HotelChatter

Check-In
As soon as our cab pulled up to the hotel, eager bellmen helped pull our luggage out of the cab and into the check-in area. To our surprise, the lobby was rather small. The BOKA restaurant was to the left and the Studio 1000 bar to the right. In the center of the lobby (across from the elevators) was a cluster of small sofas for guests to sit on.

There was, however, no line for check-in and we proceeded to the 11th floor within a matter of minutes.

Room Reaction
We were given a Grand Luxe Parlor Suite which has a separate living room area, a king bed and a large bath with a free-standing tub. The room also had amazing views of Elliott Bay. The only thing we disliked was the room's full-length mirror which, when standing 10 feet away, shortens your torso and widens your lower half. It's only when you get about five inches away from the mirror does it stop playing funhouse trickery with you.

Amenity Madness
The room featured two flat-screen TVs, Molton Brown toiletries, a full mini-bar, bathrobes and bath salts (for a fee.) We wanted to watch a movie but the TV's did not have DVD players. We asked the front desk what to do and he sent up someone to hook up a DVD player to the screen. Fair enough.

The room also features a VOIP phone with a touch-tone screen that gives you easy access to the concierge, room service and other pertinent services. We liked it best when it was in standby mode and displaying famous quotes from famous people.

The hotel has a spa and fitness center on-site for guests as well as a Golf Club, a virtual golf experience that lets you "play" some of the best golf courses in the world.

Internet Connect
Complimentary wireless with a code.

Dining and Drinking
After settling in and exploring the neighborhood a bit, we came back to eat at the hotel's restaurant, BOKA Kitchen + Bar. (Bold Original Kitchen Artistry.) We were skeptical of this small hotel restaurant but we were extremely impressed. Save up your appetite for this place. We probably could have been satisfied with just ordering the pork belly steam bun sliders with hoisin chili glaze sauce as our starters. But we plowed through and we're happy we did.

Our traveling companion ordered the petite filet in red jus with a tempura fried blue cheese, fingerling potato slices and asparagus. We ordered the truffled stringozzi pasta with smoky pancetta and topped with a poached egg.

All of it was delicious and was the best proper meal we ate in Seattle that weekend. The prices are a little high, however. Our pasta dish was $23 and the filet was $32. We also ordered one of their Crush mojitos, which was a little sugary for our liking but reasonably priced at $9. Then we hauled ourselves back up to our room. Fortunately, we didn't have far to walk.

Location, Location, Location
Initially, we felt we were in too much of a touristy area in this downtown hotel. But after staying in another neighborhood in central Seattle, we realized the Hotel 1000 is in a better spot. The famous Pike Place Market is only five blocks away (up a mild hill) and the Pier is just a couple of blocks downhill. The baseball park and football stadium, Safeco and Qwest fields, are only about 10 blocks away too.

The hotel is also next to an adult store called Taboo. We can't imagine that Hotel 1000 is too pleased by the presence of this place but it's great for photo ops. And, of course, impromptu hotel sexytime.

Bottom Line
For first-timers to the city, this is a great hotel. The Space Needle is a bit further away but if you want to spend your time down on the pier and meandering through the Pike Place Market, you can't beat this location.

We liked it for its sleek decor (except for that mirror), modern in-room amenities and down-to-earth service without all the fuss or stuffiness of a luxury chain hotel. And should you be concerned about where to eat a meal, don't stress. Just head down to BOKA.

Because of the Expedia snafu, we had to ask for a media rate of $139 to fit the Hotel 1000 in our travel budget.