• Seattle Green Tortoise Hostel, 1525 Second Avenue, (206) 340-1222 or 1-888-424-6783. A Seattle backpacker institution which also runs festive low-budget bus tours to Mexico and Central America.
 • The Seattle Hostel, 84 Union Street, Seattle WA 98101, about 2 short blocks to Pike Public Market, is an excellent base for exploring Seattle. It also close to all the great Seattle attractions: Pioneer Square, walking distance to the new Seattle Central Public Library (which offers free wi-fi in an architecturally stunning building), the waterfront, Belltown, and the International District. It also offers free breakfast every day with bagels, muffins, juice, toast, and cereal in its waterfront facing common room. Security is also paramount here: travelers need an electronic keycard to enter the common areas and the dorms. The information staff is really friendly. The hostel is reasonably clean, and the private room with shared bath is an excellent deal (dorms space and private room with private bath is available). You can't beat the location, the facilities are excellent, and the room prices make it an exceptional deal.
 • Panama Hotel If you want a private old-fashioned room, modest but clean, with bathroom down the hall -- consider the historic Panama Hotel, in the International District . Very relaxing tea / coffee house, with free wireless internet connections, on the street level.

Mid-range

 • Best Western University Tower Hotel, 4507 Brooklyn Ave NE, 206-634-2000 or 1-800-899-0251. Formerly called the (Edmund) Meany Tower Hotel, a nicer but mid-priced hotel in the University District with a long history. Because the hotel is round, the rooms are shaped roughly like pie wedges and all have a view of something.
 • Renaissance Seattle 515 Madison Street, Seattle WA 206-583-0300. A full service hotel in the heart of downtown
 • W Seattle 1112 Fourth Ave. 877-W-HOTELS or 206-264-6000. For the terminally hip traveler. Decorated in a stunning palette of black, black, silver, cream, and black.
 • The Edgewater, Pier 67, 2411 Alaskan Way, 1-800-624-0670 or 206-728-7000. Near the Pike Place Market, and famous for two things: you can literally fish right of out your window, and it was Led Zeppelin's favorite for trashing rooms.
 • Summerfield Suites Hotel by Wyndham 1011 Pike Street. Tel: (206) 682-8282. Fax: (206) 682-5315. Located downtown on Pike Street next to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.