Hotels in the Seattle Area/ Where to Stay

Hotels in Seattle: Where to Stay

This lovely sculpture of whales is near the International Fountain at Seattle Center...across the street from the Inn at Queen Anne

I have lived in Seattle since 1970, and this is my Seattle Hotel advice.

If I had to choose a hotel to stay in while visiting Seattle, I would probably choose the Inn at Queen Anne. It is not a sky scraper, it is a modest, several-story-high, older hotel in a central location. I am weary of downtown Seattle hotels due to the overdue earthquake we have coming at some point...and I would hate to be in one of those hotels downtown on a 15th floor, during a 7.0 earthquake downtown. And since I have been in 7.0 earthquakes, I can tell you that is enough of a reality for me to define where I stay in town. I would choose the Inn at Queen Anne because it is on solid ground for any quake activity, and it is across the street from the Seattle Center, which has many attractions from the Space Needle to the Science Center and Imax theaters, to the Children's Museum, the Monorail, the Seattle Opera and NW Ballet, and the International Fountain with music and water shows. The Inn at Queen Anne is located at 505 First Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109. Their phone number is (206) 282-7357 and their website is at http://www.innatqueenanne.com. While in the neighborhood, check out the wonderful vegetarian/vegan restaurant, Bamboo Gardens. I highly recommend their Combo B for lunch! Your meat-eating friends will not be able to tell it is not meat! Another classic Seattle restaurant in this area is the Pagliacci Pizza joint close by. This is Seattle's favorite pizza for decades now. And Dick's Drive-In is located a block from the Inn and it is Seattle's favorite hometown burger joint, with cheap but tasty shakes, root beer floats, homemade fries and basic burgers, and they are open late.

Another hotel that I recommend in lower Queen Anne is the Mar Queen Hotel. It is about 2 blocks from the Seattle Center, and about two blocks from the Inn at Queen Anne. It is in a nice neighborhood, and is housed in a classic old building, built in 1918, and the rooms have nice wooden floors. They have kitchens with refrigerators in all rooms, and internet connectivity in each room as well. This hotel is more expensive than the Inn at Queen Anne.

Really, the Queen Anne area is a great area to stay in if you are a visitor. Another quality hotel in a nice neighborhood, about 2 blocks from the Inn at Queen Anne, is the Mediterranean Inn. It is in a pretty big building, but it is nicely kept and centrally located. It is reasonably priced and has weekly rates too. This hotel also has kitchenettes with refrigerators in each room, and internet connectivity in each room.

Some things to do in the lower Queen Anne/Seattle Center part of town: at the Seattle Center - Children's Museum, Monorail, Science Center, IMax Theaters, International Fountain, Center House and Food Circus, Space Needle, Intiman Theater, Seattle Opera, NW Ballet, Fun Forest, Sculptures outside Science Center, EMP Music Project, Wading Pool, Key Arena... You can also walk or take a bus down the street and visit Myrtle Edwards Park, which is on the waterfront. The Waterfront has attractions such as the Seattle Aquarium, The Marine Museum, odd shops, ferries, etc. Directly across from the Seattle Aquarium, to the east, under the viaduct bridge, is an antique store hidden in a building that sort of looks like it has a barn door and that store has some fabulous old treasures. The Spaghetti Factory is down at the Waterfront and it is a nice inexpensive fun place to take kids for dinner.

If I did not stay at the Inn at Queen Anne, I would probably try to stay at one of the hotels in the University Districts, either the College Inn or the University Hotel. The College Inn is located a block from the University of Washington campus and is also located next to University Way, a strip with stores, restaurants and theaters. The College Inn's address is 4000 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105. Their phone number is (206) 633-4441 and their website is at http://www.collegeinnseattle.com. The building that the College Inn is in looks Bavarian, it has a nice ambiance, it is reasonably priced and is on bus routes to go almost anywhere in Seattle easily.

The other hotel I would stay in if I wanted to stay in the University District, (which I would prefer to downtown, for instance, due to earthquake safety issues downtown, and also because I prefer things that are a little more unique than high rise hotels), would be the University Hotel. The University Hotel is located at 4731 12th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98105. For reservations call 1-800-522-4720 or 206-522-4724. This is an older 1950's-style hotel, and the units include full kitchens and separate bedrooms, making these nice apartments away from home for families and people who want to entertain while visiting. The location of this hotel is off a side street, and is a nice hidden hotel gem in Seattle.

While you are staying at University district hotels, I would recommend visiting the Burke Museum on the University campus, and also visiting the Grand Illusion Theater, which plays odd offbeat movies such as one on the history of Dr. Bronner's Soap, playing in August 2007, and also visit the Neptune Theater, which is a beautiful old-fashioned theater built in 1921, with balcony, stage with curtains, and gorgeous art on the walls of Neptune and sea mythology. Also in the "U District," you may enjoy walking through the Ravenna Ravine, at Cowen Park. It is a favorite for local joggers, dog walkers, and people who like to walk amongst trees. This park also has a wading pool during the summer for young kids, and it has tennis courts, and a playground too.

** Note: Aurora Ave., or Highway 99, is known as an area of heavy drug trafficking and prostitution. There are more hotels in this area than anywhere else in Seattle, except for downtown, and the hotels here may be cheaper, but the ambiance of the neighborhood is something you may want to consider. Look the hotel you are booking up on an internet map and see how close the hotel is to Aurora Ave. Some hotels use sidestreet addresses to confuse visitors. Another high drug and prostitution area is downtown, around Pike Street and 1st Avenue. There are some quality hotels downtown, but it is pretty ugly downtown at night. I would suggest staying a bit uptown in Queen Anne instead.**

I will add more hotels in time, so stay tuned.

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