In 2019, Seattle recorded over $787.9 million in tourist spending, the highest in the modern port city’s history. The city is deeply invested in tourism and its urban landscapes are dotted by hotels and accommodations that cater to a wide spectrum of demographics: retirees enjoying their golden years, backpackers, business travelers, and locals. The best hotel contractors in Seattle have decades of experience—experience that helps them identify the specific needs of their market by producing creative, contemporary, and state-of-the-art accommodations and hospitality spaces for today’s modern guests. The firms below are some of the leading companies that have helped give people around the world the vacation of a lifetime. These firms qualified for the list after our editorial team considered their projects, awards, press features, years of practice, and industry affiliations.
Andersen Construction
5601 6TH Ave. South, Suite #550, Seattle, WA 98108
Andersen Construction is one of the most established companies in Seattle. It first opened its doors in 1950 as a small firm catering to tenant improvement projects. Today, it is one of the largest companies in the area to make use of the latest in construction technologies. The firm builds sustainable, high-performance, and modern buildings for a wide range of markets. Some of its work has been featured in industry publications, including Building Design + Construction. The firm’s market scope includes the hotel and hospitality industry.
One of the firm’s projects involved several phases of renovation work for Destination Hotel’s Motif Seattle Hotel. One of the challenges of the build was to transform an occupied space without disrupting business operations. The company collaborated with Ankrom Moisan Architects to complete the 23,000-square-foot project. The work included the construction of a new fitness room, relocation of the employee dining area, renovation of its presidential suite, and a phased renovation of the hotel’s lobby. Additional work included the installation of a new entry canopy, deck, and landscaping.
Swinerton
14432 SE Eastgate Way, Suite #230, Bellevue, WA 98007
Swinerton’s presence in the American construction industry dates back to 1888. Initially a brick masonry and contracting business, its decades of growth have produced one of the most established design-build companies in the country. Currently, it serves over 20 market sectors across the country and offshore. In Washington, it has helped shape the region’s urban and commercial landscape. Atlanta Business Chronicle has documented and featured many of the firm’s achievements, especially its work for Seattle’s high-end developers.
In Sequim, 7 Cedars Casino commissioned the company’s Seattle office to build the 7 Cedars Hotel, which became a finalist for the 2020 NAIOP Night of the Stars Hospitality Development of the Year. With the help of architect Rice Fergus Miller, the company delivered a four-star hotel that features 21st-century amenities and accommodates 100 guest rooms. The hotel’s design was inspired by the Pacific Northwest’s and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s historical and cultural contexts. The most dominant elements for this build center are its natural materials and color palettes. Every guest room floor celebrates its inspiration’s sacred origins through the different elements of land, trees, sky, and water. Included in the construction of the building are meeting rooms, a conference room, retail spaces, a coffee bar, and a general lobby.
JTM Construction
800 Maynard Ave. South, #101 Seattle, WA 98134
JTM Construction’s almost 20 years of construction practice has produced a diverse portfolio of work for the residential, office, hospitality, mixed-use, industrial, commercial, and historic preservation markets. As a modern company, it is equipped with training and manpower to answer to the growing demand for high-performing and sustainable structures in Washington. The firm was the lead builder, for instance, on Seattle’s first-ever LEED-certified hotel. The project was a collaborative effort between the firm and MG2 Architects for the developer, RC Hedreen Company.
One of the firm’s most notable projects in Seattle was for the construction of Hyatt’s Olive 8 location. The building offers 346 rooms distributed over 17 floors. The designs and layout of these rooms vary and include different finishes for a presidential suite, junior suites, and a governor’s. Included in the build are modern amenities dedicated to meeting spaces, a ballroom hall, and 6,200 feet of a sub-dividable ballroom. The project also involved a hotel guest room kitchen, a spa, and a pool of non-chlorinated water.
Venture General Contracting LLC
1518 1st Ave. S #400, Seattle, WA 98134
Established over 10 years ago, Venture General Contracting is a full-service construction company that specializes in a wide range of projects. Its diverse portfolio includes complex and high-value projects for the hospitality, multi-residential, and commercial sectors. One of its specialties is historic renovations. The firm also relies on the latest industry technologies to deliver cutting-edge tenant improvement services. As an active member in the industry, the firm has been ranked on Puget Sound Business Journal’s Largest Private Companies list.
For the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, the company completed full and soft renovation work for two of the building’s model guestrooms. Included in the project was the installation of new full glass windows for both rooms. This new element delivered a more open and airy feel to space, and let in a generous amount of soft daylight to its interiors. One room received a total remodeling job. Aside from its new flooring and wall coverings, new furniture was added to its interior design. Additional window treatments were also introduced. Completed in 2015, the project was a partnership with architecture and design firm, DLR Group.
Sellen
227 Westlake Ave. N Seattle, WA 98109
Sellen first launched its service in 1944 in Seattle’s South Lake Union. The firm’s earliest goals were to help the area grow. And it shaped the area’s commercial and urban landscapes through buildings that provide venues for various markets to prosper, including the education, healthcare, hospitality, mixed-use, office, residential, arts and culture, and non-profit sectors. The company is now on its third generation of leadership with Scott Redman.
As a hotel contractor, the firm has built some of the most recognized landmarks in the city. In recent years, the firm was commissioned to build Hyatt Regency’s Lake Washington location. What’s unique about this structure is that it is a feng-shui-designed building and features zen-like interiors. It accommodates 347 guest rooms and suites. The hotel earned a rating of 50 from the sound transmission class (STC) that shows how well a building partition prevents noise pollution. Since it is just located near Lake Washington, guests are treated with an unobstructed view of the lake.
Colvos Construction
711 Court C, Opera Alley, Tacoma, WA 98402
Colvos Construction is an emerging general contracting firm that is establishing its presence in Seattle’s construction scene. The firm was founded in 2017. Devin Page, its principal, is an industry leader that has overseen major commercial construction developments, worth well over $350 million in value, in the Puget Sound Region since he started his career decades ago. Today, Page leads Calvos Construction as it caters to the region’s diverse industries. That includes the hospitality sector, where the firm was able to deliver renovations and remodeling work for the area’s beloved buildings.
In recent years, for example, the company was commissioned to renovate the iconic Four Seasons Seattle Hotel. Together with designing firm Wimberly Interiors, the firm delivered 144 fully renovated guest rooms in a span of three months. The new rooms feature brand new accents and finishes, including newly installed wall coverings, art shelves, antique mirrors, carpeting, and solid surface countertops. The paint was also redone. One of the room’s upgrades was the introduction of new electrical devices. One of the challenges of this build was to transform these rooms without disrupting business, which the company successfully provided through efficient, integrated construction phasing.
Abbott Construction
3408 1st Ave. South, Seattle, WA 98134
Abbott Construction was founded in 1983 to provide “personal, powerful, abundantly clear, and financially rewarding” construction solutions to its cultural, education, healthcare, multi-family, non-profit, recreation, retail, corporate office, and hospitality clients. The firm’s work has been recognized for its performance and its sustainability. Some of these projects are recognized LEED-certified structures by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). As a hotel builder, the firm has worked with leading designers and hospitality corporations to transform spaces that cater to modern-day demands.
In Seattle, the company was chosen to work on the Pan Pacific Hotel’s renovations projects. The firm partnered with Dawson Design and the work involved transforming single guest rooms into brand new, luxury suites that better embody the hotel’s high-end brand and quality service. The results are upgraded spaces and modified layouts that highlight the luxurious textiles of contemporary interiors. Another highlight of the build: unique finishes that creatively combine all the elements together, installed and customized by the firm’s in-house Special Projects Carpentry Team. One of the challenges of this build, solved through a highly collaborative approach, was to complete the work during a peak holiday season.
Deacon Construction
8343 154th Ave. NE, Suite #210, Redmond, WA 98052
For over four decades, Deacon Construction has been producing some of the most iconic landmarks in the State of Washington. Every year, the company produces $500 million worth of projects, and its entire client base is made up of repeat business and referrals. Steve Deacon heads the company’s everyday practice. Its portfolio features work for a wide array of industries, of varying levels of values and complexity. As a hotel builder, the firm has worked with leading developers and figures in the hospitality industry.
In Seattle, for instance, Stonebridge Hospitality chose the company to complete the eight-story Moxy Hotel, a product of Marriott International’s goal to attract millennial travelers by introducing a “fun, spirited brand” of accommodation for the then-emerging generation of wanderers. Through a collaboration with Ankrom Moisan Architects, Inc., the company built a modern venue for guests to enjoy dining, entertainment, and shopping. The hotel accommodates 146 rooms that are designed to attract the tech-savvy with keyless entrances, motion-sensitive lighting, and Apple TVs. Included in the build are a hotel bar and restaurant.
Construction Expeditors
16915 SE 272nd St. #100-178, Covington, WA 98042
Construction Expeditors is a Better Business Bureau (BBB) certified company that has established itself as a go-to professional for multifamily and hotel construction, as well as a tenant improvement contractor for offices and a remodeler for single residential homes. Jeff Pinorini established the firm over two decades ago as an answer to the region’s growing need for more “transparent, committed, and respectful” contractors, especially for first-time investors and business owners.
For years, the company has answered the call for modern, upgraded spaces, especially for the region’s hospitality sector. Regardless of project value or complexity, the firm has helped developers and hotel owners build, remodel, and renovate old and dreary rooms into more functional, high-performance, and modern spaces. For the Holiday Inn in Yakima, for instance, the company led the renovation efforts to transform the building’s hotel lobby and restrooms. The work also involved the upgrade and renovation of its 115 guest rooms. Major redesign and restructuring of the hotel’s hallways added a fresher ambiance to the space.
