The Diller Room
History of The Heart of Seattle
1889
Seattle Merchant Leonard Diller built this hotel using Japanese-made bricks, initially used as ballast on returning ships from Japan. He bought them all as they piled up on the foreshore.Since all the local brickworks were swamped with orders, this made it possible for the Diller Hotel the first to rise from the ashes of downtown.
1894
The Diller Bar opened with furnishings shipped around Cape Horn from the East Coast, earning a reputation as a "Barroom of the highest standard."
1897
The Klondike Gold Rush brought an influx of prospectors, saving the Diller Hotel from near bankruptcy and filling the bar with fortune seekers nightly.
1916
Prohibition hit Washington State. Despite the ban, Seattle bars, including the Diller, operated with the tacit approval of local police.
1924
Federal agents began enforcing Prohibition laws more strictly.
1925
The Diller Bar transformed into a speakeasy, disguised by a Chinese laundry front.
1941
During WWII, the Diller Bar became a favored spot for GIs.
1947
The Flamingo Room opened in the old Diller Bar, featuring modern cocktails. Its secretive ambiance was perfect for political and business deals.
1982
The Flamingo Room closed, and the space became an antique and furniture store.
2008
Rob and Josie Wilson revived the space, opening Stella Caffe with the Diller Room in the back. Its popularity soon saw the Diller Room take over entirely.
2024
Celebrating 130 years of rich history and resilience, the Diller Room continues to thrive, having even weathered the pandemic.