Seattle Hotel

[auggiemom]

We just booked our first ever Holland America cruise and our first cruise to Alaska.  I know absolutely nothing about the port in Seattle or how to even figure out what hotel to stay in.  We would only be coming in the day before, so the closer to the port the better.  Does anyone have any suggestions?   Greatly appreciated!  

[Loreto]

19 minutes ago, auggiemom said:

We just booked our first ever Holland America cruise and our first cruise to Alaska.  I know absolutely nothing about the port in Seattle or how to even figure out what hotel to stay in.  We would only be coming in the day before, so the closer to the port the better.  Does anyone have any suggestions?   Greatly appreciated!  

Are you flying in?  We always use the HAL hotel package and stay at the Seattle Airport Hilton.   There are restaurant choices at the Holiday Inn next door as dining at the Hilton is pricey It is more expensive but you are transported from the hotel to the cruise pier, which is a good distance from the airport.  There is a West Coast Departure Board on Cruise Critic and you can ask there, and there will be suggestions you can scroll through.

Enjoy Alaska!

[SusieKIslandGirl]

If you're not planning on seeing downtown Seattle, there are many airport hotels with shuttles. It's easy to go back to the airport to catch the HAL transfer the morning of the cruise departure. We usually find a decent price at one of the several Hampton Inns near the airport.

[DaveOKC]

If you want to sightsee some, stay in the downtown area - plenty of hotels and things to see and do for one day.  If you just want to get on the ship, stay in one of the MANY hotels just off the airport (for about half the price).  Almost all have airport shuttles.  Then the next day take Seattle Express right to the ship (great company and reasonable price, but very good service).  Just be sure they pickup at your hotel (they hit about every one of them) before you reserve.

[cwtravel]

I like the Homewood Suites, I believe it is on Western Street. Close to the port but also an walkable to Pije street Market, Space Needle & Jimi Hendricks Experience.

[CruiserBruce]

There are dozens and dozens of threads on Seattle hotels on the West Coast Departures board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/

 

I would bet  the Mods move it over there. Some reading there would reveal there aren't any hotels near Pier 91, where HAL sails from. But the distances aren't great. We stayed in mid town, the taxi ride was $13. 

 

As commonly discussed over there, downtown is not cheap. But its better than staying by the airport.

[Crew News]

On my HAL Seattle cruises, I stay at the Marriott across from the airport.  The hotel has a shuttle to/from the airport and rooms are nice. There is an amazing NJ-style diner just one block away.

 

The pier is on the other side of town and the taxi fare will be about $50.  You can opt for a towncar for about $80 if you have a lot of luggage.

[sue1898]

@Crew NewsWe stay at that Marriott frequently but aren’t familiar with the restaurant you describe. I tried Google and all I come up with is 13 Coins…is that it? I want to try this summer when we are there.

Edited January 27, 2023 by sue1898

[Loreto]

17 minutes ago, sue1898 said:

@Crew NewsWe stay at that Marriott frequently but aren’t familiar with the restaurant you describe. I tried Google and all I come up with is 13 Coins…is that it? I want to try this summer when we are there.

We have dined at 13 Coins in the past when staying at the airport. Very good and varied menu!

[Crew News]

41 minutes ago, sue1898 said:

@Crew NewsWe stay at that Marriott frequently but aren’t familiar with the restaurant you describe. I tried Google and all I come up with is 13 Coins…is that it? I want to try this summer when we are there.

I think that is the name.  Great food for my dinner.

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Another option, if you decide to stay downtown and don't have a lot of luggage, is to take the light rail from the airport (through the parking garage) to downtown.

[fsufancc]

I had posted this in another thread about Seattle hotels.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are sailing RCL on the Quantum OTS in June with our 3 grown kids and spouses.

 

I booked a room in the Warwick Seattle.  We did an Amtrak trip just before the pandemic and the Warwick was one of the hotels on our itinerary.  It was clean and comfortable, on-site restaurant and bar, a 10-minute walk to Pike Place Market. There was a CVS across the street so we could grab some needed supplies. Join their frequent stay club (free) and you will get deals sent to you.  We got the room for $177/n which was hundreds of dollars cheaper than other places in the same area.  Breakfast was not included. 

[Glaciers]

We usually ended up at 13 Coins when we stayed at the airport before moving here. Another option just a bit further down the road is Sharps RoastHouse.

[jeromep]

13 Coins is one of my favorite Seattle area restaurants.  The one near the airport is in an office building near some of the airport hotels.  They used to operate 24 hours, but that apparently has changed, but has, as @Loreto stated, a varied menu, breakfast all day, full bar, and sometimes live music in the evenings.  The location near the airport is the only one I'm really familiar with.  It has a very 70s vibe inside.  There is also another location in Seattle near the Pioneer Square district, I've never been to that one.

 

https://www.13coins.com/

 

Been to Seattle before?  It is worth playing tourist if you have enough time.  As many others have said, the hotels in south King County, so around the airport and Renton (home of 737 production), are all much less expensive than hotels in the city, but there are trade offs.  There is really little to do near the airport other than stay at the hotel and find places to eat, many of them chain restaurants.  So, you pay less for your room, but there isn't anything to walk to (realistically as everything is spaced out as International Blvd., or is it Pacific Hwy S, is very long and the structure of the area is hotel -> parking lot -> hotel, etc.).  On the other hand you could stay in Seattle, maybe in Belltown or near the Seattle Center (home of the Space Needle and the Museum of Pop Culture) and take in some things that are uniquely Seattle.

 

https://www.spaceneedle.com/

 

https://www.mopop.org/

 

Speaking of Pioneer Square.  Part of the Klondike Goldrush National Historical Park, which is basically the town of Skagway, actually starts in a building in Pioneer Square.  Since there is a good chance your cruise will visit Skagway, you may want to visit the Seattle "branch" as part of your full experience visiting Skagway and the gateway to the Klondike.  For many would-be miners, Seattle was the starting point of their journey to try to make it rich in the gold fields, so the Seattle link is historically accurate.  I could be wrong, but I believe that the Klondike NHP is the only national park which is geographically spread out such as this one.  I think the Park Service's site is probably your best starting resource.

 

https://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

 

HAL uses Pier 91 Smith Cove for their sailings.  You will need ground transportation from your hotel to the pier no matter if you stay in Seattle proper or near the airport.  I'm not much on shuttle or bus transport, I'd rather get an Uber or Lyft.