Seattle's hotel scene continues to flourish in 2007. This spring, the Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Towers in downtown Seattle will unveil a new 25-story tower, which will add 415 guest rooms and make it the city's largest hotel.

The new

Union Street
tower is part of a $130 million expansion project that also includes extensive upgrades to the hotel's meeting facilities. The property will add an additional 31,000 square feet of new meeting space and have a total of 47 meeting rooms.

 The Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Towers

The best accommodations are the Club Level rooms and suites; book these months in advance, especially for summer travel. There is no specific agent liaison; agents should call 206- 621-9000 or 866-719-8123 to make reservations. Visit www.starwoodhotels.com for more information.

The new tower is part of the city's ongoing hotel development: late in 2006, the Pan Pacific Seattle and Hotel 1000 both opened to the public. New properties planned for next year include the Four Seasons Seattle Hotel, the Hyatt at Olive 8, the

Hyatt Place
at South Lake Union, the 1 Hotel and Residences and the Arctic Hotel.

Note: Seattle's art scene is also blossoming. The SeattleArt Museum's new nine-acre waterfront Olympic Sculpture Park opened in January, and its expanded downtown museum will open in May.

For more information on visiting the city, go to www.visitseattle.org.