Baffled by the positive reviews
TripAdvisor, you've failed us. I cannot believe that this hotel is receiving any positive reviews from people who stayed there. I can totally understand someone falling in love with the lobby, the location or the restaurant... they're all wonderful with beautiful views on the water. Walking distance to everything... but actually stepping foot down the hall on the way to the rooms is a totally different experience.
We had a bad feeling immediately upon arrival as the woman checking us in with frigid and uninformed... but we figured maybe she was just upset about having to work on New Year's Eve. Our bags were loaded onto a cart and followed behind us as we headed down the long, dark, disgusting, damp hallway. The smell of cigarette soaked carpet was thick; the water stained walls closed in on us. I could swear those creepy twins from The Shining would show up any moment. Because there is only one elevator (that we could find) we walked a very long way down the hall just to get there... if it weren't for all the effort put in to arriving, I would have opted for the stairs. That elevator does not look like it would pass inspection!
Up to the 4th floor - so I held out hope... maybe it was just the ground floor that was so gross and dark... maybe the 4th floor would bring a bright, clean hall. Nope!
Another dark, narrow, dank, creepy, stinky hallway led us to our closet... I mean room. The "room" was about the size of my walk-in closet of my studio apartment. It was so small that we had to take turns walking around so that we didn't cause a two-person traffic jam at the foot of the bed. So you're probably thinking - "well in a room that small, I at least hope they have a fireplace to burn you alive while you sleep!" Exactly! The fireplace (that we could not turn off) pumped out heat all day/night. Easy fix: open the window! Yes, the window that opens up to roaring train tracks and has no protection whatsoever from the elements, insects or suicide attempts... once opened, not even a flimsy screen separates you from the wonderful wet Seattle air.
Making the best of it - we headed out for a fantastic night at the EMP's NYE bash. Arriving back to the hotel around 2am we called the front desk to inquire about a 24 hour room service menu (not an uncommon find at decent hotels around the world!) But apparently our request was absurd. The person who answered laughed at us. I'm sorry you had to work on NYE buddy, but don't be rude to the people who you are paid to assist! Terrible. 
Word of advice: if you, for some God awful reason, find yourself in the hell hole that is The Edgewater hotel on the "city view" side... do not attempt slumber without the ear plugs (one pair provided on your night stand... yes, they know it's bad). The train and road noise is unbearable. I woke up every half hour absolutely terrified. The train is so loud that it sounded like we were tied to the tracks. So - close the window, right? Yeah... let's not forget about that fireplace two feet from the bed.
The location of The Edgewater is fantastic. Everything else was so bad it was actually funny by the end of our stay. Rude staff + filth + stench + tiny room + ear-splitting noise...I think I'd wake up hungover from this place even if I didn't have a drop to drink the night before. I felt like we must have been on some hidden camera show... things just kept getting worse and worse. I'd stay at a Motel 6 in Werapeyouwhileyousleepville rather than ever step foot in this place. YUK.