The fact that Seattle is full of charm is beyond question: the most important and modern city in the state of Washington is capable of making anyone who travels through it, even if only for a few days, fall in love with it. The Seattle city neighborhoods all have their own strong, personal identity, which makes each of these areas a little world of its own, just asking to be explored and experienced thoroughly.
While in the article on Seattle’s climate we suggested the best time to travel, in our article on what to do in Seattle we instead talked about what an in-depth visit of the city can offer, describing the places of interest and the attractions that act as a center of gravity in each neighborhood. If we had to make a quick summary, we could mention:
- the futuristic Space Needle for Belltown (Seattle Center)
- the vitality of Pike Place Market and the waterfront of Alaskan Way (Waterfront Seattle)
- the elegance of Pioneer Square, the skyscrapers and museums of Downtown
- the trendy clubs, quality restaurants and manicured green areas of Capitol Hill
- the quirkiness of Fremont‘s artists
- the tranquility of the residential area of Lower Queen Anne
The question at this point arises: where to stay in Seattle? How should we choose the neighborhood that suits our needs, to experience the city’s atmosphere as authentically as possible? Which are the most touristy areas? Which areas have the most expensive hotels? In this article, we want to give you some targeted advice on where to stay in the city, with a quick description of the advantages of one neighborhood over the other. Before reading our suggestions, why not read our article dedicated to Seattle’s climate and the best times of the year to visit the city.
All available accommodations in Seattle
Contents
Where to stay in Seattle: the best areas
Let’s start with the best places to stay in Seattle, as there is a large range of hotels and B&Bs on offer, and each area has its own tourist interests.
Belltown
The neighborhood of Belltown, which is the area of the city that is also called Seattle Center, is the most strategic choice you could make if you plan to visit the city’s main attractions. By choosing one of the accommodations located in Belltown you have the convenience and certainty of waking up just a short distance from the futuristic Space Needle and Experience Music Project (a must!), but also near Pike Place Market and the waterfront, as well as all of Downtown and Pioneer Square. Basically, all of Seattle’s most exciting itineraries are within the radius of this neighborhood.
All available accommodations in the Belltown neighborhood
Seattle Waterfront and Pike Place Market
A little more to the south of Belltown we find the tourist area par excellence of Seattle, which extends from the waterfront of Alaskan Way (Seattle Waterfront) to the well-known, colorful Pike Place Market, perhaps the most vital and characteristic place in the entire city. This is also home to the first Starbucks in history. In addition to these two destinations, The Seattle Aquarium, the Seattle Art Museum and, as you can easily guess, a whole series of excellent seafood restaurants are all in the vicinity of this neighborhood. Choosing to stay in one of the hotels or B&Bs located on the uphill streets around the waterfront and the market could be perfect for visiting the city, but is also the best choice if you want to get to know the real heart of Seattle.
All waterfront accommodations (Pike Place Market area)
Downtown Seattle and Pioneer Square
The Downtown area is a network of sloping streets, dotted with skyscrapers and luxurious and generally quite expensive hotels. This is the financial district and, consequently, the atmosphere is more formal. Here it is easier to meet a businessman than an artist on the sidewalk. The adjacent Pioneer Square neighborhood – Seattle’s oldest – is a bit more sophisticated and quaint: its restored late 19th century buildings and elegant squares with their eccentric style (see the French pergola and the totem pole in Pioneer Square in the photo) make this area a nice place to sleep in Seattle. What’s more, you can find antique stores, art galleries, and interesting locales along Pioneer Square’s tree-lined walkways.
All available accommodations in Downtown Seattle
All available accommodations in Pioneer Square
Where to sleep in Seattle: three alternatives
If you are not the kind of traveler who wants to stay in the heart of the city come what may, you might consider staying in a hotel or a B&B located in the more outlying neighborhoods. This solution is good for those who want to save a little money or escape from the tourist streets, but may be less convenient for moving around, although it must be said that the areas we include here are still adequately connected to the center by public transport.
Queen Anne Hill
The green neighborhood of Queen Anne Hill is a quiet. residential area, decentralized, ideal for those who want to disconnect from the urban whirlwind that is the central districts of Seattle. It is a hill that rises in the northwestern section of the city: most of the available accommodations are located in the lower part of the hill, called Lower Queen Anne Hill, not far from Belltown and the waterfront. Moreover, the area is well connected to the center by public transport.
All available accommodations on Queen Anne Hill
Capitol Hill and Fremont
The two neighborhoods north of downtown Seattle may be a good option for those who have not found accommodations to their liking in other Seattle neighborhoods. Capitol Hill is the closest to Belltown and is known for its eccentric, youthful atmosphere that you can breathe along streets of with their rather radical chic elegance. Here there are many artists’ bars, gay clubs, discos and alternative restaurants, but also large green areas where you can spend a relaxing afternoon, including Volunteer Park.
All available accommodations in Capitol Hill
The Fremont district is located on the other side of Lake Union and is, if possible, even more quirky and out of the box than Capitol Hill, although less organized for tourists. We have already talked about its eccentricities in the post on what to see in Seattle: here we would like to say that staying overnight in one of the available accommodations – of which there aren’t that many, actually – is perhaps an unconventional choice, and slightly inconvenient for visiting the city easily.
All available accommodations in Fremont
