Mixed Feelings
My husband and I have been wanting to visit Seattle for a couple of years and based on the Trip Advisor reviews I just knew this way THE place to stay when we were able to find a travel package that suited our needs. When we booked our trip, I splurged and spent a little extra money on a partial water view room. I even e-mailed the manager and asked if it would be possible to upgrade us. He responded promptly and advised me that he would put us in the very best partial water view room. We arrived at the Inn a little after seven. Here's where the mixed feelings begin: check in was a breeze. Friendly staff, good directions to local restaurants, they seemed happy to provide us with restaurant recommendations. So far, so good. We decided to drop our luggage off in our room & then find something for supper. Could not wait to see our fabulous room - except, it wasn't fabulous. The carpet was worn and dirty; the bathroom walls were covered in makeup, black marks & who knows what else; the chairs in the sitting area were disgusting - completely threadbare on the arms & covered in black dirt and grime on the arm rest; light switch plates were also grimy and smudged. We started opening the curtains to see our partial water view and we honestly could not find it. To be fair, it was dark outside but it definitely took some craning of the neck to see this view. Partial indeed. They had taken the time to write us a welcome note and put a bottle of champagne in the fridge. Nice gesture, handwritten notes go a long way with me - I'm southern. We were absolutely exhausted after traveling over 2000 miles so we went to eat & came back to take a shower before going to bed. The shower experience was awful. The shower curtain blows in & constantly wraps around your body so you are fighting it the entire time you are trying to get clean. I am tall and thin and it drove me crazy so I can only imagine what a pain it was for my husband, who is a big guy. Just wanted some rest that night (again, over 2000 miles from home) so we did not complain about the room at that point. The next morning, I called the front deck & asked to speak to the manager on duty, who turned out to be a nice young lady named Noelle. I asked Noelle to come see our room so I could point out the things I was talking about. She agreed & was extremely helpful. Noelle immediately offered to switch us to another room. We had the option of waiting on the exact same room type one floor below us or she offered to show us a smaller room two floors below. We liked the smaller room better - nicer view, in our opinion - and we didn't mind giving up a little space because it was just the two of us. We got our luggage gathered up in the first room & the front desk was kind enough to have the bellman move it to our new room. New room was much less worn looking - we were delighted. Hadn't bothered to run water in the sink or anything before we moved as we weren't expecting a problem. However, the first time we tried to use the sink the water would not drain. I'm not talking a slow drain either. I'm talking you are trying to wash your hands and the water from the bottom of the sink is rising to meet your hands. Gross. Had to call about this, of course. Maintenance responded quickly and sink seemed better. The next day, I got ready to dry my hair. Wall mounted dryer overheated & smelled awful, then promptly quit. I tried to reset it, no luck. Left it alone for a few minutes then tried again. Second time was the charm. Fighting the shower curtain & waiting on the hairdryer to restart became a daily routine. Then the sink backed up AGAIN. Seriously? This is the #1 place to stay in Seattle? We often left for breakfast and then came back to grab our backpack for the day's outings. The room would always be clean when we returned but we would have to call and ask for hand towels. Or toilet paper. This happened more than once. Why should I have to ask for the basics to be replinished? We are not negative people who go around complaining about every little thing (seriously, read my other reviews) but numerous little things start to really add up. It was embarrassing to keep calling the front desk but it should have been more embarrassing for them than it was for me. We keep a neat hotel room as well - no clothes on the bed, we put up all our toiletries before we depart every day so it isn't like it would not be readily obvious that we were out of toilet paper or towels! Long story short(er), Noelle helped me resolve the room issues to my satisfaction. It is not her fault that the rooms are in major need of renovation. I got the feeling that this is something that has been expressed by more guests than just my husband & I. THE POSITIVES: Amazing beds - they got it right on this one! The staff here is wonderful. Everyone we encountered was helpful, kind and friendly. Valet brought the car around promptly, every time. We received accurate and detailed directions to everything we inquired about visiting. Rooftop deck is awesome -we went out there every day, whether it was raining or not. Amazing views and photo opportunies. The teak chairs they show on the website aren't teak chairs but hey, maybe that's an older photo. Or maybe the teak is on the smaller deck that only a couple of rooms can access. Either way, the lack of teak didn't interrupt my view. The location literally cannot be beaten. Steps to Pike Place Market. We only got the car out when we wanted to visit Rainier and Snoqualmie Falls. We walked to everything else - The Space Needle, The Great Wheel, the ferry to Bainbridge, the observation room at Columbia Center and everywhere in between. Yes, it is hilly but we are big believers in exploring a new city on foot whenever possible so it didn't bother us. Overall, I felt a little let down by the Trip Advisor community on this one. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars because that is more accurate. The location is above average, the staff are above average. The rooms are the only thing holding me back. Would I stay here again? Sadly, probably not. There are other properties in the Seattle area that might get it right the first time around.