Inexpensive Seattle Hotel Downtown
OK, you kind of know what you are getting when you pay this little for a hotel when the location of the hotel is so central to action.
The very best part of this hotel is the location. I walked from here to Pioneer Square, Lake Union, Westlake Center, and Freemont (this is quite a hike, but a very nice walk along the lake) - along with points in between. So you can reach all the Seattle downtown hot spots easily. I love the public transportation in Seattle, particularly the light rail from the airport to downtown. For this hotel, if you take light rail from SEA to the last stop, Westlake, you still have a about a 3/4 mile walk, which can be a lot with baggage. This is the biggest drawback to the location. You have three options from Westlake if you used light rail to get here. (1) Take a taxi. It won't be too expensive since it is a short hop, but this may be best if you have a lot of bags. (2) Hop on the South Lake Union Transit (Street Car) just south of Westlake to get to 8th and walk a short way up the street to the hotel. (3) Pack light and Walk from Westlake.
The next best thing is the people. The staff was very nice and attentive. My toilet broke on Day 3 of a seven day stay and was fixed quickly. The rooms seemed to be cleaned reasonably well. The breakfast bar was adequate, typical free breakfast food. They do open EXACTLY on time, not one minute early, so don't head down a bit early to get a jump on things.
The hallway on my floor stank. I have no idea what that stench was, but when I first arrived I was concerned about my room smelling like that. The room did NOT smell, just the hallway. I held my breath as I went through, problem solved.
The room noise is fairly high and I needed to use earplugs. Walls seem thin both to the outside and other rooms. There are a LOT of sirens in this area all night long. Don't know why. A group of young kids arrived partway through the week and their antics also added to the ambient noise inside. Temperature controls on the room cooler/heater did not seem to hold a steady temp. I'd wake up at night either roasting or freezing on the same setting. Light invasion from the hallway is high as the door did not fit tightly in the frame and allowed a LOT of hallway light into the room.
SO thumbs up or down? Squarely in the middle. If you know what you are getting and accept the downsides for a cheap downtown Seattle room, this place can be a good value. Set your expectations appropriately.