Hotel and transportation suggestions needed in Seattle with baby

[rainrain]

Dear all, our family of four adults (two of us and my parents) and one 10-month old baby would be cruising to Alaska from Seattle by the end of May. This would be our first family trip since the baby has come and I'm a bit anxious from the understanding that travelling with an infant could be a lot of stress and hassle. I'm trying to be as well prepared as possible. I'm considering Westin in the downtown area, so that when my parents and husband could take a trip to the town center or the pike place market, I could stay at the hotel for baby to take a nap. Does any one know that if Westin in Seattle is baby friendly such as what kind of crib they provide?

 

I'm also considering reserve a towncar or SUV from the many town car companies suggest here on this board. Looked at Alreadythere, Seattle Best Car Service and Seattle Best Car Limousines, etc, but can't really decide which one to pick. The main thing is reliability, safety and good service, also would like to have a nice vehicle so that parents would be happier. We would need transportation from the airport to the hotel, hotel to the pier, and pier to the airport. Also, do we need to bring our carseat, or any of these companies provide carseat? My baby would merely fit into an infant carseat then, but still possible for a 30 minutes ride. Hauling a bulky convertible carseat from home seems too much of a stretch and we won't be using it on the cruise, will we?

 

There's just so much to worry about when it comes to travelling with an infant. Would really appreciate any of your input.

 

Thank you all very much!

[zenjenn]

Rain,

 

I'm not the most qualified to answer but since no one has responded, I will as a veteran mom with two kids and am doing the same kind of planning for Seattle, even though I have no infant.

 

Call the hotel and car companies about questions regarding seats and cribs. In my experience, most hotels provide a pack-n-play type crib as these are easiest to store and transport to rooms. As far as I know all reputable car companies provide safety seats at no fee (I believe it is required by law in some states), but you may want to call and verify and ask what kind of seats they provide.

 

Frankly, I'd consider skipping car rental. The Westin (if it's the one I'm seeing on the map) is almost on top of the Westlake Light Rail stop. Now, my babies were HUGE but most 10 months old should be able to fit in one of those convertible seats that attaches to a stroller caddy. If your baby does, I'd bring one of those (borrow if you can, you'd be surprised how many people have these sitting around.) It'll be great - you can use it on the plane, taxis, and some buses - and when you are walking, you can use it as a stroller and not have to carry it. Now, mind you some buses probably don't have seat belts but I wouldn't worry about that personally, and the rail will be safe and you can still have your baby in the seat.

 

The rail goes directly to the airport for a couple dollars per person. The Westin may offer a shuttle to the port, if not you can call a cab.

 

Also keep in mind with car rental, you are going to be looking at city parking issues and costs - possibly on Memorial Day weekend (even worse!). You'll probably find it more convenient to walk staying at the Westin, and then you are renting a vehicle and investing a lot of money just to.. what.. avoid the rail and a cab to the port? Something to think about.

 

Hopefully that's of some use.

[rainrain]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful suggestions, Jenn. I checked with Westin, and they recommend LX Limo Servce for our ground transportation using a 6 passenger SUV. It's more expensive than Seattle Best Car Service, but close to what Shuttle Express, Alreadythere, etc quoted for me. Has anyone used LX Limo before? From their website, they look quite professional, but I'd like to make sure before we book since it's about $100 from airport to Westin, and over $60 for the short distance between Westin and Pier.

 

We plan to bring our own infant carseat (the basket) if my baby would still fit. It may not be very comfy for her since she will over 25 lbs by then, but probably ok for a short ride.

 

Thanks again for all your help.

[Dan G]

you really don't need to prearrange towncar from Seatac to Westin. Stila limo is the onsite limo provider regulated by the port. Flat rate of $45 for 4 perhaps $10 more for extra two.

 

shuttleexpress.com

 

runs an airporter service from seatac to Westin hotel directly. You can request a car seat when booking. You can easily find a transfer from Westin to Port but need to arrange port to Seatac.

[rainrain]

Thanks a lot, David. What you suggested make great sense. It is indeed the transfer from the pier to airport when we come back from the cruise that concerns me the most since we have a 12.30pm flight. I agree that STILA is a more economical and flexible option, just that I've found some people had mixed experience with them that made me a little hesitated. Plus my husband prefers that we travel without taking the carseat since we already will have a lot luggages, so I'm not sure if STILA would have a carseat onsite.

 

I've heard back from Alreadythere and Seattle best limo, both informed that they could provide carseat, and their quotes for a 6-passenger SUV are close to what Westin concierge quoted for LX limo. I guess it is just a lot more expensive to reserve an SUV, even for short distances. But if that gives us a peace of mind, maybe we still should go for it, considering the baby and travelling with grandparents.

 

Thanks again for all your very kind suggestions.

[Dan G]

Stila has limos and suv's so other than figuring out the car seat its pretty basic. Do what makes you feel most comfortable.