The third floor, which is oriented toward the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains, has tall ceilings, walls of glass and open rooms, from the great room with its living and dining area, to the kitchen.

WSJ: Building Outside the Box

You won't find any fjords, and a view of the Northern Lights is unlikely, but this hip hotel does sit in the thick of sundry dining and drinking establishments, and within walking distance of funky Fremont, the Ballard Locks (one of Washington's top tourist attractions) and scenic Golden Gardens Park, which offers splendid views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

BBC: Daily deal: A night in Seattle

The Sports Complex is one of the four training sites run by the Olympic Regional Development Authority in New York's Adirondack Mountains and scattered around the town of Lake Placid.

WSJ: Defrost Your Inner Olympian