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View Full Version : Seattle Mommies/Daddies - looking for a hotel



maestramommy
07-15-2007, 08:46 PM
I'm looking into attending a friend's wedding in September. I would be taking Arwyn and going alone. The church is 1/2 a block from the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. All the hotels listed by the couple are within walking distance from the church, but they are rather pricey. I would love to find a Best Western, Econolodge, or some such place, but I don't know anything about the neighborhoods in Seattle. In fact, I know nothing about Seattle. So I thought I'd throw some questions out there. Hopefully, answers will help me find a place to stay.

How long does it take to drive from the airport to the Fairmont Hotel? I'd be flying in Friday evening, and back out Sunday morning.

Are there any areas in between the two that would be safer for me to find a place to stay? Basically, I'd have two destinations, the church, and the Edgewater hotel, where the reception will be held.

Any suggestions or tips would be really appreciated. This is the first time I've flown to an unfamiliar place without Dh, and have to drive as well. TIA!

vonfirmath
07-15-2007, 09:11 PM
Airport to fairmount Olympic Hotel is 15 miles -- 20 minutes in good traffic. Probably half an hour in normal traffic. Could be as much as 45 minutes or an hour if you get caught in baseball traffic.

You might go to Cheap Hotels in Seattle (http://seattle.hotelscheap.org/) and try to get something in "Seattle-Downtown" that is within your price budget. Particularly look for something in the "Ride Free area" as there is a certain area within Seattle where you can ride the buses without paying for tickets (to encourage people not to bring their cars in)

For example Eighth Avenue Inn (http://www.hotelscheap.org/hotel/hotelinfo.asp?mem=1267&searchtype=hotel&hotelid=515471)

maestramommy
07-15-2007, 11:06 PM
thanks! this is a great site! here's another q.

some of the hotels listed are by the airport. What's the neighborhood like? The rate was really low compared to downtown.

HannaAddict
07-16-2007, 12:36 AM
The drive from the airport will be about a half hour these days unless it is late at night and you can actually go the speed limit. We have a lot of traffic and while there are alternate routes into downtown, 1-5 is busy even on weekends. I would NOT stay at the airport except for possibly at the Red Lion Hotel or maybe Double Tree and I'm not sure about their room rates, but the other hotels/motels along there are icky. Strip clubs, prostitution, etc. I would be especially uneasy staying at the airport without my husband. But I'm a chicken!

I would first try Priceline for any of the nicer (four star) downtown hotels and see if you can come up with a bargain. Check out www.biddingfortravel.com to see what rates are coming up. The Sheraton went for $120 a night when said sold out on the Sheraton's site. I've had decent luck with Priceline for friends coming into town when hotels are pricey, the Sheraton usually for about half or less of rack rate. Even on weekends. Or try the Marriott on Lake Union, just north of downtown at the base of Queen Anne Hill. Or the Mediterranean Inn on Queen Anne Ave. just a couple of miles north of downtown. It is in an urban area but close to downtown and has a Starbucks in the building and is across from the Seattle Center.

Good luck and feel free to email me if you need any super specific info.

Kimberly

sadie427
07-16-2007, 01:04 AM
Second the recommendation for the Mediterranean Inn--stayed there for a week before we moved here and it worked out very well. It's a somewhat extended stay kind of place, with microwaves and refrigerators in the room. It's right around the corner from a Safeway for last minute kid supplies, snacks etc. There's a starbucks in the lobby and a business center w/ computers. The rates were reasonable at the time. The parking is not free, but you can pay for parking underneath the hotel. I'm not sure of the exact distance to the Edgewater, you could map it online easily, but I don't think it's too far, and there should be bus lines going down the hill.

maestramommy
07-16-2007, 10:36 AM
Thanks! Sounds like the airport area is just like LAX, sigh. But I will try the sites you mention. The thing is, I don't mind staying in a very modest hotel if it's just me, but traveling with an infant makes me afraid to stay in a dive surrounded by dives, y'know?

kijip
07-16-2007, 11:11 PM
Check out the Silver Cloud too- there is a new on on Capitol Hill that is pretty easy to downtown.

Also in downtown, there is the Virginia Inn near the market that is a little cheaper than the places right by the Fairmont. It is pretty close to the Edgewater, which is right on the waterfront a hair north of the market and the piers.

I back Kimberly 100% when I say- DON'T stay at the airport. There is the ick factor AND a serious transportation/traffic issue. If you stay downtown or near downtown, you don't need a car- the bus and feet will do you just fine. But if you stay by the airport, you will need a car to get to the wedding and around. Traffic mysteriously blights us in the middle of the day on weekends now, so you can't often count on a 20 minute drive.

There are some cheaper places downtown like the Holiday Inn, a Travel Lodge (or similar) but they are on the edge of downtown and IME don't represent a huge savings over staying in the downtown core and booked through Hotwire or the like.

Have you tried Priceline or Hotwire? We saved a bundle on a very nice hotel through Hotwire.

****Rocking out while parenting my smart little munchkin Toby. Just trying to do good in the world, a little at a time. Words to live by: it is *never* the wrong time to do the right thing :)

vonfirmath
07-21-2007, 10:41 AM
I don't think the hotels are that bad down at the airport area. The big negative is how far away from downtown it is when everything you want to do in town is downtown, the traffic in the area, and the fact that it involves DRIVING in downtown.

If you can avoid it, you want to NOT have a car in downtown Seattle. The city actively discourages driving.

HannaAddict
07-22-2007, 04:09 PM
I don't think the city is that bad with a car. It isn't like NY or SF. Heck, I can usually find a place to park on the street (though not for overnight)! Though it is much worse than ten years ago. I used to drive to the heart of the city and park on the street while doing an internship. Can't count on that ease of parking any longer.

Kimberly

teachermommy
07-23-2007, 08:33 AM
Sorry to hijack, but I also need help finding a Seattle hotel. We plan to buy the CityPass and do the activities in it: Zoo, Argossy cruise, Science Center, Space Needle, etc. I plan on using Priceline to find a hotel but would really like ideas of what area to pick. We will have two kids with us, so safety is important. We will also have a car, but prefer not to have to drive too far in the city traffic. Thanks so much for you ideas and help.
Michelle

HannaAddict
07-24-2007, 07:32 PM
I like our downtown and would stay there and try to get a great deal on a nicer hotel. The Sheraton really does seem to reserve quite a few rooms for Priceline and the rates people get are so much less than rack it is actually affordable. If you are downtown, you can walk to the Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, the waterfront and catch an Argosy cruise or take a ferry to Bainbridge Island to explore on foot, or the "foot ferry" to West Seattle and have fish and chips or picnic on the beach. You could even walk or hop a quick bus ride to Safeco Field for a Mariner's game if you like baseball. The main downtown area has nice retail and movie theaters as well as restaurants. It is also a bus or monorail ride away from the Seattle Center where there are rides, the Children's Museum, Seattle Children's Theater, and food court, not to mention the Space Needle. The zoo is about a 15 minute drive up Aurora (Hwy 99) from downtown. Very close. If you have a car, there are a lot of nice outdoor wading pools in different Seattle neighborhoods that might be fun depending on your children's ages.

If you stay on lower Queen Anne at the Mediterranean or similar, you will have a short bus ride to downtown or short car ride to park and then walk. But you will be able to walk right over to the Seattle Center for several of the activities you mentioned (Science Center, etc.).

Kimberly

teachermommy
07-24-2007, 08:43 PM
Thanks so much for the great information. It's very helpful. It's been several years since we've visited Seattle, but I remember what a great city it is. I'm off to Priceline to hopefully find a great deal.
Michelle

teachermommy
08-04-2007, 12:13 PM
Hi,
I'm not having any luck finding a reasonably priced downtown hotel for Aug. 7-11. I was really hoping I'd use priceline to get the Sheraton, but so far they have denied bids up to $125 for a 4 star hotel in the downtown or Lake Union area. Someone on biddingfortravel said he was denied a bid of $180 for Aug. 10 & 11.

I was wondering if there is something going on in Seattle during these dates. Maybe the hotels are all filled up and I should just try to pick a different time to visit. My husband and I are both teachers so we have a pretty flexible summer. However, we are running out of time before school starts. Can one of you great Seattle mommies let me know if something special is happening during that time, or suggest another safe hotel to try. I would really like to stay under $130 a night if possible. TIA

swampnurse
03-23-2008, 01:19 AM
This thread has been pretty helpful for my upcoming trip to Seattle & BC. It is a bit old though, so I'm looking for any updated info on hotels. We will only be in Seattle for one full day, so what should we absolutely not miss? We will be there at the end of July and my kids will be turn 2 and 4 that week.

Thanks!

mom_hanna
03-24-2008, 12:48 AM
Just a few suggestions: I would take the kids to Pike Place Market and take the ferry to Bainbridge Island with some buckets to pick blackberries! If you are a book loving family, go to the Elliott Bay Book Company down in Pioneer Square.
HTH.

Jennifer

HannaAddict
03-29-2008, 06:45 PM
Hi,
Since you are only in Seattle for one full day and have pretty young kids (almost the age of mine!), I wouldn't try to do too much. The Bainbridge Island ferry ride is a nice ride and short (35 minutes each way) and they have a nice kids' museum within walking distance. That trip and a swing through the Pike Place Market on the way to the ferry would probably be enough for my kids. Or you could stay in Seattle and go to the Aquarium down on the waterfront. The aquarium is remodeled and my kids love it. It isn't huge so not totally overwhelming but they have touch pools, cute otters, etc. My 18 month old was soooo into it the last time we went. You could do the Pike Place Market too. And maybe even take a monorail ride to and from the Seattle Center (it is a short five minute trip) from downtown. The Seattle Center has a lots of space to run around, a cheesy amusement park that my just turned four year old LOVES since it has mini bumper cars and other rides he can go on alone. Nothing like Disney mind you, but he has fun. There is also a huge outdoor fountain that the kids can play in if it is hot and sunny.

Hope this helps. Have fun! I love Vancouver BC and Vancouver Island, btw!

Kimberly