Travel Hotels marga@lacabe.com

Stay: October 2004 Stay: September 2005 General Impressions While the Hampton Inn is an institutional hotel without the charm of smaller boutique hotels, it's very comfortable and nicely appointed. The suites are large, nicely decorated and don't lack any amenities, the staff is competent and friendly, and it has a great location a couple of blocks from the Seattle Center How I chose the hotel We actually stayed at the Hampton Inn during our previous visit to Seattle three years before. I remembered really liking the hotel - still, I wanted to see what else was available so I took a look at all the different hotels located downtown and in Seattle Center. I wanted a suite with a separate bedroom, and I couldn't find any that provided one with as many amenities for a similar price ($160 for a suite). Room We stayed in a one-bedroom suite, which included an open kitchen, a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. The whole suite is quite large and quite comfortable for a family of four (who co-sleeps). The bedroom itself is on the small-side, however, and putting a roll-away bed next to the queen-size bed, effectively blocked the way to the bathroom. The kitchen is full-size and has a stove, a microwave, a refrigerator, sink, cupboards and even a dish washer. There are pots and pans, dishes and silverware and even a toaster (look in the higher cabinets). This visit, there was even a small bottle of dishwashing liquid present - there is no detergent for the dishwasher, but the maids will run the dishwasher for you when they clean up the room. This is a kitchen you could comfortably cook in if you wanted to. The living room includes a table with four chairs, a sofa, an armchair and a coffee table. There is an electric fireplace that adds to the ambiance and a TV cabinet with a rather large TV. The bedroom has a queen-size bed, two night tables, a writing table and chair and a dresser with another TV. The bed was quite comfortable. There are several closets, including a large one with washing machine hook-ups. The bathroom has a bathtub. Each suite has a balcony off the bedroom. The room was impeccably clean and everything looked well-maintained. An ethernet port for internet access was located on the wall between the kitchen and the living. A long ethernet cable was provided. Access to the internet, although free, required an access code that was provided on a small card when we checked in. Room Service We put the "do not disturb" sign on the door in the mornings and left for the day in the late-morning. By the time we came back, the suite was completely cleaned, and the dishwasher was ran. Extra stuff that we asked for - a roll-away bed, extra pillows, someone to open the safe after our 3-year-old locked it with clothing inside - was very quickly brought to the room. Grounds and Facilities The hotel is pretty simple but well-appointed. There is a fairly large breakfast area next to the main lobby, with coffee and tea available all day. Here there are small tables and chairs - high chairs are also available - and outlets and wireless internet connectivity. There are also a couple of couches and newspapers for those just waiting around. There is free parking at a parking garage on the first floor of the hotel (as it's built on an incline, the lobby is on the third floor). There are areas with ice machines, soft-drink machines and (being Seattle) espresso machines multiple times on each floor. There are also multiple coin-operated laundry rooms. There is a business center and gym, but we didn't use them so I can't comment on them. The hotel is located about two blocks uphill from Seattle Center. The first time we stayed here I was one-month postpartum and that hill seemed extremely steep; this time it was easily manageable even while pushing a double stroller. Some rooms have views of downtown in the distance - but the immediate vicinity of the hotel is not in the least picturesque. There was a construction zone right in front of the hotel, but we didn't hear any noises from it. There is a bus stop right in front of the hotel that can take you downtown. Services The hotel staff was polite, efficient, helpful and a pleasure to deal with. The hotel provides free wired high-speed internet connectivity in every room. Televisions have an assortment of cable channels including HBO and a wide variety of pay-per-view programming and games. Movies averaged $10, which I thought was pretty high. The hotel offers a free continental breakfast buffet which includes boxes of cold cereal, packages of oatmeal, yogurt, fresh bananas and apples, small muffins, pieces of cake, bagels, bread slices and buttermilk-type biscuits. They also have one-egg omelettes and another hot dish (ham, porridge, etc.) There were coffee, tea, juices, and milk. For those on the go, they offer pre-packaged breakfast bags at the reception, and you can also take the food to your room. The quality of the baked goods wasn't particularly high (everything tasted like it was full of preservatives), but otherwise it was fine and certainly hassle-free. Final Thoughts I really enjoyed our stay at the Hampton Inn. It was as hassle-free a hotel experience as possible, specially with two kids in tow. I'd stay here again without question. Hampton Inn 700 Fifth Avenue North Seattle, Washington 206-282-7700 website