliott Bay to the hotel - a distance of well over a mile.
Today, room #272 is known as The Beatles Suite, and given that I am both a hotels and Beatles junkie, you can probably imagine my reaction when I learned it was available for our stay at The Edgewater.
To say it was quite a rush when the door lock to the Beatles Suite went "click" is no doubt an understatement. Once inside, my eyes were immediately drawn to two things: the incredible view of Elliott Bay and the print hanging on a pillar of the most famous band ever assembled leaning out the very same window.
Goosebumps.
After the euphoria wore off, I was able to size up The Beatles Suite's primary function as our hotel room for the night. For starters, the room is huge - certainly an abundance space for the two of us, although I couldn't help but wonder how there was enough room for the four lads to sleep. MJ was quick to point out that it was unlikely they did any sleeping...
Aside from the sheer size of the room, I was also quite impressed by its decor. The working fireplace (there's one in every room at The Edgewater) was a nice touch, MJ was a fan of the claw-foot tub, and we even enjoyed a meal at the dining room table - something that never happens in our own home. And somewhat to my surprise, the use of memorabilia was far from over the top - I half expected it to look like The Beatles had thrown up all over the room.
Then again, some of them may very well have.
Which is exactly the kind of thought that's impossible to escape while in The Beatles Suite. As you look around, it's easy to imagine what it was like. Paul in the corner chatting up some brunette. John on the couch reading a book, completely ignoring the blonde that won't shut up next to him. George attempting to write a song on the floor with his guitar, while two sisters explain they took the Greyhound bus all night from Sacramento. And Ringo, still trying to catch a fish out the window because no one realized he was there.
Then again, the reality is that The Beatles Suite probably bears little resemblance to what it did back then. After the group departed, the room was stripped clean - the furnishings all secretly moved to other rooms to prevent people from stealing them. The carpet was even torn out and sent to a local department store where it was sold off in small squares. So although you can't technically say "John Lennon sat on this couch" there is something magnetic about knowing that they were there. Besides, who wants to sit on a 50 year old couch.
The exposure from The Beatles' brief stay at The Edgewater did more than earn it a few mentions in teen-beat magazines - it made it the place to stay in Seattle for celebrities, politicians, and fanatical fans of the Fab Four alike. From the Rolling Stones and Nirvana to President Clinton and Led Zepplin - who were banned from the hotel in a story that's anything but safe for work - The Edgewater has played host to more than its fair share of luminaries.
And while I am probably the least famous person to ever check-in to room #272, this was one hotel stay that I will truly never forget.
Enjoy Your Stay
Today, room #272 is known as The Beatles Suite, and given that I am both a hotels and Beatles junkie, you can probably imagine my reaction when I learned it was available for our stay at The Edgewater.
 |
| Looks about right. |
To say it was quite a rush when the door lock to the Beatles Suite went "click" is no doubt an understatement. Once inside, my eyes were immediately drawn to two things: the incredible view of Elliott Bay and the print hanging on a pillar of the most famous band ever assembled leaning out the very same window.
Goosebumps.
After the euphoria wore off, I was able to size up The Beatles Suite's primary function as our hotel room for the night. For starters, the room is huge - certainly an abundance space for the two of us, although I couldn't help but wonder how there was enough room for the four lads to sleep. MJ was quick to point out that it was unlikely they did any sleeping...
Aside from the sheer size of the room, I was also quite impressed by its decor. The working fireplace (there's one in every room at The Edgewater) was a nice touch, MJ was a fan of the claw-foot tub, and we even enjoyed a meal at the dining room table - something that never happens in our own home. And somewhat to my surprise, the use of memorabilia was far from over the top - I half expected it to look like The Beatles had thrown up all over the room.
Which is exactly the kind of thought that's impossible to escape while in The Beatles Suite. As you look around, it's easy to imagine what it was like. Paul in the corner chatting up some brunette. John on the couch reading a book, completely ignoring the blonde that won't shut up next to him. George attempting to write a song on the floor with his guitar, while two sisters explain they took the Greyhound bus all night from Sacramento. And Ringo, still trying to catch a fish out the window because no one realized he was there.
Then again, the reality is that The Beatles Suite probably bears little resemblance to what it did back then. After the group departed, the room was stripped clean - the furnishings all secretly moved to other rooms to prevent people from stealing them. The carpet was even torn out and sent to a local department store where it was sold off in small squares. So although you can't technically say "John Lennon sat on this couch" there is something magnetic about knowing that they were there. Besides, who wants to sit on a 50 year old couch.
 |
| Best view in the house. |
The exposure from The Beatles' brief stay at The Edgewater did more than earn it a few mentions in teen-beat magazines - it made it the place to stay in Seattle for celebrities, politicians, and fanatical fans of the Fab Four alike. From the Rolling Stones and Nirvana to President Clinton and Led Zepplin - who were banned from the hotel in a story that's anything but safe for work - The Edgewater has played host to more than its fair share of luminaries.
And while I am probably the least famous person to ever check-in to room #272, this was one hotel stay that I will truly never forget.
Enjoy Your Stay
