Seattle hotel please

Will be staying in Seattle four nights after the cruise. Any suggestions on hotels that are located close to most interesting sites and how about city tours as well.:confused: Thanking you in advance.:)

:)

We have stayed at the Sheraton several times. It is within walking distance of Pike's Market and a lot of shops. We were able to take the monorail to the space needle but one of the cars sustained a fire a few months ago and the system is over 40 years ago so it won't be used anymore. They are now running shuttles to the space needle. We have eaten at Sky City at the top of the space neddle several times.

:)

Lucky you!

By all means take a walk down to the ferry dock and take the 1 to 2-hour round trip to either Bainbridge Island or Bremerton (Bremerton is more interesting, but longer). You will see fabulous scenery, tugboats, maybe an eagle or orca or two, and get a taste of how many Seattleites commute to work. It's very inexpensive. There is a pedestrian bridge that connects it to First Avenue just a block or two north of Pioneer Square, which is an interesting historic area.

In Pioneer Square, you can get a tour of the "Seattle Underground," which consists of old Victorian buildings that were built on top of after regrading the area. There is also the nation's smallest National Park, dedicated to Gold Rush days.

Back north up First Avenue, you will run into the Pike Place Market, which has a large number of fresh fruit and vegetable stands, flower stands, fish and meat markets, etc. Watch out for the famous "flying" salmon!

Also try the dinner cruise to Blake Island. Blake Island is a state park. Dinner there is in a replica of a native American longhouse, with cedar plank roasted salmon, followed by a show of dancers in very impressive native costumes. The trip leaves from the harbor tour dock just north of where the big Washington State ferries dock.

And don't forget the flagship Nordstrom store.

All the above can be done by just walking around. The downtown area is hilly, but look for escalators in and aroung buildings to help you get back up the hills. A concierge can probably map them out for you (or follow the folks getting off the ferry).

Farther afield, if you have some time and any interest at all, the tour to the Boeing airplane plant in Everett is unforgettable. Also, it's fun to go over to the Crittenden locks to watch the boats go through and check out the salmon ladder.

There is lots more to see and do in Seattle. It's a wonderful place to explore. And the seafood is unbeatable. Have fun!

you can check out http://www.seattleinsider.com :)

Check out the Mayflower Park Hotel. It is centrally located at the Westlake Park shopping area. The actual center of the City. Nordstroms is on one side of the Hotel and The Bon ( Macy's) is on the other. Located at the corner of Fourth and Olive Streets. An older hotel that has been completely renovated over the years and is famous for their selection of martinis, the Andaluca resturant is also on site. For a spectacular view, have lunch at the Space Needle, it revolves 360 degrees every hour. And yes, the Monorail is out of commission because of that fire as mentioned above. Also check out Greyline Tours, they pick up and drop off at the hotels. A trip to Mt. Rainier and or to Mt St. Helens would be true high lights of your trip, both would be day long trips but well worth the time. Lunch at the Waterfront? Head down to the Bell Street Pier and lunch at Anthony's Homeport. This is the Pier your ship will probably be leaving from, walk along the waterfront then head back up the hill ( we are very hilly out here) to the Pike Place Market and then three more blocks back to the Mayflower for one of those marts. We wish you good weather and smooth seas.

Diana and Bill - of Seattle:p

In 2000 stayed at the Warwick Hotel in Seattle. Nice hotel, friendly staff, located within walking distance of Pike's Market & Space Needle. We love Seattle; unbelievably it did not rain the 4 days we were there! Take the underground city tour - very interesting.

Have fun.

My youngest son lives in Seattle and it is my favorite city. Will be there in September.

To me the waterfront, surrounded by hills and mountains is what makes Seattle unique. You can stay at a city hotel anywhere. Stay at the Edgewater , built on a pier, feed the gulls as they fly by your window, and watch all the ships. Or at Inn at the Market, a delightful inn in front of Pike Place Market on the hill going down to the harbor.

There is so much to do on Puget Sound and the surrounding area - from the Aquarium to the ferries to the island to the great restaurants - it is what makes Seattle 'Seattle'.

I am booking flights for our 2005 Alaska cruise. What is the earliest time that we should consider when flying out of Seattle? Thanks!

:) Mrs B

Is your cruise ship doing a roundtrip from Seattle?

If so, flights out after 1 should be all right.

Peaches from georgia can give you a better idea on that. You might want to start a thread to her, to get her attention.

:)

Thanks so much!

I certainly wouldn't consider anything before noon and probably even later than that. Seatac airport is 1/2 way between Seattle and Tacoma (hence the name!) and it is a large and busy airport. With security tight there you would have to be there at least an hour and a half - 2 hours ahead I am sure. I'd rather be on the safe side and not try to push it too early. ;)

My vote would go to Inn at the Market. It is a small boutique type hotel with lovely views of the sound and mountains. Just be sure and ask for a water view room---they are pretty with large bay windows to capture the views.

Have a good cruise and I hope you enjoy your visit to our city.

Janet

PS I would agree with Peaches---you should allow a good 2 hours at Sea-Tac before check in.

Thanks Peaches and Jan!

I like to stay at the Warwick, nice views etc. fairly well priced and they have a local downtown shuttle that we use alot. a great italian restaurant nearby also. we've also stayed at the residence inn and the embassy suites near lake union. although not within walking to downtown they are excellent. be sure to check out the wooden boat yard at lake union if you like small boats :) and if you have the $$...hands down ... a water-side room at the Edgewater (it's on a pier almost in the water) (they used to have fishing poles in the rooms for your use from the window...tee hee many many years ago) (now it's very upscale and the rooms were very nice 3 years ago when we stayed there)

anniecat...be at the warwick this saturday night before our Amsterdam cruise :D :D :D

The Edgewater has always been an upscale (and $$$) hotel even with the fishing poles. It is where the Beatles stayed while there on tour - they didn't exactly 'slum' it. While it DOES have wonderful views and a great location - if you are sailing from the pier next door, it is a little out of the way for me. I'd rather be more 'downtown' (I know - it IS downtown as opposed to suburban, but I'd rather be more in the Mayflower/Inn at the Market areas).

For things to do there are also the Experience Music and new Sci-Fi Hall of Fame in the Seattle Center area (where the Space Needle is).

Seattle has free busses in the Downtown area and great bus service in general. As opposed to other areas we've lived, the busses are used by just about EVERYONE. Last time I was there and used the 'Park & Ride', the parking lot was filled with a WIDE variety of cars (incl. Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Volvo.....)

Enjoy!

Can anyone give us more information on the Boeing tour? Thanks!

My vote is for the Edgewater Hotel (we just got back from our second trip to Seattle this year, stayed at the Edgewater both times) -- I don't consider it out of the way -- I consider it right where I want to be -- on the waterfront! Can't beat the views, and you can save a few dollars if you book a room that is city side. They have a lovely, comfortable lobby with a two story glass wall facing the waterfront, and similar views from the bar and the restaurant. Nothing else in Seattle is like it. The waterfront trolley stops right in front of the hotel, and there are loads of restaurants just up a block or two on second street. The hotel has a complimentary shuttle that will take you downtown, to restaurants, etc. The staff is extremely nice and accomodating -- this year they are celebrating the anniversary visit of the "fab four" to the hotel with special weekend concerts, a big anniversary celebration this month and a masquerade ball in October. Even the room keys have a color picture of the Beatles fishing from their room at the Edgewater. Where ever you stay, enjoy Seattle!

My husband and I stayed at both the Hotel Monaco and the Hotel Andra during our visit to Seattle this past June. Monaco was within an easy walking distance of Pike Place and the downtown shops/resaturants. Andra is directly across street from Dahlia Lounge and Assaggio restaurant, both excellent restaurants. Both hotels are a bit on the pricey side, but great. The Monaco offers free evening wine tastings for guests which was a great perk. We booked through Hotwire and only paid about $211 for 2 nights. We stayed in the Andra Lux suite at the Hotel Andra and paid around $215.

Tour buses regularly take visitors to the Everett delivery center where the 767,777,747 are made. When you get to town,, ask your hotel concierge to arrange a tour..or check the yellow pages and all the information is at your finger tips. it is quite a popular tour and everyone knows about it....

You might try Grayline Tours 1-800 544-0739.

Thanks very much for the tour information.

If you have any thoughts of picnicking, or just browsing the veggies, a famous local place is the Queen Ann Thriftway, on top of Queen Ann hill. Last time I was there, I saw that they offered french bread flown in directly from Paris.

One of the finest parks around is Point Defiance Park down in Tacoma. It has genuine old growth firs, a lovely zoo/aquarium, a logging camp museum offering a little train ride, an old fort, fine views--including the Olympic Mountains, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and swirling waters of the Narrows below, a nice rose garden, and a wonderful dahlia garden.

I'm sure we could all keep going for pages and pages. There's just so much to see and do there. I never got around to it all in 10 years of living there.