Thanks to the advice on this board, we have decided to take an Alaska cruise departing from Seattle. We plan on arriving in Seattle 2 days earlier, to get a taste of the city. Where is the best area to stay for 2 or 3 nights?

We are looking for a nice and centrally-located area, near the attractions and restaurant. Any suggestions on specific hotels? We are hoping for the $150 - $200 range, but can go a little higher if necessary.

I am not sure what the cost is but the Waterfront Marriott is a beautiful hotel. The views are incredible! It is very close to the elevator that will take you to Pike Place Market and other attractions.

If you want to be in the heart of the shopping, restaurant, and entertainment district, select a hotel in the vicinity of 5th and Pine. These include the Hyatt, Westin, Sheraton, Mayflower, Andra, and several others.

Nearby the ones HTTY mentions is the Inn at the Market. All are good. When are you going on your cruise? Timing will play a part in hotel rates.

I don't think you can do any better in terms of location than Inn at the Market, which is in the Pike Place Market. But honestly, anywhere in downtown Seattle will meet your needs. It's a pretty small area, whether you stay on the south end at the Alexis or Hotel 1000, or in Belltown (just north of downtown) at Hotel Andra, or on the Waterfront, you'll be able to walk to all the sights, restaurants, etc.

My first choice would be a view room at Inn at the Market -- but I doubt you'll get it for anywhere near your price. Other than the view rooms, I'm not so sure that hotel is worth the extra cost.
We've stayed at several in the area, but the Andra is the top of my list, and remains in your budget.

We stayed at the waterfront Marriott last yaer and loved it...I bid on Priceline and ended up there for $79/night. It's right by the ferry terminal and walking distance to everything.

Unless you can get it on Priceline I don't believe Inn at the Market or the Waterfront Marriott are in that price range.

My favorites are: The Mayflower Park Hotel, Hotel Max, and Hotel Andra... all centrally located, they are old hotels in classy refurbished buildings.

I see no one really specifically said, but the "best" place to stay is somewhere downtown (which is where all of these suggestions are located).

We recently stayed at the Inn at the Market. Our room was a city view and it was fine but I had the opportunity to see one of the harbour view rooms and it was so much nicer. If you're going to stay at the Inn at the Market, spring for one of the harbour rooms. The service was fabulous and the location perfect!

Inn at the Market website shows city view rooms at $210 +tax and water views at $310 +tax.

We just got back from Seattle/Victoria/Vancouver and then Alaska cruise. In Seattle we stayed at the Marriott Springhill Suites Hotel. They have a fabulous buffet breakfast which is included & a shuttle to the Space Needle. From there we took the Grayline Hop On/Hop Off 2-day pass tour bus which got us everywhere we wanted to go. The hotel cost was $209 per nite which was very reasonable compared to the summer rates of others I researched.

But was it in the center of everything as zabashel is asking? Or primarily would you have to seek transporation to everything?

Springhill Suites is not a very convenient location imo. Plus it's right by the freeway.

Well, we paid the $210 and honestly? it was fine. I'm just saying the the harbourview rooms are nicer. But the locations is great and the service is terrific. The front desk was so friendly and helpful and one of the bellboys drove us to an event and picked us up in the hotel car because he couldn't get us a cab. Pretty darn nice. So if don't mind the less posh room, the Inn at the Market is a good bet.

If you want "central," I told you where central is in a previous post. However, visitors claim to be happy staying in places that aren't central--such as on the waterfront and on Lake Union. (I am surprised to learn Inn at the Market has waterfront views. It doesn't seem possible, but maybe somebody has stayed there in a room with such a view.)

Sure it does. We stayed in one such room at Inn at the Market and the views out and over the top of the Market were spectacular. I wasn't too impressed with the hotel in any other way. Furnishings were a bit worn, there was a sort of mildew smell, and the staff often seemed "indifferent" or too busy to help. Not bad -- but just not near the quality overall of other places we've stayed, including Inn at Harbor Steps, The Andra, and The Alexis. The Andra remains our favorite. But if you can swing the waterview room at Inn at the Market, then the view there makes it all worthwhile.

The also have a wonderful roof terrace with great views there, by the way.

Here's a link to a page on their website with a good idea of the view from one of their most deluxe rooms (way over the budget) as well as a view from the roof terrace.
http://www.innatthemarket.com/tour.html

How many of those view rooms are there?

I couldn't say, but a fair number of them. We opted for a waterview room, but not a "deluxe" waterview room which is larger (like in that one picture). They have a number of options, but the good part is you can reserve what you want (and they are priced accordingly). It's not one of those places where you book requesting a water view room, get there and find that you face a parking lot in back while they say, "sorry, the water view rooms are all taken". You get what you book.