Which hotel downtown Seattle or Tukwila airport area?

[cruisinqt]

We are trying to decide what area of Seattle to stay in pre cruise. The hotels in downtown Seattle are pretty expensive (and small) for a family of 4 requiring at least 2 queen sized beds. It’s a lot cheaper to stay in Tukwila (and the rooms are suites) but it’s a 30 minute ride to the downtown Seattle area from there. We will probably get a rental car since we will be there 3 days but I dread driving an hour round trip to Seattle every time we decide to go somewhere. Is the Tukwila area pretty nice with shopping and restaurants? Or will be be constantly schlepping back and forth to Seattle? I’m torn because I want the bigger roomier & cheaper rooms in Tukwila but the convenience of being in downtown Seattle is appealing too. Right now I’m looking at the Sound Hotel Seattle Belltown or the Home2 Suites Seattle airport. 

[Gardyloo]

Tukwila is basically a nonresidential suburb with a big shopping mall (Southcenter) surrounded by the usual collection of big box stores and strip malls.  Nothing wrong with that, and there will be no shortage of places to eat, as long as you're okay with national chains.  But there's nothing very interesting for tourists and saying it's a half hour drive from downtown assumes there's light or no traffic, which - uh - is not often the case.

 

You know your budget and we don't, but given the very high cost of rental cars, I wonder if you might not do the math of skipping the car for a day or two and adding that cost to your hotel budget, just to see how things total.  There are plenty of car rental offices in the city, so if you wanted a car for a day to explore the parts of Seattle that are inconvenient to reach with public transportation, or to venture out into the region (highly recommended) then a one-day rental from some outlet in town might save money, not least on hotel parking charges.  

 

When are you coming and which pier will you be using for your cruise?  There are plenty of suite hotels in town, and there are umpteen threads on this board talking about Seattle hotels, so I'd definitely do some research before deciding.  As you look, be sure to include accommodations around Seattle Center (Space Needle etc.) which is north of the city center, and also in the Lake Union area, also north of downtown.  There are numerous transport options to downtown from both those areas, and hotel prices tend to be a little lower than in the core.  

[cruisinqt]

57 minutes ago, Gardyloo said:

Tukwila is basically a nonresidential suburb with a big shopping mall (Southcenter) surrounded by the usual collection of big box stores and strip malls.  Nothing wrong with that, and there will be no shortage of places to eat, as long as you're okay with national chains.  But there's nothing very interesting for tourists and saying it's a half hour drive from downtown assumes there's light or no traffic, which - uh - is not often the case.

 

You know your budget and we don't, but given the very high cost of rental cars, I wonder if you might not do the math of skipping the car for a day or two and adding that cost to your hotel budget, just to see how things total.  There are plenty of car rental offices in the city, so if you wanted a car for a day to explore the parts of Seattle that are inconvenient to reach with public transportation, or to venture out into the region (highly recommended) then a one-day rental from some outlet in town might save money, not least on hotel parking charges.  

 

When are you coming and which pier will you be using for your cruise?  There are plenty of suite hotels in town, and there are umpteen threads on this board talking about Seattle hotels, so I'd definitely do some research before deciding.  As you look, be sure to include accommodations around Seattle Center (Space Needle etc.) which is north of the city center, and also in the Lake Union area, also north of downtown.  There are numerous transport options to downtown from both those areas, and hotel prices tend to be a little lower than in the core.  

This is exactly the information I was looking for. It’s a long drive and there’s not much to do in the area. That’s what I was worried about. I guess I need to focus my search on Seattle itself instead of the suburbs. We will be staying in Seattle from 5/19/23-5/22/23. We are going on the Quantam of the Seas so we will be using pier 91. I’d prefer a suite since my girls are adults now and tall just like my husband who is 6’6”. I don’t want to be packed like sardines into a small basic hotel room for several days. I was hoping to not go over $300 a night which I know is asking a lot for a popular city like Seattle during tourist season. I’ve been mostly looking at Hilton hotels since I could use my points but Hilton is super expensive in Seattle. Thanks for the info I’ll start looking around Seattle Center and Lake Union. 

[psuboater]

2 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

This is exactly the information I was looking for. It’s a long drive and there’s not much to do in the area. That’s what I was worried about. I guess I need to focus my search on Seattle itself instead of the suburbs. We will be staying in Seattle from 5/19/23-5/22/23. We are going on the Quantam of the Seas so we will be using pier 91. I’d prefer a suite since my girls are adults now and tall just like my husband who is 6’6”. I don’t want to be packed like sardines into a small basic hotel room for several days. I was hoping to not go over $300 a night which I know is asking a lot for a popular city like Seattle during tourist season. I’ve been mostly looking at Hilton hotels since I could use my points but Hilton is super expensive in Seattle. Thanks for the info I’ll start looking around Seattle Center and Lake Union. 

Most airport hotels are close enough to the light rail station that runs every 7-12 minutes that will take you directly into the city. It's about a 35 minute trip each way, but it's easy. Most likely you'd take your hotel shuttle to the airport, then follow the signs for the light rail.  I'd skip the car, driving in Seattle is a pain in non-tourist season, and you'll be paying a lot for the rental+parking and frustration.  It's $2.75pp, per way. Even if you took the light rail in the morning and an Uber on the way back to your hotel, you'd come out ahead instead of the car rental. If you and your family are comfortable with public transportation, this might be the best of both worlds. 

Edited January 10, 2023 by psuboater

[cruisinqt]

37 minutes ago, psuboater said:

Most airport hotels are close enough to the light rail station that runs every 7-12 minutes that will take you directly into the city. It's about a 35 minute trip each way, but it's easy. Most likely you'd take your hotel shuttle to the airport, then follow the signs for the light rail.  I'd skip the car, driving in Seattle is a pain in non-tourist season, and you'll be paying a lot for the rental+parking and frustration.  It's $2.75pp, per way. Even if you took the light rail in the morning and an Uber on the way back to your hotel, you'd come out ahead instead of the car rental. If you and your family are comfortable with public transportation, this might be the best of both worlds. 

That sounds like a good idea. I’ll keep checking to see if I find any deals on something closer to Seattle and if not then I’ll do an airport hotel and use the light rail. Thanks. 

[cruisinqt]

For anyone reading this thread looking for a decent priced hotel near the downtown area that’s not a cheap budget place but not a super expensive high end hotel either, I found a couple. Keep in mind that I’m looking for something family friendly with a fridge, microwave, and sitting area so our family of 4 don’t feel over crowded.
 

First off, don’t use kayak.com. For some reason a lot of decent hotels in Seattle weren’t showing up there and was the reason I wasn’t seeing many good deals. I went to skyscanner.com and there were tons of good hotels to choose from. I narrowed it down to either Silver Cloud Seattle Lake Union (a local chain), or Staybridge Suites downtown/Lake Union. Both have suites at reasonable prices and are located pretty close to all of the attractions downtown. They also have fridges, microwaves, free breakfast, free WiFi and laundry rooms. I can get a studio suite room at Silver Cloud with 2 queen beds, a sofa/sitting area, and kitchenette for $239 a night. And Staybridge Suites has the same amenities for $259 a night. Both are in the Lake Union area close to downtown. And they both have 4.5 stars out of 5 at TripAdvisor with great reviews. I’ll be booking our stay at Staybridge Suites since the rooms are a little bit nicer and they offer government discounts (I work for the government). We will be there in May so I’ll come back with a review of the hotel after our trip for anyone interested. 

[jeromep]

My family visits Seattle 2 or 3 times a year.  We find that hotels in south King County, so around the airport and Renton to be much more affordable than in Seattle proper.  The DoubleTree directly across from the airport is usually competitively priced and the rooms are decent.  It is a huge property spread across a large tower and a number of smaller hotel wings that are accessible from what can be described as an enclosed lake walk.  It is a very nice property.  Behind that there is a hidden gem, the Ceaderbrook Lodge.  Rooms are upscale, and the price is higher than a major chain, but I suspect you’ll be more comfortable there than a budget motel.

 

On embarkation morning, take an Uber or Lyft to the port.  Budget $70 or so from the SeaTac area to the ports.  You don’t state if you are departing from the Bell St. Pier or from Pier 91, cost difference for an Uber, Lyft or taxi is marginal, but Pier 91 is all the way up on the north side of the bay, and is pretty industrial and remote.  Bell St. is walking distance to the touristy part of the piers in Elliot Bay.  You could also consider getting a room at the Edgewater, which is right next to the Bell St. Pier.  If you are cruising from Bell St. you can just walk to the cruise.  If you are cruising from Pier 91, the Uber ride will be very reasonable.

 

You will hate commuting in to Seattle every day to play tourist,  I-5 traffic is a headache.  If you do stay in a south King County hotel and get a rental car, avoid I-5 and drive up hwy 99 (or hwy 509, connects to 99).  Just be sure to pull off from it before you get to the tunnel, as it has a toll.  But you’ll pull off in SoDo/Pioneer Square, which puts you in Seattle.  A good GPS will be your friend getting around in Seattle.  Be prepared to pay for parking… everywhere.

 

Oh, look up a restaurant called 13 Coins.  There is one in an office building directly across from the airport, and there is one in Seattle, I think it is in the Pioneer Square area now (used to be next to the offices of the Seattle Times, but had to move).  They operate 24/7, have an open kitchen, comfort foot, and some upscale food.  The one in SeaTac (the city, not the airport) has this 70s vibe, dark and cozy inside, floor to ceiling booths.  I like it, but when I go out to dinner I want to easily hear the conversation of the people I’m dining with, and so few restaurants do that these days, they are so loud inside.  Not 13 Coins.  Very comfortable and very easy to have a nice private conversation.

 

Oh, since you are likely cruising to Alaska, visit the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park building in Pioneer Square.  This Historical Park is located in two different places, the building in Pioneer Square and in Skagway,  If you visit both locations while on this trip, you can say that you saw the whole park.

Edited January 11, 2023 by jeromep

[cruisinqt]

15 hours ago, jeromep said:

My family visits Seattle 2 or 3 times a year.  We find that hotels in south King County, so around the airport and Renton to be much more affordable than in Seattle proper.  The DoubleTree directly across from the airport is usually competitively priced and the rooms are decent.  It is a huge property spread across a large tower and a number of smaller hotel wings that are accessible from what can be described as an enclosed lake walk.  It is a very nice property.  Behind that there is a hidden gem, the Ceaderbrook Lodge.  Rooms are upscale, and the price is higher than a major chain, but I suspect you’ll be more comfortable there than a budget motel.

 

On embarkation morning, take an Uber or Lyft to the port.  Budget $70 or so from the SeaTac area to the ports.  You don’t state if you are departing from the Bell St. Pier or from Pier 91, cost difference for an Uber, Lyft or taxi is marginal, but Pier 91 is all the way up on the north side of the bay, and is pretty industrial and remote.  Bell St. is walking distance to the touristy part of the piers in Elliot Bay.  You could also consider getting a room at the Edgewater, which is right next to the Bell St. Pier.  If you are cruising from Bell St. you can just walk to the cruise.  If you are cruising from Pier 91, the Uber ride will be very reasonable.

 

You will hate commuting in to Seattle every day to play tourist,  I-5 traffic is a headache.  If you do stay in a south King County hotel and get a rental car, avoid I-5 and drive up hwy 99 (or hwy 509, connects to 99).  Just be sure to pull off from it before you get to the tunnel, as it has a toll.  But you’ll pull off in SoDo/Pioneer Square, which puts you in Seattle.  A good GPS will be your friend getting around in Seattle.  Be prepared to pay for parking… everywhere.

 

Oh, look up a restaurant called 13 Coins.  There is one in an office building directly across from the airport, and there is one in Seattle, I think it is in the Pioneer Square area now (used to be next to the offices of the Seattle Times, but had to move).  They operate 24/7, have an open kitchen, comfort foot, and some upscale food.  The one in SeaTac (the city, not the airport) has this 70s vibe, dark and cozy inside, floor to ceiling booths.  I like it, but when I go out to dinner I want to easily hear the conversation of the people I’m dining with, and so few restaurants do that these days, they are so loud inside.  Not 13 Coins.  Very comfortable and very easy to have a nice private conversation.

 

Oh, since you are likely cruising to Alaska, visit the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park building in Pioneer Square.  This Historical Park is located in two different places, the building in Pioneer Square and in Skagway,  If you visit both locations while on this trip, you can say that you saw the whole park.

Wow what great info! We were looking at airport hotels (the ones near Tukwila were very reasonably priced) but decided against it. The idea of driving 30+ minutes each way to get to the sights in Seattle was just too much for me. I’ve had a very long stressful commute to work for many years and when  I’m on vacation I avoid driving as much as possible. We found some great deals in the Lake Union area and are currently leaning in that direction. 
 

We are sailing on the Quantam of the Seas from pier 91. We plan on taking Uber or Lyft to the port. We will also be using buses, light rail, or Uber & Lyft to get around town. We discussed it and parking is expensive and a hassle so we won’t be doing a rental car. 
 

We will definitely be checking out 13 Coins it sounds like a cool restaurant. And I love history so the Klondike will be put on my list of things we have to see. Thanks for your input it helps a lot.