West - First time in Seattle - best area to stay?

We're planning a trip in July or August to Seattle for our 2oth anniversary. A friend recommended a hotel in Belleview, but I'm wondering if it's too far away from tourist attractions. Would we do better to stay closer to downtown? We plan to use public transportation, so that's a consideration also.

Bellevue is a Seattle suburb...not the most ideal place to stay if you don't have plant to rent a car. While there are buses to connect you to downtown, it's probably best to stay in the city center. If you have a car, then it is not a problem at all.

Hotel rates in Seattle can be pretty high, even on weekends. Just outside the downtown area, closer to the Space Needle, you'll find a Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, and Hyatt Place that may cost a little less. I'd look at those before staying in Bellevue. A lot of the major chains are represented downtown, or very close to downtown (Hyatt, Hilton, Sheraton, Renaissance).

View of Seattle from Bainbridge Ferry:
http://tom911.smugmug.com/Travel-USA/Seattle/2009-SeattleBainbridge-Island/040-Seattle-Waterfront-viewed/621715757_y2rC5-M.jpg

I have a bunch of Seattle photos here:
http://tom911.smugmug.com/Travel-USA/Seattle

Queen Anne is a great place and easy to get into downtown - you can walk or take the light rail. It is also easy to a lot of things tourist like to visit, such as the Space Needle.

Mods, should this be moved to the West category?

I like to be in Belltown/Waterfront area or downtown when I travel out to Seattle. Both are close to everywhere I want to be for the most part and for farther places the buses or light rail tend to get me where I need to go. If you stay on the waterfront do be aware that you will have to walk uphill to get to most sights or take the waterfront bus to King Street Station and transfer to other buses.

In the picture posted above, the 4-story white building right on the water is the Edgewater Hotel. I believe it's the only hotel that is actually on the water (it's on a pier and other hotels are on the otherside of the street). I've stayed there myself and found it to be fairly decent and accessible for all my needs.

Also, I recommend picking up an ORCA card (https://www.orcacard.com/ERG-Seattle/p1_001.do) for use with the public transit systems in the Seattle area. It's a reloadable RFID fare card - just makes dealing with the transit systems easier. Load $10-20 on it and keep yourself from worrying too much about fares, transfers etc.

Queen Anne is a great place and easy to get into downtown - you can walk or take the light rail. It is also easy to a lot of things tourist like to visit, such as the Space Needle.

Mods, should this be moved to the West category?

Yes, indeed. I do wish there was a SEA Forum.
In the meantime, I will move this to the West Forum.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

We're planning a trip in July or August to Seattle for our 2oth anniversary. A friend recommended a hotel in Belleview, but I'm wondering if it's too far away from tourist attractions. Would we do better to stay closer to downtown? We plan to use public transportation, so that's a consideration also.
Give us a rough idea of your budget and the recommendations will flow like the rain in my gutters. Oh wait.

Cruise people tend to push up hotel costs downtown, but there are a lot of rooms in various price points. Up-upscale, you couldn't do better than the Four Seasons, the building directly above the right hand bow of the ferry (and in front of the widest shiny building, the Museum Tower.) The Edgewater would be off the left edge of this image; the waterfront Marriott is at the extreme lower left corner.

http://gardyloo.us/20091226_71c2.JPG

We've stayed in Bellevue and Lynnwood each a few times for driving trips to Seattle. Unfortunately, we haven't made use of public transportation in and around Seattle. However, if you do decide to rent a car...

Staying in the burbs ends up being about a 20min drive into downtown. We generally try to avoid staying downtown because of parking costs (free street parking on Sundays though). If I didn't have wheels, I'd probably rather stay downtown (or maybe near the Space Needle).

If this is an anniversary trip you don't want to be marooned at a big, dull chain hotel in the suburbs... that includes Bellevue.

Here are some hotels for grown-ups. Check out:

The Inn at the Market in Pike Place Market, center of everything: www.innatthemarket.com

The Alexis on lower First Avenue: www.alexishotel.com

The Edgewater on Elliott Bay -- try asking for the Beatles' room, where they slept on their 1964 concert tour: www.edgewaterhotel.com

The Sorrento Hotel on Madison... not "nestled in the heart of downtown," more perched overlooking it, but still very nice: www.hotelsorrento.com

A little cheaper: the Andra on 4th Avenue, pretty much in the middle of everything also: www.hotelandra.com

You don't need a car in the city.

Hope that helps.

I found a little treasure called Hotel Max, which is located in the downtown area. They have had decent prices when I've stayed there and is, in general, a nice little property.

I usually stay around the space needed area. Hotels are much cheaper than right downtown but only a 5-10 min drive to downtown. If you don't want to drive, there are several buses that will get you back and forth too. Or if you're really up for it a nice long walk.

Posting this from Hampton Inn, 700 5th Avenue North, two blocks northeast of the Space Needle. Walking distance to monorail and public bus, includes free wifi and breakfast [dining area renovating now but should be done within 4-6 wks]. They have nice one bedroom suites with separate living/dining/kitchen area - ask for 3,4,5th floors.

More upscale hotels located 'downtown', near Pacific Place area. But Seattle is small and walkable.

What's your budget, OP?

I've found the Westin downtown to be very well located and a good place to stay. Also, it's generally been attainable on Priceline and/or Hotwire for rates in the $80/nt range. And if you want to rent a car for 1-2 days without using it as your airport transit, there is an Avis office located about 60 feet away from the hotel.