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Decent hotels in downtown Seattle


UncleEJ
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I going to be going to Seattle in June for a wedding and need a decent hotel. I know they are pricier downtown but I'd rather not have long cab rides (not renting a car). Any suggestions in the under $200 range? It will just be me.

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I don't know much about Seattle, but I did stay there last summer in a better than decent hotel. It was near UW, and I don't know how close that is to downtown. The name of the place was Watertown Hotel and it was about $140. Parking was free and we took the bus if we were going beyond walking distance. It was nice, very clean, and had a Keurig, which was a highlight for me because I'd never used one before. It's the little things, ya know. :)

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UW is not so very close to downtown (about 6 miles northeast and on the other side of I-5). We stayed at the Red Lion on 5th Ave. (downtown) once. It was nice and decently priced from what I recall. I don't think that's more thank a mile from SoDo, and still close to downtown.

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Sodo isn't really a very nice area. I would stay somewhere around 5th Avenue, near Westlake Center. It will be a 2-3 miles or so from SODO, but a totally different feel. Lots of shopping, restaurants, movie theatres etc. We have rented at the Sheraton for the weekend just to hang out. There is also the Westin, which might be pricier. Wild Ginger is one of my favorite restaurants down there.

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I haven't stayed at any of them, but through my work I have seen 'backstage' at several of the chain hotels downtown. I wouldn't hesitate to stay at the Red Lion, they appear well-run and they are more affordable than many in the area, so I am seconding that recommendation.

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The wedding in in SoDo. On Utah Ave.

 

umm - sodo is south of downtown and is predominantly sports and light industrial. Utah ave comes up on maps.live as being in fort lawton/now discovery park - re: magnolia. quite a bit north and west of downtown. (very nice area, no hotels.)

 

ah - there is a utah ave SOUTH in sodo on maps.google. starts at the west seattle bridge, it runs N-S just west of 1st ave. the port of seattle - and its many train tracks - is immediately west of utah ave s. there are no hotels in that area. (and I would be leary if there were)

 

you are probably looking at a hotel in downtown. sodo is not quite four miles from downtown.

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umm - sodo is south of downtown and is predominantly sports and light industrial. Utah ave comes up on maps.live as being in fort lawton/now discovery park - re: magnolia. quite a bit north and west of downtown. (very nice area, no hotels.)

 

ah - there is a utah ave SOUTH in sodo on maps.google. starts at the west seattle bridge, it runs N-S just west of 1st ave. the port of seattle - and its many train tracks - is immediately west of utah ave s. there are no hotels in that area. (and I would be leary if there were)

 

you are probably looking at a hotel in downtown. sodo is not quite four miles from downtown.

 

 

Yes, I think I want to be in downtown, but not too terribly far from the wedding venue. I will be there for a few days beside the wedding so I would like to be near to things to do, shopping, food, ect.

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no car places limits.

take a ferry boat ride you can just walk on - returning east to seattle is free so you can get off and walk around bremerton or bainbridge island just off the ferry.

ivar's fish bar, just down the water front from the ferry dock. throw french fries at the seagulls.

ye olde curiosity shoppe. (my FAVORITE place as a child. new quarters isn't quite as good as the original.) on the waterfront.

if you want a really nice romantic dinner with your dh, maxmiliens at the market. yum. with a view of elliot bay and the olympics - but the food . . . . fabulous. almost anything you order will be great. reservations so you're there at sunset. (the website does NOT include everything they have on the menu.)

the observation deck at the columbia tower (cheaper and taller than the space needle which is *very* over rated. whatever you do, do not eat at the space needle.)

ray's boathouse is at shilsho - also great at sunset, and if you go out there, you can also stop by the hiram m chittenden locks. (best on a sunny weekend afternoon.)

 

Kerry park is on queen anne hill - accessable via bus/monorail and a short walk and has a fabulous view of the city and to the west.

hmm - if you go that way, John Nielsen's danish pastry on 1st west (?) just south of mercer street. good for pastries or soup and sandwich.

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My personal favorite is the lovely and elegant Sorrento on Capital Hill (so pretty!!), but you'd have to walk several blocks to the core of downtown.

 

The Hilton, Sheraton, Westin, are all in the core of downtown shopping, restaurants, and museums. You can have some fun staying in any of those!

 

You should be able to get a room at one of those for $200 or less.

 

I would not recommend any inexpensive hotels in Seattle. I also would not stay in SODO or the U District -- sketchy areas at night. Also, do not stay in a hotel on Aurora Blvd. There are some decent-ish places that cost less, but I would not want to stay in any of them by myself without a car.

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Pike Place Market

Space Needle

- from Westlake Center you can take the Monorail to Seattle Center (where the Space Needle is)

At Seattle Center there is also the new Chihuly glass museum. I haven't been but several friends have gone and really enjoyed it.

Walk along the Waterfront, maybe do the new carousel, ride the ferry.

 

Go to pioneer square and do the Underground Tour.

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The rates for the Red Lion are $244 a night that weekend ugh. My friend has a deal with Hotel Andra (4th ave) for $191 a night, that is looking like it my be my best bet. The only other hotels I have found cheaper is the Hampton Inn and Suites (5th ave) or Holiday Inn Express ( Aurora ave) for about $175 a night. Man, I knew Seattle was expensive, but yikes!

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have you tried looking through sites like travelocity etc? they usually have rates well below the rack rate - especially on weekends. (except maybe seafair weekend.)

 

I have, that's where I got the rates I did find. Apparently there is something going on that weekend that is causing the rates to be higher than normal. I ended up getting a room at The Mayflower through a friend at a slightly discounted rate. I am so excited! I have flown alone many times before I had kids, but not since. I might actually get to read on the flight! I have never stayed in a hotel alone or been to Seattle aside from the airport before, so I am a little bit nervous but crazy excited.

 

Thanks for the recommendations!

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The Holiday Inn Express is not where you want to stay. Truly. You'd be paying $175 a night and likely wouldn't feel safe walking anywhere from your hotel. Aurora Blvd is the prostitution/drug highway through the city.

 

I would pay the money for a room in the downtown shopping core. Yes, it's expensive, but at least you'll feel safe and able to enjoy the nicer parts of the city. Hotel Andra would be much better.

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Try the Roosevelt Hotel. We stayed there and it was nice. We tried a cheaper one the first night there - about 100 bucks/night - and oh, boy! It was awful! The second night we switched to the Roosevelt. Muuuuuuuch better and right downtown!

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There is a newer and nice Silver Cloud directly across from Safeco Field in SoDo, waking distance to various attractions and food in Pioneer Square. There is a lot of road construction going on near there.

 

You can also stay at the Inn at the Market. There is a new Doubletree in a beautiful historic building (The Artic Building) which is fairly close to Pioneer Square and certainly accessible to SoDo with a walk or very short bus ride. The Alexis Hotel is really nice, on the north edge of Pioneer Square so also very convenient with SoDo.

 

The Pan Pacific above Whole Foods is all the way north across downtown from SoDo.

 

I would not hesitate to stay Downtown. Especially in June when the sunlight lasts well past dinner time. Seattle is a safe place on the whole and there is a lot to see and do (and eat). LMK if you want a local's food recommendations

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I have, that's where I got the rates I did find. Apparently there is something going on that weekend that is causing the rates to be higher than normal. I ended up getting a room at The Mayflower through a friend at a slightly discounted rate. I am so excited! I have flown alone many times before I had kids, but not since. I might actually get to read on the flight! I have never stayed in a hotel alone or been to Seattle aside from the airport before, so I am a little bit nervous but crazy excited.

 

Thanks for the recommendations!

 

 

I remember staying at the Mayflower one time. I think you'll enjoy it and the location.

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If you only have a little time, I'd take the ferry to Bainbridge Island and back. It leaves from downtown and is a beautiful crossing. It's only about 30 minutes each way, but on a clear-ish day it is a wonderful way to see the Puget Sound, a bit of the islands, and the Seattle skyline.

 

Also, Pike Place Market it really fun and unique with so many little shops and street performers and funky little restaurants. You could fill an entire afternoon with just the ferry ride and the market.

 

The trip to the top of the Space Needle is worth it on a clear day -- the views of all the mountains and the water are amazing. On a rainy day I'd save my money for something else. Plus, you'd probably need to get a bus or cab to get to the Space Needle from downtown.

 

The symphony, the 5th Ave Theater, the Paramount Theater are all within walking distance of downtown if you want to see a show. The massive and architecturally bizarre public library is smack in the middle of downtown.

 

There are so many good restaurants that I don't know what to recommend. Look on Yelp and see what you like or ask the concierge what's near your hotel.

 

Of course, you must go out in the morning and get coffee. There are several amazing bakeries -- Le Panier is at Pike Place Market and is sooooo good. It's right up the block from the original Starbucks if that appeals to you.

 

I see SODO mentioned in a few of these posts as an area to visit. I strongly disagree. The stadiums are there, but I'm not sure what else would be worth visiting down there. Maybe Pioneer Square, but really that area has been failing in recent years and is a hotspot for drug crimes and aggressive panhandling.

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I would not hesitate to stay Downtown. Especially in June when the sunlight lasts well past dinner time. Seattle is a safe place on the whole and there is a lot to see and do (and eat).

 

at the summer solstice on June 21, it is still light at 10pm. (it says sunset is about 9:11pm, but I'm not sure if that's standard time or day-light savings.)

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If you only have a little time, I'd take the ferry to Bainbridge Island and back. It leaves from downtown and is a beautiful crossing. It's only about 30 minutes each way, but on a clear-ish day it is a wonderful way to see the Puget Sound, a bit of the islands, and the Seattle skyline.

 

Also, Pike Place Market it really fun and unique with so many little shops and street performers and funky little restaurants. You could fill an entire afternoon with just the ferry ride and the market.

 

The trip to the top of the Space Needle is worth it on a clear day -- the views of all the mountains and the water are amazing. On a rainy day I'd save my money for something else. Plus, you'd probably need to get a bus or cab to get to the Space Needle from downtown.

 

The symphony, the 5th Ave Theater, the Paramount Theater are all within walking distance of downtown if you want to see a show. The massive and architecturally bizarre public library is smack in the middle of downtown.

 

There are so many good restaurants that I don't know what to recommend. Look on Yelp and see what you like or ask the concierge what's near your hotel.

 

Of course, you must go out in the morning and get coffee. There are several amazing bakeries -- Le Panier is at Pike Place Market and is sooooo good. It's right up the block from the original Starbucks if that appeals to you.

 

I see SODO mentioned in a few of these posts as an area to visit. I strongly disagree. The stadiums are there, but I'm not sure what else would be worth visiting down there. Maybe Pioneer Square, but really that area has been failing in recent years and is a hotspot for drug crimes and aggressive panhandling.

 

Thank you for the ideas. The wedding I am going to is in SoDo, but I don't have any other plans of going there.

 

I am very excited to go to Pikes Place! That is the top of my list. And coffee!!! I grew up in Alaska and have moved to Texas. Lets just say coffee is very under appreciated here. I am very excited for good espresso! I think I may also check out the Nordstrom flagship store. I have about three days all to myself. I'm hoping it isn't rainy the whole time.

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at the summer solstice on June 21, it is still light at 10pm. (it says sunset is about 9:11pm, but I'm not sure if that's standard time or day-light savings.)

 

I grew up in Alaska, but am now in Texas. I miss those bright nights :-)

 

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A quick heads up if you are there solstice weekend. There is a parade in Fremont that includes naked bike riders that Saturday, so if your uncomfortable with that you may want to stay out of the north part of the city that day. It's really not that hard to get around without a car. The link light rail runs from the airport to downtown and you can easily take the monorail from downtown to the Seattle center.

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A quick heads up if you are there solstice weekend. There is a parade in Fremont that includes naked bike riders that Saturday, so if your uncomfortable with that you may want to stay out of the north part of the city that day. It's really not that hard to get around without a car. The link light rail runs from the airport to downtown and you can easily take the monorail from downtown to the Seattle center.

 

I actually will. The wedding is June 21. Thanks for the heads up, that could be quite amusing!

 

ETA: that must be the reason for the higher hotel prices

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I actually will. The wedding is June 21. Thanks for the heads up, that could be quite amusing!

 

ETA: that must be the reason for the higher hotel prices

 

 

I don't think the Solstice parade drives tourism much but June-August is when Seattle gets most of our tourism, including conventions and such. Weekend hotel prices are high then.

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