Courtyard Seattle Downtown/Lake Union

The Courtyard Seattle Downtown Lake Union is an on-brand brand outpost of the mid-range Courtyard by Marriott brand. The L-shaped, seven-story beige building is accented with a green roof that reflect the brand's trademark color. The lobby received a facelift during the hotel's mid-2015 renovation, and it's surprisingly fresh and contemporary, with a curved gray couch and modern high-backed armchairs in mustard yellow. There's a chic, living-room like lounge with chevron carpeting, sleek seating, and shelves with a few local-interest books. The overall look smacks chain hotel, but the property offers the comfort of a well-known brand, serving everyone from business guests to families who want to make use of the generously sized guest rooms and convenient location. 

The hotel overlooks Lake Union and is directly across the street from Lake Union Park. The park has trails for walking, running, or biking, and is also home to the Museum of History and Industry, a five-minute walk. The up-and-coming neighborhood has mix of residential apartments, car repair shops, and parking garages, but there's also restaurants, bars, and coffeeshops within walking distance. Guests can also walk to water-sport activity rental facilities along the lake for kayaking or paddle boarding. 

Seattle Center, home to the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and the Museum of Pop Culture (formerly the Experience Music Project), is about a 20-minute walk. Downtown Seattle and Pike Place Market are 20 minutes away via public transit. For business travelers, new tech companies are in the neighborhood, like Amazon's corporate offices (15-minute walk). Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is about an hour away via public transit or a 20-minute drive, without traffic. 

Guest rooms are clean, tasteful, and contemporary, with a warm palette of yellows and reds, wall-to-wall carpeting, mid-toned wooden veneer furniture, but the overall look is slightly dated. Large headboards and patterned accent walls behind the beds add a little flair, as do framed photos of Seattle sights. 

Units are spacious, starting at about 300 square feet, with work desks, closets, and seating areas with sofa beds in King Rooms, or armchairs in Doubles. The One-Bedroom Suite adds a dining area and larger seating areas. Standard amenities include 25-inch flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, coffeemakers, and mini-fridges, and irons and ironing boards, but the bottled water costs extra. 

Bathrooms follow the color scheme of the rooms -- sunny yellow walls, dark red accents, coordinating shower curtains, and generic beige tiling. They have vanities and shower/tub combos, and come equipped with hairdryers and Paul Mitchell-brand individual toiletries. 

Guests rave in particular about units that face the lake, where large windows offer mesmerizing views of the water. Rooms with views of parking lots and adjacent buildings is, needless to say, less inspiring. 

The hotel has a nice set of extra property features to suit busy travelers. There's a casual restaurant and bar, The Bistro, which serves breakfast, dinner, and drinks (but no lunch). A hot breakfast and grab-and-go items are available, but they cost extra. For quick meals or snacks, there's a nicely stocked minimart in the lobby with a microwave for guest use. Evening room service is available.

The hotel has an indoor pool and whirlpool set under a glass roof, and while it's not fancy, per se, it's a well-maintained area surrounded by lounge chairs. There's also a nice, 24-hour gym with a wood floor, weightlifting equipment, and modern cardio equipment like treadmills with individual screens. 

Other amenities include four meeting and event rooms, a business center with a few computers for guest use, plus copying, faxing, and printing services. The hotel also has self-service laundry facilities. Secure underground parking is also available, albeit for an extra nightly fee (typical in the area). Staff offer concierge service and the front desk is open 24 hours. Wi-Fi is free throughout.