jakes_girl

Just starting to plan a trip to Seattle Sept 7-12. We are going up (from SF) for a wedding and to visit family but would like to spend two nights in Seattle. Prefer Sunday and Monday---is it reasonable to put a $200 a night cap on a nice, comfortable and peaceful hotel? If so, please suggest which! Lots of friends and family have given their opinions: Inn at the market, Inn at Harbor Steps, The W, the Westin, Edgewater and Hotel Andra. They all look nice in different ways, but none are in my budget. Really just want something that's a good value for what it is. It wouldn't hurt for it to be centrally located either! Never been to Seattle before and would like to do some of the touristy things and catch a ball game. We are a couple in our late 20's. Not sure that makes a difference, but just in case...

suze

The Mayflower Park Hotel is that price range, very centrally located, and a great hotel imo.

September (weather-wise) is usually one of our best months here!

NWWanderer

I second the suggestion of the Mayflower Park Hotel, although it may be just over $200 in early Sept.

Have a look at visitseattle.org (the Seattle visitors bureau site; put in your dates and see which hotels come up) which will give you a good overview of what hotels cost in Seattle. $200 is unfortunately just the starting point these days for downtown hotels if you want a place that's a step above the budget options.

jakes_girl

Thanks Suze! This site actually allowed me to look up AAA rates, which push it under the $200 a night budget. I will definitely consider it

jakes_girl

Nice tip NWW! That's what I'm finding in most bigger cities downtown. C'est la vie

Oh, probably should have mentioned that we will have a rental car---do most hotels offer parking, or is this going to be more of a hinderance than a convenience?

Also, does anybody have info on the Alexis? Looks nice enough...

suze

I don't think the Alexis is any cheaper than those others, is it? If yes, it's a fine hotel. You'll have to pay the hotel for parking. Depends what you want to do if a car is a help or a hindrance. I you are just going to and from the airport and within downtown you don't need one. If the weddings in an outlying area, or you want to see the countryside surrounding, then you'd want one.

NWWanderer

The Alexis is a lovely hotel and they just finished a renovation of their rooms. But it's probably going to be as pricey as most of the other ones you've mentioned.

And yes, all the hotels charge an arm and a leg for parking ($25-30 or so a night) so if you don't need a car the whole time you're here then either turn it in early or don't pick it up until you need it depending on your schedule. It's also less expensive to pick up a car downtown compared to the airport due to the higher tax rates there.

melh

I second Mayflower Park Inn. Another one I thought of was Silver Cloud Inn, mostly because there is a brand new one right by Safeco Field.
Enjoy Seattle. It is a wonderful place and should be gorgeous in September.

jakes_girl

Hmm, I only mentioned the Alexis b/c of the site NWW recommended. I will have to dig deeper for actual rates I guess. The hotel's link for reservations isn't resonding right now. Any comparisons between it and the Mayflower though?

jakes_girl

melh, the Silver Cloud looks like another good option, thanks for mentioning it.

jakes_girl

oh, and yes, the wedding is outside of Seattle and we will need a car to get out to Sumner as well. Maybe I should try to book the Seattle portion at the very end of our trip so that we can just return it before we check into the hotel. Is it really no problem to do the following w/o a car? Get to the ballpark, Experience Music Project, downtown shopping, waterfront, Pike Place market, Space needle...

NWWanderer

Yep, you can walk or take the monorail to all of the above.

The CVB (visitseattle) site should show you the rates at all the hotels that are available for your dates--not sure why it wouldn't show rates for the Alexis, unless it's not available for your dates?

I'd rank the Alexis a bit higher in the "luxury" category than the Mayflower but both are nice hotels.

jakes_girl

That's great, I wish we had such convenient public transportation in SF!

Actually, the CVB site did list the Alexis at $199 for a standard; it was the hotel's site that wasn't responding for booking. I thought maybe a package or my AAA discount could get us an even better deal...

Fodorite018

I have stayed at the Mayflower, the Alexis and the Westin. I would say the Mayflower and Alexis are very equal, but the Mayflower is better for location. Not by far, but a bit. The Westin is nice, but not as plush as the others. The location is very good though.

jakes_girl

Thanks MMS. I think the Mayflower may be the better option overall, but I like the look of the Alexis better. Doesn't mean it will be better though, right?

Fodorite018

Either would be great. Our stays at the Westin were when we lived in the area and we would stay there for large group events. The other two hotels we have stayed at after we moved, but for when we go back to visit family. I would not hesitate on either one, but would have to give the nod to the Mayflower. We stayed there on Suze's recommendation just a couple months ago and loved it. Both the Alexis and Mayflower had beautiful rooms that were very spacious and comfy. We did not have a meal at the Mayflower, but the bar was very good. At the Alexis we did have breakfast in the Library and it was very good, as was their bar. The Alexis does have a stunning Dale Chihuly piece in the lobby which I could stare at for hours. All that said, we will be back at the Mayflower in Nov. for a stay.

suze

I just like the Mayflower, it's one of those personal things. It's just a nice place. I think technically the Alexis may be considered a better hotel, but I don't care for the atmosphere as much (front desk service, etc.).

That said, I live here so my experiences are with visiting friends who have rooms (in both those hotels) and eating in their bars and restaurants.

Mayflower has a more central downtown location, but just by a few blocks.

jakes_girl

Thanks suze and mms. I think the Mayflower has got my vote, now I just need to run it past my beau.

I asked about ease of getting around the city w/o a car, which sounds great, but how hard is it to get to and from the airport?

suze

I always take a taxi myself. From downtown would be ~$28-3$5 and takes about 1/2 hour to SeaTac.

indietraveler2

The Mayflower is great, and you also might try the Mediterranean Inn in the Queen Anne area. A little outside downtown but close to the Needle, the Monorail and the Experience Music Project. Stayed there in April and it was great. A fabulous rooftop deck with an amazing view, and a grocery store just down the block. Getting to and from the airport in a taxi is about the same as taking a shuttle, and much more convenient. Seattle is very walkable, and the monorail is great for getting to and from downtown. I also took the bus, easy, and free within the downtown area.