The 103-year old hotel, The Sorrento, is so beautiful that reading alone in the lobby seems like a special affair. (In fact, “Silent Reading Parties” have actually been popular here.) But look to the hotel’s programming (it’s not just for guests) when you want a cocktail and an excuse to get a little dressed up.

Every second Wednesday of the month, the Hunt Club hosts a local bartender, distiller, or drink historian who’ll lead an intimate booze-infused class on a chosen spirit. This month they’ll break down the differences between Cognac and Armagnac (one of the great mysteries of the world).

Have a small group? Why not put them in a small hotel? That’s the whole concept behind boutique hotel meetings. “Meeting attendees are so over the institutional look and feel,” says Michael Krouse, senior vice president of sales for the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board. “What they really want is an experience, and that’s what boutique hotels deliver.”

The Sorrento Hotel intersects at the crossroads of classic and cool. Built in 1909, Seattle’s first boutique hotel was the cultural hub where intellectuals gathered to discuss le topic du jour and musicians came to entertain. Today, this same vibe is present; you feel smarter the second you walk in.

Sorrento Hotel: May 2 at 6 / Silent Reading. The term bookish implies a certain lack of sociability, but there’s an option for the bookish to be quiet and inward in a social setting. Sorrento Hotel opens its Fireside Room for book lovers to come and read silently surrounded by other like-minded bookrooms.

The Sorrento Hotel announces the appointment of Dan Gilmore as executive chef. He will oversee culinary direction for the Hunt Club restaurant, as well as hotel catering and private events. “We are extremely fortunate to welcome Chef Dan Gilmore to the Sorrento,” said Sam Johnson, general manager, Sorrento Hotel. “His wealth of experience will be coupled with our ongoing commitment to providing our guests with exquisite dining experiences, highlighted by well balanced, local ingredients.

Sorrento Hotel: Every second Wednesday of the month, the Hunt Club hosts a local bartender, distiller or drink historian who’ll lead an intimate booze-infused class and making and understanding the chosen sprit. Ticket price includes the lesson, drinks and snacks. $50.

T+L soaks up the city’s literary ambience and culinary delights, its late-night characters and early-morning coffee shops. As the plane begins its descent into Seattle’s airport I write on the inside cover of my notebook: ‘New take on Seattle necessary for article. Avoid all weather clichés and weather by-products. No rain, no melancholy, no coffee, no flannel, no grunge.’

There’s still a lot of life in First Hill’s old favorite. For In-towners: Don’t be fooled by the manicured hedges, the low-lit dining in the Hunt [Club Restaurant], and the hundred-year-old Honduran mahogany on the ceiling; there’s a whole lot of hipster nightlife at this tony old hotel.

by Alexander Kummerow