Actually a good base to explore
I stayed at the Coast Gateway for four -- yes, four -- nights in June 2012 when I was going to be in Seattle for the Rock 'n' Roll half marathon. I couldn't find anything downtown that I could afford, so I used Priceline and was booked into this hotel. I actually had a great time using it as a base to explore the city. Yes, I had to spend about an hour in transit, counting the walk to the light rail station (easy -- straight up International Blvd., which runs along the front of the hotel), waiting for the train and then riding it to Westlake Station. The breakfast was pretty good for a few days but by the fourth, I needed something warm and went to the Denny's down the street. It's pretty easy to find what you need -- there's a Chase bank across the street, a Subway and Denny's the other way, and I'm pretty sure there was a Starbucks, judging by the number of people who were walking around with the cups. The rooms are small, but comfortable. I didn't like having the microwave inside a cabinet in the desk -- it made it too annoying to get into it quickly, and the handles lift out so they clang whenever you need to open it. It's probably best used as a stopover but if you end up here for several nights, and are by yourself, it's a comfortable, mostly friendly place to stay. Oh -- if you're sensitive to cigarette smoke, request a room on a nonsmoking floor. I had a nonsmoking room but on a mixed floor, and I had to ask to be moved.