When locals think of the 397-room Sutton Place, they think of chocolate. Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the hotel's Fleuri restaurant hosts an all-you-can-eat Chocoholic Buffet, where guests can load up on desserts like chocolate profiteroles, chocolate cheesecake, and triple-chocolate croissant pudding. It's one of many decadent perks that guests here can take advantage of; others include daily high tea, Sunday Jazz Brunches, Ayurvedic treatments at the Vida Wellness Spa, and a unique shopping program that gives guests 10 to 30 percent off any purchases they make at local boutique stores on Robson Street. Tipplers shouldn't miss the wood-paneled Gerard Lounge, where bartenders reportedly make the city's best martinis. Keep an eye out for visiting celebrities; the hotel's adjoining Grande Residence has fully equipped one- and two-bedroom apartments that are popular with film crews and stars working on location (including Pierce Brosnan).

Four Seasons–style service and a great downtown location are the main draws at this 372-room property. The hotel is impeccably maintained, and the staff is ready to assist with just about any request (for example, the kitchen will gladly put together a picnic in a sporty backpack if you plan to hike in Stanley Park). A $20 million renovation completed in 2009 updated the 30-year-old decor: All rooms now include 42-inch flat-screen TVs, iHome radios with iPod docks, and super-plush beds; Wi-Fi is free in all public areas. An impressive sundeck surrounds Vancouver's only year-round indoor/outdoor pool, making it a great spot to laze away a warm day. The Yew Restaurant and Bar, newly renovated with soaring ceilings, a glassed-in private dining room, and a 14-seat communal table, serves Pacific Northwest cuisine and has a talented team of bartenders. Shoppers and culture vultures will appreciate the location: The Vancouver Art Gallery is right across the street and the Pacific Centre Mall is right next door.—Kasey Wilson

With a prime location right on Vancouver's harbor, this 23-story hotel has some of the city's best views. (The only real competition comes from the Pan Pacific across the street, whose west-facing vistas are unobstructed.) The best place to enjoy the panorama is, without a doubt, the heated pool surrounded by an herb garden on the third-floor terrace; it seems to hang suspended between vistas of the North Shore Mountains and Stanley Park. Dinner at the on-site Herons Restaurant, with its two-story panes of glass overlooking city foot traffic, isn't too shabby, either. Three hundred of the 489 classically plush rooms and suites face the harbor, but the Signature suites and rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and especially incredible views—including from the spacious marble bathrooms. Note that the hotel gets packed during high season because of its proximity to the Alaska cruise ship terminal.

Washington's reputation for great local and/or organic wine continues to grow. To do the full wine tour, you'd need to venture to Eastern Washington's Yakima Valley. However, there are about two dozen wineries in the Woodinville area, which is only 45 minutes northeast of Seattle. This group includes Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington's oldest and most famous winery. Tours and tastings are available daily, and the grounds, which include a French-château–style building, make it a popular day trip (14111 NE 145th St., Woodinville; 425-415-3300; www.ste-michelle.com). Within the city limits, swing by the Tasting Room near Pike Place Market to sample hard-to-find wines from a half-dozen small producers (1924 Post Alley; 206-770-9463). Also stop by the Queen Anne branch of McCarthy & Schiering, the city's best wine merchant, known not only for its comprehensive selection of local wines, but also for a staff that's down-to-earth and welcoming instead of snobby (2401B Queen Anne Ave. N.; 206-282-8500).

Many of the city's art galleries are clustered around historic Pioneer Square; to get a thorough overview of the neighborhood's offerings, go on one of the monthly First Thursday art walks (www.pioneersquare.org/first_thursday.html). One of the most respected galleries in the city is Greg Kucera. The two-story space gives you a lot to explore; it's an egalitarian mix of big-name artists (you might see a Chuck Close or even a Matisse) and local up-and-comers (212 Third Ave. S.; 206-624-0770; www.gregkucera.com). William Traver Gallery focuses on the Northwest's (and the world's) best glass artists, though it also shows some ceramics and mixed-media sculpture (110 Union St.; 206-587-6501; www.travergallery.com). Seattle's coolest galleries are the sisters Roq La Rue (2312 Second Ave.; 206-374-8977; www.roqlarue.com) and BLVD (2316 Second Ave.; www.blvdart.com). Both are owned by Kirsten Anderson, a champion of the Northwest's more experimental and countercultural artists; Roq La Rue specializes in contemporary pop-culture-influenced pieces, while BLVD focuses on urban street art. Photography buffs should head to Benham Gallery. There's no strict focus to the works shown here, but it leans toward the provocative or the political rather than landscapes or portraiture (1216 First Ave.; 206-622-2480; www.benhamgallery.com).