Seattle is a beautiful city in the state of Washington, USA. It has 3 major ‘hotel’ districts, namely, Downtown, the South Lake Union neighborhood, and the Space Needle and Seattle Center. Most of the major hotel chains like Grand Hyatt, Westin, Hilton, Sheraton, Homewood Suites, Red Lion, Paramount, and Crown Plaza, etc. are located in Downtown. Some popular hotels in South Lake Union include the Marriott Residence Inn, Marriott Courtyard, Pan Pacific, and Silver Cloud Inn. The main hotels at the Space Needle and Seattle Center are The Maxwell, Hampton Inn, Best Western Executive Inn, and Comfort Suites, etc.
Some popular budget accommodations in Seattle include the Space Needle’s Travelodge, the Moore Hotel, the Best Western Loyal Inn, the Sixth Avenue Inn, and The Executive Hotel Pacific. Moderate budget hotels are the Red Lion Fifth Avenue, Mayflower Park, and Hotel Andra. High-end luxury hotels include the new Four Seasons, The Inn at the Market, the Grand Hyatt, the Hotel 1000, and the Fairmont Olympic.
Presented below are some of the best places to stay in Seattle.
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Downtown
Downtown is located in the centre of Seattle and is full of business hotels, office skyscrapers, national-chain apparel stores, and shopping centers. It is the expense-account neighborhood and tourists with frequent-traveler points can easily use them at hotels in this area.
Downtown is an ideal place to stay in for business travelers and holiday shopping enthusiasts! Other areas can be easily reached via streetcar, transit tunnel, and monorail. The area has very few tourist attractions and most restaurants use expense accounts.
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The Waterfront
This neighborhood is the most tourist-friendly place in Seattle. It offers some of the best views and has numerous engaging activities and attractions. A lot of boat tours are available at the Waterfront, including cruise ships travelling to Alaska. Travelers who are going or coming from a cruise will find accommodations in this area to be most convenient. It may however be noted that there are only two major hotels in the area and one of which is on water. There are many shops, bars, and restaurants, but most of them are expensive.
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Belltown and Pike Place Market
The top hot spot in the city, Pike Place Market is a vibrant place full of specialty food stores, produce stalls, novelty shops, and restaurants. Belltown used to be really hip, but is not so anymore. It still however houses lots of nightclubs and bars and some good diners.
Food aficionados who want to continuously be in the melee of all happenings would like to stay in Pike Place. The market is however overcrowded with tourists and locals during daytime and that can be an overwhelming experience. Visitors who want to enjoy the club scene as well as budget travelers can opt for accommodation in Belltown. Lots of panhandlers come out onto the Belltown streets when the bars begin to fill up. Also, street noises during nighttime can be disturbing.
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Queen Anne and Seattle Center
The area of Queen Anne is divided into lower Queen Anne and upper Queen Anne. The former is a typical commercial busy district and encloses Seattle Center. Hotels in lower Queen Anne are moderately priced. The latter is high-end residential neighborhood with awesome shopping opportunities. The shopping district is however located atop the hill and thus a steep walk; you may also take a cab or a bus.
Queen Anne is a good place for families to stay it as it offers easy access to Seattle Center. The budget hotels and lots of affordable restaurants also make the area ideal for budget travelers. The lower section is however somewhat seedy.
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The International District, Pioneer Square, and SoDo
Pioneer Square is a historic neighborhood of Seattle. Most of the stone and brick buildings that line the comfy streets were constructed just after the 1989 great fire of Seattle. SoDo has two key sports stadiums, namely Safeco Field and Qwest Field. The International District is located on the eastern side of Pioneer Square. All are the major nightlife districts in the city. Travelers can visit this area to soak up the gold-rush historic period that resonates in the air. During daytime, a plethora of street people can be found loitering and it can get quite rowdy during nighttime.
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Lake Union and South Lake Union
The newest part of Seattle, this neighborhood extends from downtown to Lake Union’s southern shores. It is an urban contemporary village that houses the corporate headquarters of Amazon. SLU/South Lake Union is a happening, trendy place and boasts of marinas, houseboats, and waterfront eateries. Tourists can rent a kayak and row across the lake or use the services of floatplanes and check out the city from up above!
This neighborhood looks and feels advanced and modern and is perfect for techies to stay in. However, most of the residents work 9 to 5 jobs and the area tends to go quiet after business hours.
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North Seattle/U District (The University District)
The university district is located around fifteen minutes northwards of downtown. The accommodations in this area are more affordable as compared to downtown and most of the main attractions in the city are easily accessible from here. Some key attractions include Woodland Park Zoo, Burke Museum, University of Washington, Museum of History and Industry, and Henry Art Gallery.
The place has hip, trendy, and relatively inexpensive places to stay. Hence, it will appeal budget-conscious and young travelers. Most of the restaurants in the area serve college students, who like quantity over fine dining. So the food is not that great.
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First Hill and Capitol Hill
These pair of hills is situated eastwards of Seattle downtown. First hill is home to several hospitals and is often referred to as ‘pill hill’ by the locals. This area starts from downtown just about across the I-5. Capitol Hill is the main gay area in the city. It is located about a mile uphill and eastwards of downtown. It is home to lovely residential roads as well as a busy commercial area. Some historic houses in Capitol Hill have been restored and turned into B&Bs.
Capitol Hill is slowly being upgraded with the construction of new fine dining places and condominiums. However, most visitors to the neighborhood are gays and youngsters. Hence, there are many nightclubs and bars which serve the young customers. This area is ideal for visitors who want to be near downtown but do not want to stay in a high-rise. It is also good for gay tourists. One of the finest restaurant districts in Seattle is located in Capitol Hill.
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Sea-Tac Airport neighborhood
The airport is located south of Seattle downtown, about 40 minutes via the light-rail Central Link line, or around 30 to 40 minutes by car. Many business, conference, and budget hotels are located near the airport. There are no small or major attractions in this area. Travelers who want to leave early or have arrived late in Seattle can opt to stay here for a day or two.
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Bainbridge Island
It is a pristine peaceful island neighborhood located around half-an-hour ferry ride from the city. The accommodation options are situated less than 1 mile away from the ferry terminal. The hotels and inns on the island are popular due to the ease of commute to the bedroom island community. Also, the ferry ride between the island and city offers the spirit of a Seattle vacation experience.
Travelers who want to avoid noisy urban areas and want to discover the beauty of the city may find it a good option to stay in Bainbridge Island. It is however important to remember that the daily bus/taxi rides to the ferry landing and the ferry ride itself, will add to the overall cost.
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The Eastside
The Eastside suburb is located on the eastern side of Lake Washington. It is the main high-tech neighborhood and consists of the cities of Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, and Issaquah. The metropolitan area’s two most opulent hotels are located on the Eastside.
The travel time from Seattle to the east side of the lake can be more than 40 minutes during rush hour. During non-peak hours, the commute time is around 19-20 minutes through the Wash. 520 floating bridges or the I-90. Business travelers will find an Eastside hotel to be more comfortable and convenient as opposed to a hotel in downtown.
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