HotelChatter

In the past, we’ve fawned over the hotel’s lobby, er, living room, but when we pulled up to the hotel on a frosty Monday night, the entire building looked all but deserted. Thanks to too-cool lighting (read: dark, dark blue), the hotel looked practically abandoned from the outside, and wasn’t much more lively inside.

Plus, the sort of minimalist shabby chic furniture with accents like tribal-inspired vases and oversize candles made it feel like we were sitting in an old episode of Friends. Still, the check-in staff was quick and efficient, and even managed to change our room for us and have our key waiting at the front desk while also making us a dinner reservation at a local insider’s hotspot within mere minutes.

The rooms themselves (we checked out our own, and a friend’s) are starting to show some age, with a few scuffs here and there, as well as an outdated taupe-and-white color scheme that not even a brightly colored accent pillow or two can liven up.

We did, however, enjoy how spacious the Spectacular Room we were given was, and the views it commanded of downtown Seattle. In addition to a pillowtop king-size W Signature Bed, there was a little sitting area with a window seat and ottoman, as well as a huge desk with a 32-inch plasma TV over it, and a minibar that, though expensive, still had some pretty good snacks.

The WiFi cost a whopping $14.95 per day, but worked well and fast, so we shelled out the cash for it.

The bathrooms, too, need a little bit of freshening, especially the no-frills bath-shower combos, and the glass countertops and stainless steel sinks. We did, as always, enjoy the lemon-sage Bliss bath products, though.

One good thing? The hotel’s location right on 4th Avenue just a couple blocks from the famous Pike’s Place Market (and the original Starbucks where we caffeinated up in the morning). We did get a workout in at the small SWEAT Fitness Center, but because of a busy schedule, we didn’t have the chance to tipple or nibble at W Bar or Earth & Ocean, the hotel’s restaurant, so we’ll have to try those next time we’re up in the Emerald State.

One final nuisance to report: We had to check out of the hotel early and had hoped to print out a document before we left—sort of like if you wanted to check into your early morning flight and print out your boarding pass—only to find that the Business Center was only open Monday-Friday from 9:00am-7:00pm! Sure, those might be normal working hours, but seriously, when you’re traveling, whose schedule falls into strict times like that?

Yet, despite some wear-and-tear, we can’t argue with the $149 starting rate in January.