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Downtown Seattle Hotels

labrolabro member
First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
in Washington-Seattle

Any good recommendations? FI and I are attending a wedding in Seattle on September 20th at the Washington Arboretum. We're arriving on a Friday and staying through Monday so we can have a day to do some touristy stuff.

What's a good downtown location that puts us close to the train but also not super far from the Arboretum so we don't have to spend tons of money on a taxi to get us to the wedding and back? We don't plan to rent a car while we are there...just take the train from the airport (SEA-TAC) to the hotel and then train/walk/whatever everywhere else.



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Re: Downtown Seattle Hotels

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    rooz103rooz103 member
    First Comment 5 Love Its First Anniversary Name Dropper
    This might be really late, since the wedding is next week, but are you talking about the UW Arboretum? If so, that's either a 40min bus ride or 12-20 minute drive from most of the touristy stuff (ie: the other side of Seattle). You'd likely be better off planning on staying in the thick of the tourist stuff so you only have to make the trek once. Between light rail, the Sounder and bus, you could stay pretty much any where and still have easy access to SeaTac. 

    My FI and I tacked on a stay in the city after a trip back from Vegas, and we did the light rail from the airport to Seattle, then stayed at Hotel Max for a day before heading back down. It was a good location because we did a lot of exploring in different districts, plus it was only a short walk to the waterfront. 
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    labrolabro member
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    @rooz103 Thanks! We ended deciding to get a hotel a couple blocks from Pike Place Market since the majority of time will be spent doing touristy things and then we can just get a cab to the wedding venue. It sucks...the hotel is costing us basically the same as our flights...which were NOT cheap. I didn't realize a weekend in Seattle was going to turn in to a $2k vacation but oh well I guess. Next time I'm going to try airbnb. I started looking too late and most of the places that seemed legit were booked up.



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    ohannabelleohannabelle member
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    Downtown is really expensive, and I couldn't think of any genius ideas. 

    If you want a good one day on foot itinerary of local color, my usual suggestions -

    Of course, Pike Place Market. Start the day with coffee and pastry at La Paniere, which may be the best smelling bakery in the known universe. Yum. Seriously. Beautiful.

    Head down to Pioneer Square, and take The Underground Tour. It's a truly funny, slightly off-color walking tour of the original city streets (now hidden beneath the present streets) that gives you a good all around feeling for the history of the city, which was, uhm...colorful.  Actually entertaining. 
    It starts in Doc Maynard's Bar, on 1st, one of our older establishments. 

    Stroll down to the waterfront, and catch the water taxi at Pier 50. It's about 15 minutes over to West Seattle and Alki beach. Beautiful views, parks, shops and restaurants. Pegasus Pizza for lunch and great people watching, Salty's for spendy but excellent seafood.

    Head back to the city for dinner! Soooooo much good food. Have fun!
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    labrolabro member
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    @ohannabelle That is all SO helpful! I had read something briefly about the Underground Tour but when I mentioned it to FI he was clueless. He spent a week in downtown Seattle a couple years ago visiting the same friend who is now getting married and he didn't hear about it when he was there. It definitely sounds like something I'd be interested in doing!



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    ohannabelleohannabelle member
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    LaPeanut1018 said:
    @ohannabelle That is all SO helpful! I had read something briefly about the Underground Tour but when I mentioned it to FI he was clueless. He spent a week in downtown Seattle a couple years ago visiting the same friend who is now getting married and he didn't hear about it when he was there. It definitely sounds like something I'd be interested in doing!
    If you have any need to knows or need any recommendations feel free to PM me. I love my city. (Daughter actually just got married on the 6th- at Pike Place, above the Market. An uber-Seattle wedding. ;) The arboretum should be gorgeous! Hoping the weather holds for you!)
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    rooz103rooz103 member
    First Comment 5 Love Its First Anniversary Name Dropper
    ohannabelle said:
    Downtown is really expensive, and I couldn't think of any genius ideas. 

    If you want a good one day on foot itinerary of local color, my usual suggestions -

    Of course, Pike Place Market. Start the day with coffee and pastry at La Paniere, which may be the best smelling bakery in the known universe. Yum. Seriously. Beautiful.

    Head down to Pioneer Square, and take The Underground Tour. It's a truly funny, slightly off-color walking tour of the original city streets (now hidden beneath the present streets) that gives you a good all around feeling for the history of the city, which was, uhm...colorful.  Actually entertaining. 
    It starts in Doc Maynard's Bar, on 1st, one of our older establishments. 

    Stroll down to the waterfront, and catch the water taxi at Pier 50. It's about 15 minutes over to West Seattle and Alki beach. Beautiful views, parks, shops and restaurants. Pegasus Pizza for lunch and great people watching, Salty's for spendy but excellent seafood.

    Head back to the city for dinner! Soooooo much good food. Have fun!
    If I could love this a thousand times, I would. I adore La Panier but it's hard to get out there before they close. They're known for macaroons, but I love their croissants as well :) 

    I also make it a point to hit up The Crumpet Shop (because it's not every day you get to try crumpets) and Frans Chocolates has a location within walking distance that's worth a visit. OH, and if you can make it out there, my favorite breakfast place in all of Washington is Tom Douglas' restaurant Lola---it's a bit of a walk, and not cheap, but they have fresh made doughnuts that they toss with powdered sugar tableside and serve with seasonal jam :) 


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    ohannabelleohannabelle member
    First Answer First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its
    @rooz103: Hilarious! Good call! I was thinking about Lola, and debating if I should eta Lola as a breakfast suggestion. Loooove the kebabs there, and a friend swears they are the best breakfast place ever. 
    But then thought, damn, if I mention that, Assagio is right next door. And then I'd be singing the praises for too many paragraphs. Because Assagio is my happy place. Serious fresh seafood/real Italian/Seattle food love going on there. I need some, now.
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    labrolabro member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its

    @rooz103 @ohannabelle I seriously love both of you right now! I'm writing down the names of all of these places even though I doubt we'll be able to make all of them. :(

    Our flight arrives around 6ish Friday evening and we leave early early Monday morning so Sunday is our only full day in Seattle. Would you suggest the Underground Seattle tour for Saturday or Sunday? The wedding isn't until 5 or 5:30 and we'd need to be back at our hotel by 3:00 I would think to change and get ready and get a cab to the venue (we'll have one scheduled ahead of time).



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    ohannabelleohannabelle member
    First Answer First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its
    It runs about an hour and a half, so you should be good either day. Pretty sure you can pre- buy tickets. It's fun. (When we were kids, we called it "the SewerTour." Because what a rhyme.)
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    rooz103rooz103 member
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    @ohannabelle I've never been to Assagio but now I'll have to put it on my list for a future date night idea, Thanks! 

    and @LaPeanut1018 I agree with ohannabelle about either day being good, but my personal preference would be for spending a lazy Saturday morning for the tour and then devoting Sunday for the rest of the sightseeing. I only say that because the tour is in Pioneer Square whereas the other tourist spots are kind of clumped together a little farther north. 
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