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The Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle’s Southport sits on the shore of Lake Washington and offers views of downtown Seattle and the Olympic Mountains.
It also sits right next to Boeing’s Renton Production Facility, which currently operates around the clock to push out more than 40 737-MAX narrow-body airplanes every month.
Other hotels might try to downplay the fact that some of their rooms have a factory view, but staff at this Hyatt Regency property know that AvGeeks make a point of checking into this hotel and requesting the corner king rooms specifically for the views.
From their rooms, these guests can see freshly made planes sitting outside the hangar waiting for finishing touches before heading next door to the Renton Municipal Airport (RNT) for their test flights.
The proximity to the factory has long been considered a niche, under-the-radar amenity at this property. But now, the hotel is leaning into the experience with a special “Hangar Hideaway” package.
The package includes a guaranteed lake-view room overlooking the factory and a selection of aviation-themed welcome amenities (such as a tote bag, a rubber 3D airplane puzzle and Balsa wood stunt planes).
Four passes to Seattle’s Museum of Flight are also included in the package. The museum is about 20 minutes from the hotel, and it houses the first Boeing 737 ever built. That plane was constructed in 1966, took its first flight April 9, 1967, and was sold to NASA in 1974.
Why create an aviation-themed package now?
This resort-style hotel opened in 2017 in the Seattle suburb of Renton. Guests can expect to see seaplanes dock by the outdoor deck, and they can enjoy summertime activities such as kayaking, paddleboarding and floating pickleball.
The Hangar Hideaway package comes in response to “a growing guest interest in experiential travel that connects people more deeply with place,” Tayna Zasada, the hotel’s director of sales, events and marketing, said. “And our prime lakeside location offers a unique vantage point to take in aviation thrills right from your room or our dock.”
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In addition to the aviation-themed welcome gifts and museum passes, guests booking this new package receive a welcome letter detailing some of the history of the Renton plant. (Fun fact: It began producing aircraft in the early 1940s and, for a few years in the late 1940s, served as a temporary home for a circus, complete with elephants and other animals.)
The letter also offers some insight into what is happening with the aircraft visible outside the windows, including those taking their very first flights.
“These brand-new aircraft are easy to spot,” the letter tells guests, because they have “a distinctive green color before their final paint.”
Guests who stay up late at night are encouraged to “glance toward the factory after 10 p.m.” That is because “during the overnight shift, aircraft are sometimes quietly moved out of the hangar — a unique behind-the-scenes moment few get to see.”
Unlike Boeing’s factory in Everett, Washington — which houses the 777 and 777X assembly lines — there are no public tours at the Renton factory.
Hangar Hideaway hotel guests at the Hyatt Regency in Renton might get a glimpse inside the hangar late at night when the giant doors are rolled open to move out an airplane. But this report from TPG contributing editor David Slotnick, who toured the plant in 2022, offers great inside-the-factory views.
For a unique perspective, check out Matthew Herbert’s Blue Dingo Bricks Instagram account.
Herbert is a Boeing aircraft structures mechanic currently working on the 777X program in Everett; he previously worked for about three years as a mechanic on the 737 MAX program in Renton.
“I loved working there and knew from the second I walked in, I wanted to combine my love for Boeing aircraft with my second interest: Lego,” Herbert told TPG.
Since 2021, Herbert has been working on recreating the Boeing Renton factory using Lego digital brick building software.
“You are not restricted to the large amount of space you might need otherwise to build the design,” he said about why he chose to go digital. “You also have an unlimited number of bricks and pieces to play with and can easily swap parts out.”
Booking your visit
You can use the code “TAKEOFF” to book the Hangar Hideaway package at the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle’s Southport.
Because the package is an exclusive hotel offer, you cannot book it with World of Hyatt redemption points or certificates.
If you do want to use points or a certificate and are willing to skip the bonus amenities, you can book a King Lake View corner room and request a view of the Boeing factory.
Related: Hyatt’s new award charts have arrived — here are our first impressions
Note that on May 20, the hotel changed from Category 3 to Category 4 in the World of Hyatt program. The redemption range for Category 4 hotels starts at 12,000 points and peaks at 25,000 points.
