WA Seattle Hotel Max Downtown-Pike Place

[BinCanada]

We stayed at The Vance Hotel on Stuart and 6th. one night Fri.Nov.26/04. We got the hotel on Priceline(bid through Savingsbarn) for US$70.06/room(including taxes&fees). We had 2 rooms on the top floor:Our room was very crowded with the 2 dbl beds. The bathroom was very clean and modern-looking. The carpet&other room furnishings were not in a new condition. Our view was overlooking the Court House plaza area. Check-in was fine.We did have some trouble at first with the elevator key use!The other room was facing ?west and had 1 queen(?) bed, and a small sofa to sit on. There was a lot more room to move about in. The rooms are NOT at all soundproof, although street noise was not too bad.The Hotel was very close to a Starbucks(of course!!)for breakfast coffee.The young staff at the Vance seemed friendly & helpful.The location was about 2 blocks walk away from Westlake Center Mall. We street parked which was a bit difficult!!If you are merely looking for a good location-this might suit you.If you are looking for a cleaner,more modern hotel this is probably not the one for you. We enjoyed our next night's stay in suburb of Lynnwood at Hampton Inn&Suites for a lot less money,pool,happy hour, as well as a nice breakfast.

[celere1]

We have just returned from two nights at Hotel Max (end of January 2009). We had a King room on the ninth floor. The overall experience at the hotel was fabulous - probably the best we've had in Seattle, and we stay there often. The hotel is very, very hip and arty, and even my husband, who doesn't normally pay attention to decor and art, is still talking about what a great place it was. The staff were all really personable and attentive - I felt like they really wanted to make sure we enjoyed our stay. Same for the bellhops - very nice and helpful. Sure, the rooms are small, because it is an older hotel (apparently people need much more space now). It might be challenging for a two week stay, but there was plenty of work space, a great flat screen TV, Aveda in the bathroom, and exceptional photography and art throughout the hotel (this was a real bonus to me). The bed was incredibly comfortable, too. The valet parking is expensive ($30), but enclosed and perfectly secure. There is also a pay lot across the street. The best thing about the Hotel was their restaurant, the Red Fin. Best sushi I have had in years, great bar, and an excellent breakfast. The service, food, and ambience were all excellent (check out their scores on Zagat!). We would definitely come back - besides the great location (access to most everywhere), the whole experience was great. BTW, we are not 20-somethings - we (and the friends traveling with us) are 50-somethings, so you don't need to be one of the young, chic, uber-hip to have a memorable time.