Seattle hotels

Palihotel, a trendy Los Angeles brand, brings a sense of comfortable cool to Seattle, forgoing some classic hotel features (like a gym) in favour of usable common spaces and bunk rooms that fit the whole family.

The prime location, just across the street from the Pike Place Market, makes for a short walk to the kid-friendly sites along the waterfront, such as the aquarium and Great Wheel.

The Seattle location of this swanky chain comes with a location convenient to the city centre attractions. Suites and large rooms with options for extra beds or cribs help keep the family together, and the outdoor pool will keep kids entertained.

The hotel aims to have child-size versions of every amenity, including a “children’s welcome” that makes kids feel special on arrival, and kid-friendly options on the restaurant and spa menus.

Part of Hyatt’s upscale brand, The Thompson’s offers sleek service. Digital check-in and a 24-hour gym make sure no time is wasted, while the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto First Avenue will give you a taste of the city.

While the central location makes it easy to pop down to the Pike Place Market for a meal, the creative restaurant and rooftop cocktail bar more than suffice in their own right.

High-minded design meets effortless luxury in this Phillipe Starck-designed building. Mid-century modern furniture, spacious rooms with amazing views and a century-old Beaux-Arts church as the ballroom set this hotel apart. The location is unique too – it sits closer to the city’s office buildings and the convention centre than the touristy waterfront.

This European brand gives its crisp, efficient style the Pacific Northwest treatment. The small rooms, fully controlled by smartphone, cater to folks who plan to spend most of their time elsewhere – but still want a clean, comfortable room.

Not unlike the hostel model, CitizenM focuses on creating inviting, social spaces in its bright lobby, with both a bar and a dedicated co-working area, fitting for its location in the middle of South Lake Union’s tech hub.

The hotel also collaborated with local Native American artists on the exterior murals, which gives it a bit of local feel – and supports the community.

The suites at the Hotel Ballard bring a romantic feel with fireplaces, elegant soaking tubs and tufted headboards, plus all the rooms have upscale modern furnishings. Blackout drapes block any noise from the restaurants along busy Ballard Avenue.

Guests get access to the attached Olympic Spa, as well as the athletic centre, for a great workout/pampering combo. The hotel’s restaurant is also excellent.

Note that on Sunday mornings, the street outside becomes one of the city’s best farmers markets with plenty of packaged food and crafts on sale.

From behind an eight-storey mural by Shepard Fairy in the city centre, State Hotel immerses guests in Seattle food culture, taking enormous pride in the Pike Place Market – located just a block away. The lobby wallpaper features hand drawings of local seafood, mushrooms and other produce, while the restaurant serves many of the same ingredients in their “Market Fresh” dish.

The hotel encourages guests to get out into the market and surrounding neighbourhood, and guests can bring their meals back to the rooftop deck, which showcases art by a local artist, in addition to the panoramic view of Elliott Bay.

Built with Scandinavian style in a historic Seattle building, the Andra feels sophisticated and timeless and can claim to be the only hotel in Seattle with a cooking school inside. Though it sat on the edge of the city centre when it opened, the tech boom in South Lake Union means that the neighbourhoods now converge here.

Now guests at the Andra can take advantage of the dozens of cool restaurants catering to hip foodie crowds. But the hotel itself also holds two culinary treasures from the city’s first celebrity chef, Tom Douglas: Lola – one of his oldest and most beloved restaurants – and The Hot Stove Society, his cooking school.

Sophisticated, modern rooms look out over Elliott Bay from right inside the Pike Place Market, and even the city-view rooms on the back-side get to take in the criss-crossing ferries and sparkling lights reflecting up from the roof deck.

High-end touches include Sferra linens and plush bathrobes, and in lieu of a spa, the hotel arranges for in-room massages. The hotel’s three restaurants include the French cuisine at long-running, beloved Café Campagne and Sushi Kashiba, helmed by Seattle sushi pioneer Shiro Kashiba.

In the heart of Ballard’s lively restaurant district, this small-scale boutique hotel works well on a one-person budget and puts guests just steps from shops and bars. Built as a bank in the early 20th century, the hotel trades some amenities (central air conditioning and an elevator) for quaint charm.

Note that some rooms have a shared bathroom. However, the furniture, décor and features are all updated and modern, and guests get access to the full athletic club with pool and spa attached to sibling property Hotel Ballard, which is just up the street.