Our first trip to Seattle- need a hotel for 2 nights. Lower price range preferred.
We will want to see the highlights in the city so would downtown be best? What about other areas of the city or Tacoma or other suburbs. We will have a rental car.
Thanks!

Suburbs? on a 2 night stay? don't bother.

What is lower price range? Be specific and be sure price per night is with all taxes etc.

When is the trip? That matters.

Tacoma is a city 35 miles south of Seattle on very busy I-5.

Seattle hotels are expensive and so is all forms of parking.

Of the hotels convenient to the retail and entertainment core, Hotel Max, the Warwick, and Hotel Andra are often among the more reasonably priced.

Also, check out Hampton Inn Seattle-Downtown (which isn't really downtown), The Maxwell, MarQueen, Inn at Queen Anne, and Mediterranean Inn--which are convenient to downtown. Best Western Loyal Inn sometimes has good rates, and it is within an easy walk of downtown.

HTtY

Without knowing when and what price range, if it hard to give specific suggestions. I do agree with looking at ones around Queen Anne. Also take a look at the Ballard neighborhood. Easy to get around from either location, IME.

Thanks for the suggestions! Travel is End of August 2015

Oh then definitely get something booked asap! That is prime time for cruise season and hotels fill up and get very expensive. We flew my mom up last August and a room at the Sheraton for her was over $300/night, to give you an idea. What is your preferred price range?

The Roosevelt is pretty centrally located, easy to walk to most things, such as Pike Place, Nordstrom's, great restaurants, etc.

Yes, book now. A cousin came last August and the only place we could find under $200 a night was the Mediterranean Inn on Lower Queen Anne. It was a fine option, lots to see and do in the area. I think she booked on hotels.com

BWG, what else is happening on your trip?


Are you beginning and/or ending in Seattle (flying) ??

Maybe the optimum move would be to NOT have a car, and then land a room in the downtown area, without having to fork out what can be $40-$50 per night in valet parking fees (with few convenient alternatives).

If you're driving-off-to/returning-from somewhere, perhaps you arrange to get/drop your car in central Seattle (vs. the airport?) to save lots of money in fees.

For just 2 nights here, a central hotel IS best, because there is plenty enough to do in the downtown core to occupy 48-72 hours.

But a rental car makes for a potentially expensive liability when you don't really need a vehicle for the central Seattle part of your trip.

How many will be in your group??

Would Priceline.com work, to reduce lodging costs??? (you almost certainly would not want to have a car, if willing to use Priceline for good room value)

We are flying into/out of Seattle and will have a rental car for the major part of the trip. But now with your suggestions, considering holding off on the car until we leave Seattle.

I can't help you with hotels, I'm afraid, because I found nearly everything in August to be overpriced. Part of this is that all of the downtown hotels charge for parking. If you are active and enjoy walking, I'd do without the car. The most hastle free way I've found is to stay at an airport hotel and take the light rail into the city. The trade off is that the light rail takes more time than driving (at least outside of rush hour). Alternatively, I also have taken the light rail in and just chosen a hotel near Westlake center (downtown stop for light rail).

Only do the car if you have serious shopping plans or you want to hop around the region a lot. I doubt the first is applicable, and you haven't mentioned any specific "suburb" destinations.

There are a number of hotels within the city - but outside the downtown core - that offer free parking, such as the University Inn in the University District a couple of miles north of downtown, the Maxwell Hotel a block from Seattle Center in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, and the Silver Cloud hotel on Lake Union.

http://www.universityinnseattle.com/
http://www.themaxwellhotel.com/
http://www.silvercloud.com/seattlelakeunion/

All of these hotels also offer free local shuttles, but with varying coverage. Of course there are plenty of hotels outside the city, such as at the airport, in Bellevue, Snohomish County, etc., most of which will be hugely cheaper than downtown during cruise season.

Sometimes you can save enough on hotel costs that you can afford to keep the car, even if it means shelling out $10 or so to park near some tourist site, and of course you don't need to fret with taxis or other transport to and from the airport. A car also allows you to explore the region, or even some of our wonderful neighborhoods, without having to navigate our adequate but very downtown-focused public transport network.

One note is that if "late August" includes Labor Day weekend, be advised that Seattle's giant Bumbershoot music festival occurs that weekend at Seattle Center, so that whole district is packed from noon to midnight. Great if you're a music lover, annoying if you want to visit the Space Needle, Chihuly Ego Center, EMP or other attractions in the vicinity. http://bumbershoot.org/

I have had pleasant stays at both the Maxwell and the Silver Cloud but both average around 270-280 a night in August which I don't consider reasonable. I'll admit that I'm really cheap when it comes to hotels, though I also agree that a car is nice to have for the neighborhoods, but I'm not sure how much of Seattle Bwg can really cover in one day. For me, that would be Queen Anne, the Pike Place Market, and Seattle Center, and that's only if I didn't get distracted or go shopping.

Also- gardyloo, "chihuly ego center" made me laugh. I hadn't heard it called that, but it's so true. I finally went to see that last time, and I thought it was gorgeous in the dark, but I still can't decide if it was a good way to blow money or not!

The only "reasonable" hotel in downtown Seattle is The Moore, coming in around $100/night.

BWG, for reasons of airport taxes and fees alone, you would do very well to price your rental car window comparing airport pick-up to downtown pick-up (and potentially even lopping-off a day or two in savings).

We don't yet know how many of you there are, but the optimum move would be to use Priceline.com for a downtown hotel, NOT get a car until you're ready to leave central Seattle, and then press-on with your trip from there.

However, downtown Seattle hotels aren't easy to come by IN AUGUST, via Priceline, so it would be wise to begin early-ish while attempting to secure a room.

(meaning: once you get your airfare booked, and you know your exact dates, then begin early to try to land a committed deal through Priceline) (IF nothing comes up, through priceline, in the early going, then cement a alternative reservation you could cancel(at full price, wherever you can afford) while continuing to seek a central hotel property at a noteworthy discount via priceline.

At worst case, a hotel/motel near the airport would make for a direct Light Rail ride into central Seattle (the Light Rail being the secret as to why you don't want or need a car in the central Seattle area, given how easy a trip it is to get from SeaTac to central Seattle on the rail).

***IF there are more than two of you, then the Priceline move is probably too risky

I have stayed at the Mediterranean Inn a few years ago. The rooms were fine and had a small fridge and microwave. The front desk will give you plates and flat wear. Convenient if you want to have snacks, or even breakfast in the room. there is a large supermarket across the street and lots of restaurants within walking distance.. you could walk to the waterfront or take a local city bus ..or even walk to the monorail. don't rent a car until you leave seattle, you wont need it in the city and you end up paying for the car and parking. its easier and cheaper to use public transit or taxis.
downtown hotels near the waterfront are most expensive but Tacoma is really out of town.

There are a few new hotels in lower Queen Anne that might fit the budget. I'd google but coming to mind: The Maxwell, Mediterranean Inn, MarQueen, Inn at Queen Anne, Four Points by Sheraton and Hampton Inn. These are good if you are walkers as you can cut through the Space Needle (seattle center) and easily access downtown. Otherwise, you can jump on the monorail to downtown for five bucks round-trip. Also, I saw a Best Western in Pioneer Square, you might look at tripadvisor reviews. But be careful at night in Pio Sq.

Best Western in Pioneer Square is a fine hotel, but it is not cheap either.