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1.5 Star - 2 Reviews and 49 Opinions
The first thing we noticed, besides the musty/moldy smell of the room, was the lamp between the beds, which had a long strip of very old ducktape that was used to hold the bulb receptacle on to the rest of the lamp. The bulb and wires were hanging at an angle The light itself was flickering on and off, so we quickly turned it off for the duration of our stay (after taking pictures!). The glass in a ceiling lamp had obvious stains where water had leaked in, and the electric outlet that the heater/cooling unit was plugged in to had no cover, showing bare wires.
The fridge was unplugged when we arrived, and when we plugged it in, we discovered why - the door wouldn't stay closed, making it useless. There was no tissue - we used toilet paper. The carpet was worn and tattered, and the bathroom wall had stains on it that looked like old mold stains. The volume and the on/off functions of the TV remote didn't work. They generously provided us one whole plastic glass, but no alarm clock, and a phone that had blank buttons - no way to tell what button to use to call the desk, call out, etc.
Once outside the immediate lobby area, the entire place was old and worn out - I normally don't mind, as long as things are clean and well maintained, but they weren't at all here at this place.
Adding insult to injury, we were charged $79 for a double queen room that was advertised on their billboard and website as being $59. When I questioned that rate, the desk clerk checking us in literally laughed and said "but all the hotels are full". The morning clerk said it was because "... we checked in after 6pm." Seattle was in the middle of a bad snow storm, and the airport had closed. Other motels, including the one we'd originally reserved, had lost their electricity; so because rooms were scarce, this motel added an extra $20 because in essence, they could.
STAY FAR, FAR AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!!
Unique Quality: The only 'outstanding' thing about this place was the fact they had a room available during a bad snow storm. While waiting in the lobby however, I heard clerk tell repeated callers that she "didn't have their reservation...", blaming it on Expedia. It appears that she was simply taking live bodies in the lobby that she could charge more - like me.
Throughout my military career I have stay at hostels and cheap motels in some off the poorest countries in the world but never has a stay been as horrible as when I stayed here. I called once i got to the airport and was td it would be qbout 10 min before the driver got there, 20 min later the driver showed up and at 12am with no traffic and the hotel being 3 blocks away thats ridiculous. On the advertisements rooms are clearly labeled 39.99 once you get there hidden fees and taxes brings your room up to 59.99. Second you get in the room and odor of mold hits you soon as you hit the room but figuring I was only using the room overnight I was like whatever. So after a shower I tried to cool down the room with the AC but with no luck, it didn't work. Yet again figured it was only over night. So I went to sleep an awake with about 20 bug bites all over my body. When I go complain to the owner about everything he is being sarcastic and trying to brush off the bites as something else and the room condition as tolerable. I recommend to anyone, spend the few extra dollars and stay anywhere else!
Ga Ga Loc on Corner of Maynard and Garden
At the Westlake Center Monorail Station
Sylvain at Seattle's historic Virginia Inn
Pike Place Market decorated for Summer
Hello,
I am coming to Seattle in mid-August for some 4 days to start off my 3 week journey exploring the West Coast of the US. The goal of my trip is to get to meet as many interesting people as possible. I am a traveller and a passionate amateur anthropologist. This will be my first such trip in North America and I am eager to get to understand something of the North-Western American mentality and lifestyle and replace and scrap my typical European Hollywood-induced ideas concerning what America and Americans are all about.
Any ideas that anyone who knows the city could give in terms of places where it's easy to meet local people and get to talk to them would be of extreme interest to me, and I would be ever so grateful for any tips. I mean, bars and cafes by definition are places where approaching people is possible, but in some it is more possible and fruitful than in others.
Thank you so much in advance in case you have anything to share with me on this!
Ciao
1. Starbucks
2. The Americans are hardly a homogeneous lot, any more than can be said about other large (or small)geographic area. You will get a cross-sectional snapshot of the places you visit, rather than an overview of the USA itself. In many ways, the west coast is quite different than the heartland of the country.
Right - coffee shops are good places for that although a lot of folks have their heads buried in their laptops there these days!
The previous poster is right: the vibe of the west coast is different than that of the midwest, and that is different again between the northeast or the deep south. Heck, it'll be different in Seattle than father down the coast in California! You'll also find a difference between large cities and small, rural towns. You'll want explore both. Older folks and younger folks don't always "hang" at the same places, either. Truck stops can be interesting places to sit a bit and listen to the chatter. Grab a seat at the counter (never a booth) and see if you can engage someone in conversation.
As you will be in Seattle, I might recommend a trip to the Olympic Peninsula to explore some of the indigenous tribes who have called it home for a long, long time. That's a very interesting look at the background of some of our "first people". Many of the cities have interesting pockets of specific ethnic groups as well. We are indeed a melting pot!
You might find these stats interesting:
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/united-states/population/4989.html
Pikes Place Market . . . although I'm not sure there is such a thing as a North-Western mentality. If there is, I suppose I am. 8^)
Several of my most interesting conversations with people in Seattle have been started by asking tourist related questions. In one case I was looking at the general downtown Seattle transit system map in a restaurant, and was offered assistance.
The several times that I have taken the passenger only ferries out of downtown Seattle (West Seattle and Vashon Island) I've had some interesting conversations with people.
The big problem with Seattle is that it is a large metropolitan city, and like so many other large metropolitan cities anywhere else in the world you will find many people just don't want to be bothered to talk to anyone.
This last visit to Seattle, I took the ferry from Seattle over to Bremerton, and then got on the tiny walk-on only ferry over to Port Orchard. This is a much smaller community, and people there were much more willing to stop and talk about their lives. This was particularly the case with the artists and craftsmen in the several galleries I visited while there.
Find an outdoor concert - get there a little early - people are always in good moods and willing to talk! Where ever you are staying should be able to help you out with what's going on while you are there.
Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau
One Convention Place
701 Pike Street, Suite 800
Seattle, WA 98101
- Tel.: (+1) 206 461 5840
- Fax: (+1) 206 461 5855
- www.seeseattle.com
- E Mail: visinfo@seeseattle.org
My first experience moving to The Big City was moving to Seattle. I lived there from 1991 to 2000. I still live within easy driving and busing distance, and I still have friends there who I visit regularly. It's small enough for me not to feel completely lost, but big enough to feel like there's always something to do somewhere.
The Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) Airport was just recently renovated. It is one of the largest and busiest airport in the Northwest United States.
When getting out from your plane, you still have to ride to a subway train going to the baggage claim. The subway train is fast so, you might like to seat down and grab some handles as the train is really fast. There is a voice translation of the train in English, and Japanese. (Japanese is the second largest tourist group coming to Seattle).
After embarking the subway train, you follow sign to the baggage claim. If you have a lot of luggages, there are pushcarts that you have to pay for 25 cents (you get them back if you return the pushcart. If you don't return the pushcart, then you lose the 25 cents!).
If your plane is coming from a different country, you still take the subway. Then you take the escalator that leads you to the main entrance of the Immigration Department. There are many booths in there separated from US citizens and Non-U.S citizens. The Immigration officers are usually polite, very formal but friendly. You must show your passport and sign a form of declaration - how much money you are bringing to the United States, How long you are visiting, Your address while in the United States and if you are bringing taxable items.
If you already have a visa prior to coming to the United States, then you proceed to the baggage claim. There are security personnel with sniffing dogs. These dogs sniff bags containing contravand goods. Make sure that you don't bring this to the country!
After that, then you can freely get out from the airport. There are no scammers at the airport. You are safe and your luggages are safe.
The airport taxi, shuttle and bus are located close to the airport. Taxis are usually charging $25.00 minimum going to downtown Seattle. The bus is $2.00 with a transfer ticket. The airport has been renovated and there are now nice artworks on display at every corner of the airport. There is also a kiosk put it with nice lightings.
Some vintage airplanes are also on display hanging at the ceiling at the exit of the domestic terminal. It is very pleasant to see. They also put in some nice areas to relax with nice black leather couches.
I probably lived in Seattle a year before I even knew about the troll, and it was even longer before I saw it - via the "Ride the Duck" site-seeing excursion I took during one of my parents' visits. Now it's a regular site I take my visitors to see.
Seattle is full of public art, and the Fremont Troll was commissioned by the Fremont Arts Council (the same folks that sponsor the Solstice Parade) in 1989 and built by 4 local artists in 1990.
The Troll is located on 36th St., under the Aurora bridge.
Oh, and that's a real-life VW Bug in his left hand.
You can hardly travel anywhere in the Northwest without seeing a drive-through Espresso stand. This one happens to be in Juanita on Lake Washington's eastside, but you can find them anywhere. I don't drink coffee at all (strange for a Seattleite, I know), but I have become so accustomed to seeing these cute little stands that I just assumed that they were everywhere - NOT SO! To my surprise when we lived in Texas a couple of years ago, not an Espresso stand in sight!
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Address: 18845 Pacific Hwy South, SeaTac, Washington, 98188, United States
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