There’s nothing quite like the Arctic Club in Seattle, and if you’re a fan of historic hotels, you’ll love this restored relic of the post–gold rush days. Back in 1917, when the Arctic Club was built as an exclusive gentlemen’s club for lucky prospectors who struck it rich in the Yukon gold fields, rooms were roomy and forthright, with beamed ceilings, wood baseboards and crown moldings, and beds were big and solid and covered with woolen blankets. That’s how it is today, too, only with updated amenities of all kinds and furniture that evokes the Art Deco era when the club was in its heyday. The exterior of this period gem (on the Seattle Register of Historic Places) is still decorated with the sculpted terra-cotta walrus masks that recalled Alaska to those who had prospected there. The lobby, with its fireplace, ornate Polar Bar, ceiling carvings, and billiard table, instantly transports you back to earlier decades of travel and adventure. (Photographs of the stern-faced men who funded the all-male club line the walls of the reception area.) The bathrooms in this Doubletree boutique property are comfortably man-sized, with marble sink stands and patterned wallpaper. The rooms, with their big windows, king-sized beds and Art Deco–style armchairs, also have a sturdy, period look. The Arctic Club has a great location for exploring the oldest and most architecturally interesting part of Seattle (Pioneer Square), and you can easily walk to downtown, the waterfront, and Pike Place Market.