Has anyone stayed at the....

[ariannas1nana]

Mediterranean Inn in Seattle? If so, how was it? Clean? Comfortable? Nice area? How far is it from the tourist sites and Pier 91?

 

Thanks for any info.

[mapleleaves]

Haven't stayed there ... I live in the area so I never stay downtown. Read reviews on tripadvisor, hotels.com, expedia, etc to get a feel for the most common comments about the place.

It's convenient for sightseeing; only a few blocks walk to the Seattle Center/Space Needle. At the Seattle Center you can hop on the Monorail and be downtown in 3 minutes. The monorail will drop you at Westlake Center at 5th/Pike, so walk 3 blocks and you're at the Pike Place Market. From the market, you can either walk down to the waterfront OR find the elevator that will take you down there. Also, the hotel is located in a residential area so you'll have access to grocery stores, etc.

 

Pier 91 is in an industrial type area about 5 miles north of downtown. A cab will cost about $20.

Edited March 4, 2014 by mapleleaves

[ariannas1nana]

What about restaurants, is it close to them also? And the area is nice, not dangerous or anything?

 

Thanks for the info, very helpful..

[Casagordita]

What about restaurants, is it close to them also? And the area is nice, not dangerous or anything?

 

Thanks for the info, very helpful..

 

The area is called Lower Queen Anne, and it's a GREAT area for restaurants! One of my favorite places in town, Toulouse Petit, is only a couple of blocks away. They're great anytime, but they do amazing breakfasts, and their happy hour is legendary (but be there at 4 pm when it starts, if you want a table!) There are all kinds of other good places nearby--Racha Thai, Blue Water Taco Grill, Pagliacci Pizza, Peso's Kitchen, Chutney's Queen Anne (great Indian food), Tup Tim Thai, the Melting Pot, T.S. McHugh's (an Irish pub), McMenamin's Queen Anne (a brewpub with good food), Keys on Main (a fun piano bar), and of course, Dick's Drive-In (an iconic Seattle cheap burger-and-fry joint).

 

The area is as safe as any big city neighborhood. I wouldn't worry much about walking around there. There will be lots of people on the street for most of the day and evening. There are a quite a few bars, but it's not the neighborhood for heavy clubbing, like Belltown or Pioneer Square (which I would avoid later in the evenings when the alcohol is flowing) If you pay attention to your surroundings and take reasonable care, you should be perfectly fine.

 

Have fun!

[martincath]

I've stayed twice. I would strongly recommend a Deluxe room unless you are very early/late in the season - these have AC. If it's warm out you will need the window open in the regular rooms, so you'll have street noise to deal with. Roof deck is good, except for all the fellow-guests who ignore the No Smoking signs (and staff never come up to check).

 

Agree with all CG says except with a caveat for Toulouse Petit - it's been recommended on so many different websites, magazine lists etc. that it is an absolute zoo on weekends and in Happy Hour. While the food is good, unless you get in when it's relatively quiet quality does suffer - of six meals here I've had to return one dish and complain about another (not enough time to wait for it to be redone and was perfectly edible, just eggs were poached hard instead of runny). I was refunded gracefully for the latter and had the former swapped out without any problems, but if you are pressed for time or don't like to complain I would recommend Peso's next door instead.

 

Also a tip - take a bus up Queen Anne and get off at the top of the hill for some stellar views of downtown Seattle (I walked up the first time and it nearly killed me...) and two excellent alehouses, Paragon and Hilltop. There's a Safeway here too if you want to grab some pop, wine etc. for the cruise - but the one on 1st Avenue just behind your hotel is much closer.

[ariannas1nana]

Do you know what a taxi ride would cost from the airport to the Mediterranean? And from the Mediterranean to the port? From port to airport? Would it be better to get a shuttle service?

 

Thanks!

[mapleleaves]

For how many people?

For a cab I'd suggest eastsideforhire.com or flatrateforhire. They're not metered and tend to be cheaper. I've used them twice and was very happy. You can calculate the fare by using their web site, or call.

Rough estimate: seatac to hotel $30. hotel to pier $15, Pier to airport $35.

 

Shuttle Express and Seattle Shuttle are 2 other options to price