Panama Hotel and Tea House — Hotel in Seattle

Loved the history of the place. Wish I didn't have to search for that history online, as the owner only provides a little bit of that history in pictures on the walls, but likes to talk about it in person. No info on tours for the only surviving original Japanese bath house in the US that is in the basement. Would have loved to see it if I'd known I could! ||||The owner can be very off putting, and ten minutes later very nice and interesting. If you catch her in the mood, she’s full of cool stories to say. All in all, she's a character and, if we'd had the time, I would have liked to pick her brain.||||They seemed to take security at night seriously enough with a staff person on hand -- be warned, the neighborhood is quite sketch at night (even a bit in the day, to be honest). But the rooms themselves are not very secure. I didn’t feel like I was in danger, and I get keeping the old locks for historical accuracy, but dang, they were flimsy.||||And while it's truly an interesting place when you know the history (and I realize they are not updating stuff to keep it as close to historically accurate as is practical and legal), some things could definitely be fixed or improved and still meet that goal. (Note that some rooms are much better maintained, outfitted and decorated than others; I didn’t get one of those nicer ones, unfortunately.)||||The transoms over the doors of each room were boarded up. Without operable transoms, it was STIFLING! Each room does have a window (no AC or central ventilation, usually not a problem for Seattle until the last few years...), and the nights usually get got cool enough, but because all the transoms are boarded up, absolutely NO airflow, so it stayed hot in the room even though we propped the window wide open with the luggage rack. Oh, and did I mention, no screens? C'mon -- at least provide your guests with one of those expandable screen inserts. Jan, the owner, said to keep the lace curtain pulled to keep the flies out. Um, good advice, but it also blocked any outside air exchange and we sweated all night. Better advice: Provide a screen for your guests. And being boarded up with black particle board is less than appealing. Yeah, it would take some capital to restore them, I'm sure, but maybe try to get grant or something? ||||It's a unique experience, and I'd love to give it a better rating, but leaving it as close to historically accurate doesn't mean you can’t fix it up a bit. Decent modern mattress on really old steel bed frame and springs -- might have been comfortable if I was the only one on the bed, but with two, it was a creaky, squeaky, sproingy rollercoaster ride whenever one of us moved. ||||Cool old carpets - seemed reasonably clean. Walls and such were just kind of dingy.||||Historically accurate furniture - but if the drawers don't work, it sucks not having a place to put your clothes. I was at first disappointed by the "armoire" that looked like was some old built-in furniture stolen from somewhere else, but I would have been delighted if I had known the history of the repurposed box that it was made of. Found that online after the fact. That's the kind of neat info that could be provided in a pamphlet or posted on the walls by the lobby.||||When we booked the room, they did provide info that there were only two shared bathrooms on each floor, one for the girls, and one for the guys, and one shared shower room. Reasonably clean, but dang, can you provide a decent shower head that gets you reasonably wet? And maybe a foot towel? Each guest gets a towel, a hand towel and a wash cloth, which is great. So, I had to use my hand towel for a foot towel, because who wants to step out onto a wet tile floor with someone else’s hair all over it when you just got your feet nice and clean? ||||Oh, and they had a little lobby that would have been a nice place to sit and chat when you didn't want to just sit in your little room, but it was filled with the office stuff because the office was crammed with piles of papers and stuff and whatnot. Really made the place look rundown, disorganized and unfriendly. ||||Cool little things like the old call button and speaker in each room -- but no indication what it was for or when it was installed (which, again, found it on the internet after the fact...); the old functioning corner sink in the rooms was nice, but hard to reach because of the oversized dresser, which, again, didn't have usable drawers. The pictures on the wall are historical treasures and vary from room to room. The lamps and globes are very cool. ||||And really disappointing, in fact egregious, was that there was no mention that there were no elevators or ramps for this 5-story building, and that the entrance had a 20-step staircase just to get to the lobby and “main” floor of the hotel rooms. Probably not a problem for most people, but anyone with any kind of health problem will find them daunting, especially with luggage. Really sucked when you forgot something up in your room and your knees are grinding. Physically challenged people need to know this. ||||And know that it's right near a helioport for either a hospital or business -- very, very loud lots of times day and night.||||Again – cool place for historical reasons. The owner bought it in 1985, but seems to have lost interest on keeping up the maintenance or continuing the restoration. Perhaps the last couple of years with the pandemic and lack of traveling have taken too much out of her budget. As others have said in their reviews, it was very much like a hostel. A good place to flop for the price, but not comfortable to stay at for more than a night or two.||||BUT THE ABSOLUTE BEST PART ABOUT THIS PLACE WAS THE COFFEE / TEA SHOP! A must to visit regardless of if you stay at the hotel. If I could rate that separately, it gets 5 stars. Best coffee and fabulous tea selections I have ever drunk, and that’s saying something for Seattle. Nicest staff. Super neat...

First: I admire what the owner is doing. Historic, original, beautiful. fun to stay here and experience life from 1910. All original. On National Register of Historic Places. Needs some serious improvement guest relations wise. Biggest change that needs to happen: I can tolerate: A. semi-creepy owner that reminds me of Mortica Addams. Cool. Only ONLY turn on hot water in the shower. The rooms have sinks, I ran the hot water for TWENTY MINUTES no hot water. No elevators. Historic. 1910. Leave that one alone. Nature of the historic structure which still has original Japanese bath in the basment where the owner semi attempts half baked tours which could be organized and actually be of some educational and useful purpose. Otherwise such aspects lie in a miasma of half explained and mumbled reasons why such simple money making schemes are not attempted as orgaized tours would A: provide much needed revenue and B: educate people about this wonderful and historic structure. Everyone should spend at least one night here to experience a basic hotel room from 1910. Its all original and I DEEPLY respect that. BUT the owner watches your every move like some elderly French debutante then chastises you with ultra weird verbiage out of Boris Karloff's Chiller Theater for admiring the building too much, thus stealing the scene from madame, leaving you with little or nothing to say in response. Actually I can deal with the real life Miss Havisham. She's a certified kook but very very very sincere about preserving the building, and I sincerely and deeply respect and admire that. Kudos. Hallelujiah. There's even a National Register of Historic Places plaque to eventually put on the building in the lovely cafe which has FABULOUS pastries and excellent service and coffee. Pass the radiator heat that does not work properly and squeak my hundred year old floors with living memories of those who came before. BUT here's the clincher: What I cannot tolerate and will keep me from staying here again; I CANNOT deal with lack of ability to have 24/7 access to the structure. I was given two keys (yes real keys cool point, anyway...) there are two keys: a smaller one which opens your room door. The other, older, brass key you assume is for the front door. IT IS NOT. And no one knows WHAT the key is for, by the way, but it is NOT for the front door. You have to TELEPHONE someone and WAKE THEM UP if you are say, returning from a late night concert which ended at midnight and did not get back until 1 a. m. Ended up staying in the room after 9 p. m. from then on because did NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH TELEPHONING SOMEONE AND WAKING THEM UP. Even if they say 'its not an incovenience for us" IT IS FOR ME. If you feel safe enough to give someone a key to one of your historic original rooms (which have windows so loose the wind blows through like a whistling hurricane) and walk around like some aging dilletante waxing romantic poet about the railing carved from a single tree, YOU CAN GIVE THEM A KEY TO THE FRIKIN FRONT DOOR. Thank you for a loverly stay. 4 out of 5 stars. Door access did it in for...

One of a kind place. Historic 1910 building in the "International District", Seattle's mix of Chinese, Philipino and Japanese cultures. It's a lively ethnic Multicultural neighborhood close to King Street Station, Downtown Seattle, ferries, light rail connections to Capitol Hill and the Airport.

The Panama is a living museum dedicated to preserving the history, experience and memories of Seattle's Japan Town-- "Nihonmachi". Rooms have small sinks and share bathing and toilet facilities down the hall (I stayed over a week, never had to wait to use either and all were kept clean). Coin operated laundry is also available on site.

Please note: the last of the photos shown are of the historic bathouse located in the hotel basement and are not in use. Guest bathrooms are upstairs on each floor.

A comfortable tea room and coffee house on the street level offers a mind-boggling selection brewed fresh to order by a friendly barista. Historic artifacts and photos tell the story of the hotel and its surroundings--a once-thriving community of Japanese Americans: business owners, laborers, families and the architect of the Panama itself--Sabro Ozasa.

Owner Jan Johnson is usually present to share these stories while she oversees the Hotel's operations and welcomes guests. A lower level of the tea room offers even more comfortable seating and is generally quieter. If you're lucky, Miu Miu the resident cat may come say hello or sit in your lap.

If you've ever wanted to stay in an old-style hotel, the Panama is your place.

Across the street, one of The City's many community gardens climbs Yesler hill to Kobe park, a peaceful contemplative place if you don't mind the noise of Interstate 5 directly behind. Together, the park and gardens create a green oasis with a view over the International District, Local Landmark Smith Tower and the Ball...