My husband and I are flying to Seattle the first week in May for our first visit ever to Seattle. We are celebrating our 13th anniversary. If budget were not an issue, what hotel would you recommend? I was considering the Fairmont Olympic Hotel or the Grand Hyatt. Do we want to be waterfront or more downtown? We want to do the typical Seattle sightseeing, including a ferry to Bainbridge or a trip to Victoria. We have only 4 days. Any suggestions on hotel and sights? Thanks!

Darcey

In the "budget not an issue" category I would choose either of those two, the Olympic being the "grand dame" of Seattle hotels, the Hyatt being the best of the new business-oriented places. However, I'd also be tempted to try to get a water-view room at the Inn at the Market - located right in the Pike Market, or possibly a suite at the Alexis on First Avenue. Both of these hotels are fine places, both well-located for visitors interested in the market, Pioneer Square and waterfront tourist zones. The Sorrento Hotel, although not located in the immediate (i.e. walkable) downtown center, is also a fabulous place, and their hotel limousine will take you wherever you want to go downtown. But do check out the Inn at the Market (which is also, BTW, the best place for foodies - the hotel's restaurant, Campagne and smaller Cafe Campagne, is one of the best in town.)

For activities, the Bainbridge ferry is easy - just walk on any sailing, every 40 min. - then walk to the Harbour Public House overlooking Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge for a good pint of beer and burger. The Pike Market obviously is a draw, and May is a good time to see masses of spring flowers in the stalls.

For your Victoria escape, consider taking the scheduled floatplane service from Lake Union in downtown Seattle straight to the Inner Harbour in Victoria - much quicker, a little more costly, but way more scenic (and fun) than the Victoria Clipper - see www.kenmoreair.com. Gives you twice as much time on the ground in Victoria.

For other attractions, what interests you? Shopping? Old airplanes, including a Concorde? Art galleries? Concerts? Will you have a car? So many questions...

Thank you for your quick and informative response. I'll look into the hotels you suggested. You asked what interests us...

Art galleries, good food, concerts, we were not intending on renting a car, unless necessary.

What exactly is the Pike Market? Is it a farmers market?

What is there to do in Bainbridge?
Thanks for your help.

There are some interesting galleries in Pioneer Square.

Pike Place Market is indeed a farmer's market, but there are also many craft/gift/art stalls, as well as seafood, and various small shops and restaurants. It makes for a great stroll to people-watch, and window-shop. The seafood vendors tend to be entertaining, flipping fish with acrobatic flourishes and clever banter.

The ferry ride to Bainbridge is scenic, and you end up in a quaint little town that is surprisingly rural, considering its proximity to Seattle. There are several gardens you can tour through, as well as a couple of State parks for beachcombing. If time is tight, you may want to skip this trip. On the other hand, it would be a nice relaxing way to end a day, watching the sunset as the ferry makes its way across the Sound. You could just choose not to get off, and simply retrace your route back to Seattle.

The ferry ride is a must! We took some of our best photos of my daughter on the ferry with the Space Needle in the background. The ride is so relaxing and scenice. We chose not go get off and just rode it back to Seattle.

I would recommend you check out the Edgewater Hotel, located directly on the water. It is truly gorgeous and we will definitely return. The rooms have panoramic views of the water and the entire property is just gorgeous. www.hoteledgewater.com

We were especially impressed with the concierge who got is into a booked restaurant on a Sat. night and actually ordered a comp limo to come and take us to dinner.

The hotel also offers a wonderful and reliable shuttle service to all major Seattle attractions. ***kim***

Darcey, start by familiarizing yourself with Seattle - Fodors' own mini-guide right on this site is a good enough place to start - http://fodors.com/miniguides/mgresul...on=seattle@143

I think a car is a good idea for one or two days - probably cheaper to do one-day rentals than pay high overnight parking charges at the hotels, and there are numerous rental car agencies in the downtown area. There are several great day excursions - mountains, waterfalls, gorgeous (springtime) countryside, arts venues - that are quite hard to reach with public transportation. Plus Seattle itself has many great neighborhoods for which a car is the only convenient method to visit.

You can find arts, theater and other events calendars, plus reliable restaurant reviews at the Seattle Weekly's website, http://seattleweekly.com

BTW, congratulations on your lucky 13th.

Four Seasons is great and the Concierge David Harney is fabulous -- check out "palce Kitchen" for a fun eveining!

Darcey, here is a website to learn more about "the market." www.pikeplacemarket.com will answer a lot of your questions ahout it. It truly is an experience unique only to Seattle.

No visit to Seattle would be complete without a stop or two here, IMO. ***kim***

I want to thank all of you for your great input. I've only used this site twice and I'm amazed and grateful to those who take time to help out those of us who are discovering new areas. If you're ever needing info on Phoenix, let me know!

I actually booked a waterview room at The Inn at the Market thanks to Gardyloo's suggestion. And thanks for the websites, I'll be doing my homework.

Sincerely,
Darcey Huish

Question for ALF: If you don't take your car to Bainbridge, are there cabs that take you around there? I didn't know how much ground we could cover on foot. Thanks! ***kim***

Hi, Darcey
We stayed at the Inn at the Market during our last visit to Seattle. One of the nicest things we did was to go down to the market, get a couple of cracked Dungeness crabs, crab picks and cold drinks. Brought them back to the hotel and up to the patio on the roof. Sat and watched the ferry boats go in and out, the sky, the water . . . Sigh. It was a beautiful afternoon.

I agree with Hamburg...the Four Seasons! Happy Anniversary!

Does anyone have any experience with the Comfort Inn Suites on Roy Street?

Inn at the Market is wonderful. I would definitely stay there again. I thought the location was perfect, plenty of restaurants, shopping and nightlife within walking distance. The Inn also has a complimentary town car available for guests.

Comfort Inn on Roy is north of the downtown center area. It is near the Seattle Center grounds (Space Needle, etc) and you would probably use the monorail to get to the heart of the downtown area. But, it is a basic newer, clean hotel and works well if you need to have a car (cheaper parking than downtown). In my opinion, it's more fun to be right downtown near the market and the retail core.

FYI: there is no Four Seasons hotel in Seattle. (It was sold).

Gasp! Thank you for the update Ted Turner... here's a link re: the change if anyone is interested.

http://www.fourseasons.com/seattle_a...ent/index.html

Have stayed at the Westin and thought it was very nice. Walking distance to PIke's Market.

Could someone fill me in on the price range of Inn on the Market and the Weston? Would it be comperable to the Comfort Inn Suites?
Does either of them have any free shuttle service?