The Panama Hotel, Seattle, WA
My Story
If you know me, you know I love Seattle. One of my favorite spots to visit in Seattle is The Panama Hotel.
I first heard about the Panama Hotel from Jamie Ford’s book, “Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet.” The book tells the fictional tale of two childhood friends growing up in Seattle’s International District who are then separated when World War II breaks out. Even though the characters and the story are fictional, the book centers on the real story of The Panama Hotel and the people who left their belongings there when they were interned by the US government.
Years ago, I spent the night at The Panama Hotel. It is a quirky old hotel with a lot of charm. The rooms are small, and the bathrooms are down the hall. When I checked in, there were a few other people in front of me who were also there for the night. I overheard a discussion about how they also heard about the Panama from Jamie Ford’s book. As they were checking in, the employee assisting them said that Jamie Ford was actually doing a book signing later that day in the tea room. Pretty perfect timing, I thought!
After I settled into my room, I went down to the tea room to get a drink and meet Jamie Ford. He was there with the owner of the hotel discussing the history and importance of preserving old buildings like the Panama in the International District. Naturally, the conversation turned to ghost stories. The woman who now owns and runs the hotel said that there are definitely spirits around the hotel, but she has never felt scared of them. Later that night, when I was getting ready for bed, I remembered hearing footsteps in the hall, walking up and down, over and over. I remembered the people ahead of me checking in and thought there was no way that those two people were making that much noise in the hall….to this day, I’m not sure if those footsteps belonged to the other guests or the people who had left their belongings at The Panama Hotel all of those years ago.
After some reflection, I 100% think The Panama Hotel is haunted, but there is nothing scary about it. It’s a mournful energy, perhaps of those who were never able to come home and collect the items that meant so much to them.
Origins in Seattle's Japantown
Built in 1910 in the heart of Seattle's Nihonmachi (Japantown), the hotel was designed by Sabro Ozasa, one of the earliest Japanese architects practicing in the United States. It served as a "workingman's hotel" for Japanese immigrants who came to Seattle seeking jobs in fishing, railroads, logging, and other industries. The building also housed shops, businesses, and a Japanese public bathhouse known as a sentō.
The Bathhouse Below
One of the hotel's defining features is the Hashidate-Yu bathhouse in the basement. At a time when many residents did not have private bathing facilities, the bathhouse became an important social gathering place for Seattle's Japanese community. Today, it remains one of the only intact Japanese-style public bathhouses left in North America.
World War II and the Internment Trunks
The Panama Hotel is most famous for its connection to Japanese American incarceration during World War II.
After the signing of Executive Order 9066 in 1942, Japanese Americans living on the West Coast were forced to leave their homes and report to internment camps. Many Seattle families stored their possessions in the hotel's basement before departing, expecting to return within a few months. Some never came back.
Today, trunks, suitcases, household items, and personal belongings remain preserved beneath the hotel. Visitors can view some of these artifacts through a glass floor in the tea house, creating one of the most moving historical exhibits in Seattle.
Preservation and Recognition
Because of its significance to Japanese American history, the Panama Hotel was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006 and was later named a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2015. It continues to operate as a historic hotel and museum space.
A Spooky Connection
For fans of mystery and history, the Panama Hotel has an eerie atmosphere all its own. The preserved suitcases, the silent bathhouse, and the sense of lives interrupted in 1942 create a feeling that the past never fully left the building. Many visitors describe walking through the hotel as stepping into a time capsule where the echoes of Seattle's lost Japantown can still be felt. While it isn't famous for ghost stories, it is one of the most haunting historic sites in the city.
Until next time,
Hannah
I'll Believe In Anything
keep wandering, keep wondering
