Hi Everyone:
Has anyone stayed at the new Marriott? A poster said the freeway was on one side and trains and trolley on the other. Is it really noisy in the rooms or are they soundproofed? ( as best as a hotel can be) Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!!

we have reservations there next week. i didn't know that about the freeway. i am a little nervous about the place, because the reservations people have seemed very unorganized. i requested written confirmation several times and instead received an invoice from their marketing department (accidentally). i finally got the written confirmation online, but it had some errors and was not the room described to me over the phone. i still haven't cancelled our reservations at the four seasons but i am hoping the marriott will be ok.

Yes, I know what you mean, I reserved a water view room, then I called back to make sure, then they said no I only got a sliver of a water view. Then I talked to someone else and they said it was noisy, then not , I got the runaround. I am more than nervous. Give me an update please after you return. Have a wonderful trip!!
Helen

I might suggest that you obtain one of Marriott's "Rewards" frequent-guest program cards (free). It might make the front desk people pay a wee bit more attention to you. You can get the card online, then email the hotel with your number. We've tried this with both Marriott and Hyatt, even in cases where the room was paid through Priceline, and it always seems to generate better treatment.

Dear Gardyloo:
I see you are very knowledable aboout Seattle. May I ask you some questions? We plan to stay at the Marriott Waterfront for 3 days, then to Woodmark Hotel for 2 nites. My parents are seniors and would love to look out at Lake Washington and relax. Any recommendations for seafood restaurants? 3 in downtown and one near Woodmark. Do you think this is a good itinerary? Our first time to Seattle. We are from San Francisco and parents are from Arizona. Thanks so much, your help is appreciated!!
Helen

Dear Bucky,

I think the Marriott is a good choice for a convention, but that the Elliott or other downtown hotel would be a lot more fun for you and your parents because it will put you near everything. Also, the Marriott is not ON the water--the water is across the street. The nearby Edgewater, on the other hand is ON the water.

Being on the water in Bellevue makes sense because you can't really walk around downtown anway.

Two really good restaurants on the east side are Cafe Juanita (Italian) and Seastar (Seafood).

In Seattle I like the Waterfront and Occeanaire restaurants.

Jim

thanks, jim. i'm going with my hubby and 3 teens, it's yamamar who will be with elderly parents.

we're going next week, so i don't think we're going to opt out of the marriott at this point, although i haven't yet canceled our four seasons reservation. (the problem with that one is that they had no rooms sat. night and our plane arrives sat.). we were originally booked at the edgewater, but it was more expensive than the marriott and they had no suites.

is the marriott really that far from everything? we are planning to wear sneakers... looking at the map, i thought it was a pretty good location, but it's hard to tell, never having been to seaatle.

yamamar

There are three seafood restaurants that I can think of in Kirkland that are close to the Woodmark: Anthony's Homeport, Newport Bay, and Yarrow Bay Grill. I've never eaten at Anthony's, but I've heard good things about it. I have eaten at Newport Bay and Yarrow Bay Grill and found the food to be okay. Nothing to write home about, but not bad.

Dowtown Bellevue is about a 10-15 minute (depending on traffic/lights) drive from the Woodmark heading south on Lake Washington Boulevard, which becomes Bellevue Way. While I disagree that Bellevue's downtown area itself is not walkable, if you decide to try SeaStar, as a tourist, you will definitely want to drive coming from Kirkland. I've not been to SeaStar, but the "buzz" is good.

In Seattle, I highly recommend Palisade Restaurant. It's tricky to find, but it's well worth it.

Re the location of the Marriott: One makes compromises. The hotel is extremely convenient to waterfront activities - restaurants, aquarium, harbor tours, various shops, and, using the trolley, also to the International District and Pioneer Square, or, going the other way, to the Myrtle Edwards waterfront park. On the other hand, it's less convenient to the monorail, Nordstrom's HQ store, many restaurants and other shopping/entertainment/office locations.

The central part of the Seattle waterfront (where the Marriott is located) is at the toe of a steep hill below the Pike Market and parts of downtown Seattle. Some streets connect the waterfront to First Avenue directly, others become stairways for the block or two where it would be too steep for cars to move conveniently. Pine, Pike, Union and University Streets are examples of these. Thus if you're staying at the Marriott you can either walk up to the market (and the rest of downtown) using one of the various stairways (not really that bad, and the Pike St. Hillclimb has landings with shops, benches, cafes, etc.); walk on streets using "switchbacks" to sort of zigzag up the hill (2 or 3 zigs depending on route) or take the new public elevator located a block from the hotel. Thousands of visitors take the stairs every week; it's really no big deal.

At the toe of the hill for part of the waterfront (Pioneer Square to around Pine St.) you then encounter the pylons holding up the Alaskan Way Viaduct, an old elevated (2-deck) freeway that serves as State Route 99. This road is an eyesore (unless you're on it, in which case it gives astonishing views of the city and the bay) that may or may not get demolished someday. Nonetheless it presents a visual and noise barrier to the waterfront that is far from appealing.

The Marriott is built just north of the point that the Viaduct starts swinging east, away from the waterfront. Thus the hotel's eastern walls face the hillside, with the freeway overhead (offset a little, not actually overhead). Also on the east side of the hotel is the main BNSF rail line serving north-south rail traffic in the region.

All of this means the Marriott is oriented to the west, where the water is across the street and the sunset views behind the Olympic Mts. are glorious. The trolley (cars harvested from Melbourne, Australia) runs along the hotel's side of the surface street (also called Alaskan Way, just to add confusion.)

But make no mistake - Seattle's downtown waterfront is a busy place. For instance, the hotel has great views of (and offers cheap non-admission to) waterfront concerts held on a pier right across from the hotel. On Aug. 7 for example, George Thoroghgood and the Destroyers will offer the evening's musical program, maybe two hundred yards from the hotel balconies. Rock on.

However, the hotel just opened a month or two ago, and the designers and architects were perfectly familiar with the surroundings. I'm positive the hotel is well soundproofed and oriented so that outside noise and disruption is minimized. Not to do so would be dumb business indeed.

For Yamamar, restaurant suggestions are always tough, but our faves near the central waterfront are the Anthony's branches (prefer Bell St. Diner) in the Pier 66 complex opposite the hotel, and Elliott's a couple of blocks the other way. All pretty touristy but good food nonetheless. In the vicinity of the Woodmark, there are several acceptable-to-good places in downtown Kirkland (which you will probably enjoy, BTW) including the 3rd Floor Fish Cafe. The Beach Cafe right in the Carillon Point complex (with the Woodmark) gets great reviews too.

Two suggestions for you and your folks, not waterfront but very Seattle. First, take them to the Athenian Inn in the main arcade in the Pike Market. Great for a late breakfast or lunch. Watch "Sleepless in Seattle" for the lunch scene with Tom Hanks and Rob Reiner.

Second, take them to the Alki Homestead restaurant just off the beach in the Alki neighborhood of West Seattle, around 20 min. from downtown. Family style chicken dinners served up in a gorgeous old log house by waitresses who knew Pres. Coolidge. Walk it off on the beach, ferries and mountains silhouetted at sunset.

wow, thanks to everyone who replied, especially Gardyloo!! Very helpful!! Jim, the Four Seasons is changing to the Fairmount 8/1. Maybe you will be back by then, please give a trip and hotel report!! We are going th end of August. Thanks again everyone!!
Helen