Need help on hotel in Seattle
 

We will taking a cruise this July and need to stay overnight. I'd like a nice hotel not to far from the port plus within walking distance to the main attractions, Pike's Market, Space Needle etc....

Which area of town would you suggest and which hotels?

Thanks.

Fifth and Pine is the center of the retail core. Hotels in this vicinity are a short walk to the Pike Place Market, the Space Needle monorail to, restaurants, entertainment, shopping, etc.

Seattle Waterfront Marriott is a short walk from Pike Place (after using the elevators and sky bridge), near the cruise terminals and in a great waterfront setting. Not a bargain place but worth being in the waterfront environment particularly for one night. It kind of adds to the trip rather than just being another hotel room. Nothing is really within walk distance of both Pike Place and the Space Needle unless you mean a walk of several miles.

There have been some lengthy threads on this topic in the past month or two, so if you want to do a fair amount of detailed reading, enter Seattle Hotels in the search function and read away.

If money is not an issue, I'd recommend the Inn at the Market -- a delightful hotel with great views and perfect location. Other highly praised suggestions lately have been the newish Inn at Harbor Steps (we couldn't get a reservation for the end of this July -- already booked), and Hotel Andra among others, (which became our choice).

According to maps.google.com, the main entrance to The Pike Place Market (1st Avenue & Pike) is .2 miles from 5th and Pine) and the Space Needle (203 6th Avenue North) is .9 miles.

The monorail to the Space Needle is at 4th and Pine--one block from 5th and Pine.

If you stay at Inn at the Market, you will be .2 miles from the shopping core (Macy's, Nordstroms, etc.) and the monorail to the Space Needle. You will also be near the waterfront and an easy downhill stroll to Pioneer Square.

The last time we were in Seattle (Sept.04) the monorail was not operational, and there were no immediate plans to repair it. Has that changed?

SGF -- I can highly recommend the Andra Hotel at 4th and Virgina. Boutique type hotel -- great staff, spacious rooms, and just a couple of blocks to the waterfront and Pike Place market.

My sister stayed at the Mayflower Park hotel while on a stopover from cruise, and I've heard from others that it is a lovely place and also very close to the waterfront.

There's no hotel that is equidistant between the waterfront and the Space Needle. I would recommend staying near the waterfront -- there's more to do in that vicinity -- and then taking either a cab or city bus to the Space Needle. Seattle offers free public transportation in the downtown area.

The Space Needle monorail is back in service.

Thanks to all who posted with suggestions. So far I've checked the prices at the Silver Cloud in Lake Union, the Warwick, and the Seattle Hilton. The Warwick and the Hilton run around $150.00 and the Silver Cloud (got good reviews) with breakfast and shuttle around $120. The other hotels mentioned like Mayflower, Marriott and the Inn at the Market are much higher.
Any comments on the 3 hotels I've checked? We could always take a taxi to the main area if the hotel price is reasonable and in a safe area. We didn't want to get into the $150's without even adding their 15% tax.

The Space Needle is about a mile, maybe a mile and a half, away from the downtown core, and it can be walked rather easily, particularly if the weather is nice. About 10 years ago, I lived in an apartment rougly equidistant between the Space Needle and Pike Place Market, and I observed lots of visitors walking between downtown and the Space Needle. Granted, there are easier ways to get to the Space Needle than walking, but it isn't really that far from the downtown core, and it's flat -- there's no hill between downtown and the Space Needle. There is, however, a hill between the downtown core and the waterfront. Still, downtown Seattle, including the main waterfront, is compact, so you shouldn't have any problems getting to the main sites, even the Space Needle.

As far as the best location for a hotel, the retail core has already been mentioned, and that would be my choice for most centrally located. Hotels close to Pike and Pine, and between 1st and 7th are closest to the action, but really anything in downtown Seattle (with the exception of Pioneer Square) is close enough that it won't make a huge difference.

The Seattle Center Monorail is the easiest way to get from downtown to the Space Needle, making the journey from downtown to Seattle Center (the Space Needle) in about 90-seconds. It's up and running again. You board it at Westlake Center (4th and Pine) on the 3rd level (just go all the way to the top of the mall). For a cheaper (and slower) option, Metro has bus routes that go from downtown to near the Space Needle. You can catch the 3 or the 4, which will drop you off on 5th Avenue North (just east of the Space Needle) or the 2 or 13, which will drop you off just west (on 1st Avenue North). Other buses follow the same route on their way to points north, but those are the ones I have personal experience with. You can board all of those buses at various points along Third Avenue in downtown. If it's not during rush hour, it'll take about 8-10 minutes to get to the closest Space Needle stop. I've seen people ask for the Space Needle stop a lot, and the bus drivers are usually very accommodating. As you're boarding, just tell the driver you want to get off at the Space Needle, sit near the front, and he or she will let you know when you arrive at your stop. Off-peak fares are $1.25.

Enjoy your cruise and your stay in Seattle.

Silver Cloud has a very undesirable location for overnight. If $30 makes a big difference to you, look for a place closer to downtown.

I have only stayed at the Westin and the Warwick, as we used to live there. Both hotels are in great locations, right near the Westlake shopping area. We stayed at them for group functions, and they were fine. The room we had at the Warwick was a bit dark in decor, but otherwise it was fine. Pike Place Market/Space Needle/Westlake Center area all close enough to walk without a problem.

SGF, we had an amazing stay at the Hotel Edgewater in Seattle. It is directly on the water. We had the panoramic view room which was just breath-taking! :)

Breakfast each morning at Six Seven was included in our room price. They had an excellent hotel shuttle that took us anywhere we wanted to go. Excellent concierge that arraned for a limo to come and take us to dinner at Salty's that evening. I would highly recommend this property over the Warkwick or the Westin which have both received very spotty reviews on Tripadvisor. You can do much better! Enjoy Seattle, we'll be back in June and are considering a stay at the Fairmont Olympic which sounds heavenly! ***kim*** ((#))

uuhhhh...... kim.... did you bother reading the reviews for the edgewater? check it out.... you won't find the words "rip-off" to describe either the westin or warwick.

do you really think 1998 is a recent enough visit to continue recommending the edgewater, dahlia lounge, salty's, and the one other place you "dined" in seattle?

Silver Cloud Lake Union is most definitely not <walking distance to the main attractions>.

I would spring for some place actually in downtown. Looking at a map... anyplace say north of Yesler but south of Blanchard, west of the waterfront but east of approx. 7th Avenue blocks out what I'd consider "downtown".

uuhhh, our stay at the Edgewater was a little over a year ago. Do you have something helpful to add here? :)

Brookside, I agree staying by the waterfront was very, very nice. ***kim*** ((#))

LOL, uhhhh, what is the matter with you :D
If you want to post, in addition to being helpful, be sure to post all the restaurants you have ever eaten in !

i humbly accept your admonishment, Scarlett. and i promise to try and be a more helpful poster. but, i'm afraid that most of the restaurants i frequent don't measure up to standards of some other posters. i don't know of any that have been rated a 10 like.... what was it... el quiero taco bell?

SGF,

We stayed at The Warwick last May and although it was a little tired and worn, it was just fine. Located on the corner of 4th and Lenora this hotel had a good restaurant (Brasserie Margaux) a small indoor pool with jacuzzi and a car service that will take you anywhere in town. The rooms themselves, while a bit smallish, offered good, basic amenities and slightly above-average toiletries. As promised, however, our room was up on the seventeenth floor and had a balcony offering views of both downtown Seattle and Elliot Bay: breathtaking!

By the way, we also found the hotel to be within fairly easy walking distance of almost everything. If you're planning on spending most of your time at Pike Market, Pioneer Square, etc., though, I'd probably recommend staying somewhere closer to the water.

AL ((d))

LOL uuhhhh!

Am I dreaming this or did a day's worth of messages on this thread get zapped somewhere?

I responded yesterday I think recommending the Warwick or Silver Cloud over the Hilton for location.

I really think this Edgewater v. other places (including the Andra) is getting pretty tired.

To SGF and other posters - a simple search for "seattle hotel" in the convenient box above will generate all the verbs and nouns and adjectives you could ever want. It's a hotel room, for cripe's sake, not a life choice.

"Do you have something helpful to add here?"

okay... i admit it... no... but when has that ever stopped you?

As a Seattle resident, I have to agree with Gardyloo. If it were me I'd make a reservation at the Mayflower Park Hotel or The Roosevelt and give it a rest!

If that doesn't suit you... The Warwick is servicable and in an OK location. I can't even picture where the Hilton is? The Edgewater is not convenient walking to the places you mention. Anything on Lake Union would definitely require a taxi, a very long walk, or possibly a Metro bus (but it's kind of an out of the way pocket and does not have loads of bus options thru that corridor).

But the OP requested a hotel "not too far from the port..." that would be one of the waterfront properties!

Well put, sgorces! Being on the waterfront does add a lot to the trip! ***kim*** ((#))

None of the hotels mentioned are far from the port. Seattle is simply not that big (in the downtown proper core). A 5 minute cab ride would get you to any of them.

Perhaps Al La Carte (AL) would like to chime in here about his recent stay at the Edgewater! AL, didn't you stay here in October or was that someone else? ***kim*** ((#))

Oh, by the way for waterfront lovers, this summer the Pier 61-66 area (ie Marriott/Edgewater zone) is going to be having a lot of in-water construction going on (piling replacement at several of the piers among other things) so much so that the waterfront rock concerts that take place across from the Marriott are being relocated to Lake Union.

So don't be surprised if the call of the gulls and horns of the ferries are drowned out by the dulcet tones of pile drivers from 7am to 7pm, 6 days a week.

Wow, I'm off the boards for only a day and I couldn't believe how many replies there were. Thanks to all who gave their opinions.

happytrailstoyou:

Your reply stating that the Silver Cloud had a very undesirable location for overnight seems to differ from all the reviews I read about that hotel. Yes, it's not right in town within walking distance but their free shuttle will take you to the attractions for free. How long a drive can that be, 10-15 mins? It's not the $30.00 but the fact we wanted a quieter location and that area looked nice. Every review I read stated it was in a good and safe area and if they provide transportation we figured how bad can it be for one night.

Thanks again to all who shared their experiences and information. We do plan on visiting Pike's market and the Space Needle again as it's been several years since we've been to Seattle.

I'll check out the Roosevelt and the Mayflower then compare the facts.

Thanks for the tip, Gardyloo! We'll probably book the Fairmont this time, I'll report back on our stay there! ***kim*** ((#))

Lake Union is a perfectly safe and desireable area. It's very pretty and fairly quiet. And (you are correct) the drive by shuttle couldn't be more than 5-10 mins. max. to get around downtown.

My comments above reflected only your original post which specifically requested walking distance to main attractions.

I'm going to chime in with another recommendation for the Mayflower. I stayed there last September and it was a nice hotel, nicely located... within easy walking distance from Pike's Market, etc.

You can sign up on their website to get promotional deals. Also, they do have AAA rates that you might check if you have AAA.

suze:

Yes, looking back I noticed I did say "walking distance". I should have included something that states "or a hotel that provides transportation". We originally wanted something close to Pike's Market and the other attractions but then when we read the reviews about the Silver Cloud and heard they had a shuttle we changed our minds. Especially after comparing the price as this also includes breakfast. I'm still looking into the Mayflower and the Roosevelt in case we decide we'd rather be more centrally located and not bother waiting for the shuttle. I'm canceling the reservation we made at the Warwick and the Hilton. I think as a back up we'd be better off with either Mayflower or Roosevelt. What I'd really like is the Grand Hyatt but there price is too high for the time we need.

Thanks again for everyone's help.