Downtown is a pretty compact area to explore by foot or bus.  There are three main 'hotel' districts within the city.  The main area of downtown is the Pike/Pine corridor bordered approximately by 1st to 8th Ave and from Pine to James Street.  Downtown street names are all double lettered, meaning for each letter there is a  second street with the same letter.  From the Pike Place market south you have Pine, Pike, Union, University, Seneca, Spring, Madison, Marion, Columbia, Cherry, James, and Jefferson.  When looking at hotels you can get an idea of where they are by how far they are from the heart of downtown which is defined as 4th and Pine.  Westlake Center and the Monorail are at 5th and Pine.  Locals remember street names by the mantra Jesus Christ made Seattle under protest, which gives you the street names in reverse order from Pike and Pine. 

All the main national hotel chains are congregated in this general area.  Westin, Sheraton, Grand Hyatt, Homewood Suites, Paramount, Olive 8 by Hyatt, Red Lion, Hilton, Crown Plaza, among others. This location is a prime areas for shopping and sightseeing.

A newer area with many hotels is the South Lake Union neighborhood.  This area is rapidly growing and on the 'fringe' of downtown, however the Seattle Streetcar line connects South Lake Union to downtown/Westlake Center.  Most hotels in this area provide shuttles.  Hotels in this area have easier parking but it is a little harder to walk out your front door and be in the heart of things.  It's a great area for views and walking and, as always, there are tradeoffs. Along with fantastic views of Lake Union from the South Lake Union Park, the newly-opened Museum of History and Industry and the Center for Wooden Boats are also easily assessible.  Hotel prices in the South Lake Union area tend to be less expensive than those in the heart of downtown. Hotels in this area include Marriott Courtyard, Marriott Residence Inn, Silver Cloud Inn and Pan Pacific, among others.

The third main area for hotels and motels would be the area concentrated around the Space Needle and Seattle Center.  This can be a good area for families, or those looking for more budget friendly options.  Several attractions are a short walk away.  Buses into downtown are very easy to access and the monorail accessed at the Seattle Center is also an option.  Main hotels in this area would include Hampton Inn, Comfort Suites, and Best Western Executive Inn amongst others.  The Maxwell is a stylish new hotel on the north end of Seattle Center which currently offers the bonus of free parking and bicycles for guests.

Listed are the main hotels in each area closest to the 'heart' of that area.  As always, there are many wonderful places though perhaps a few blocks farther away.

BUDGET Hotels

The question that seems to be asked a lot in the Seattle Forum is where to find more reasonably priced accomodations in the city.  The most popular lower-budget hotels are the Travelodge by the Space Needle, the Best Western Loyal Inn and the Moore Hotel.  Others have reported getting The Red Lion 5th Avenue for as little as $60 on Priceline during periods of lower occupancy, so why waste time with cheap motel type places.  You just have to understand the bidding process.  Read the links mentioned below and you will be more happy with a better hotel at the motel price.

Hotwire and Priceline are also good resources for finding less expensive hotels.  You have to be careful when bidding that you are selecting hotels in the correct zone.  Usually downtown, or Pike Pine, or Lk Union hotels are popular zones.  Be certain because each website defines each area differently.  Look at betterbidding. com or biddingfortravel.com for more advice.

The general idea for Priceline is to look at what others have recently paid, see what the rack rate is (is there a major convention or festival in town?), and start bidding low on a 4* property.  Add free rebids by adding areas which do not have 4* hotels.  You need to do some study of the Priceline zones to determine which to use.  It is a very successful strategy in Seattle, where all the downtown hotels are near each other.  For Hotwire, look at what is offered, then compare amenities to known hotels and see if you can figure out which one is offered.  Neither are refundable, so proceed carefully and double check your dates.

Other resources for discounted rates include seattlesupersaver.com, the hotel booking arm of the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Pacific Northwest Journeys, which has contracts with a number of Seattle hotels for discounted rates.  Also look at packages through companies like the Victoria Clipper, particularly if you're traveling to Victoria or Vancouver in addition to Seattle.

High end:  The Inn at the Market, the Hotel 1000, the Grand Hyatt, the Fairmont Olympic and the new Four Seasons are favorites in this category.

Moderate:  Unfortunately, "moderate" in Seattle in the summer months can mean well over $200 a night.  Favorites in this category are the Hotel Andra, the Mayflower Park and the Red Lion Fifth Avenue.

Budget: The Executive Hotel Pacific, the Sixth Avenue Inn and the two Best Westerns just north of downtown (the Executive Inn and the Loyal Inn).  But in the summer months, it can be hard to find even budget places for under $150-200. 

Websites for Seattle Hotel specials

Be aware that a lot of these sites bring up hotels in outlying areas or near the airport.  Make certain which zone the hotel is in before you commit to a room.  If you have the option to select a 'zone' make sure you are limiting yourself to just the 'downtown zone'.   If you have questions or concerns post a question on the forum before you end up with a room in an area you don't wish to be in.

For Priceline bids try

biddingtraveler.com

Hotelcoupons.com

Priceline.com

Hotwire.com

Seattlesupersaver.com

seattlesouthside.com 

Airport Area and South of Downtown

There are substantial discounts if you're willing to commute from the airport area south of downtown.  Understand that it's 16 miles from downtown to the airport, however with the light rail system in place it's 37 minutes from downtown all the way to the area.  Staying in this area works great if you're on a cruise and just want a place to stay or get free parking.  If you're willing to commute into the city each day this would be one option to save some money.  If the airport area hotel you're considering is not within walking distance of the light rail station, confirm that they have a shuttle.

For more affordable hotel options, staying just south of downtown Seattle is a great alternative. Most hotels provide complimentary airport shuttle, breakfast and parking. These hotels are near several stops on the link light rail making it easy to get to downtown without having to worry about traffic, parking, and navigating. Visit seattlesouthside.com to learn more and make a hotel reservation. The Seattle Southside Visitor Center offers assistance in finding the perfect hotel as well as free visitor guides and coupon books.