Hyatt House Seattle/Downtown

Bold and attractive, the triangular Hyatt House Seattle/Downtown incorporates gray slate and corrugated steel panels in different colors for a very modern look. The spacious beige-tile lobby has a pleasant mustard, deep orange, and gray color scheme, with black egg chairs and tweedy gray sofas. A small shop selling snacks and necessities is a nice convenience, and free coffee is always on offer. A small business station holds two computers and a printer, and the H-Bar is off the lobby. Though most guests are leisure travelers, the hotel aims to attract business travelers with special perks for long-term stays such as a free grocery shopping service. The appealing and stylish rooftop common space is designed to allow those guests to mingle, and even guests without a view from their room can enjoy the Space Needle vista from here.

Just across from the Space Needle, the Hyatt House Seattle/Downtown is convenient to most major sights. Full of visitors during the day, the area around the Space Needle can feel a bit gritty in the evening. Despite the hotel’s name, it’s actually a five-minute drive north of Downtown, directly next to the monorail tracks. The Chihuly Garden and Glass, the Seattle Center, the Key Arena, and the quirky Museum of Pop Culture (formerly the EMP Museum) can be reached in 10 minutes or less on foot. A monorail station at the nearby Seattle Center makes for easy public transit trips Downtown, or it’s a 20-minute walk. Pike Place Market is a seven-minute drive, 15-minute public transit ride, or a 20-minute walk. Seattle Tacoma International Airport is a 22-minute drive or 50 minutes by public transit.

Rooms at the Hyatt House Seattle/Downtown are spacious with contemporary and attractive decor, though it does lean toward chain-hotel generic. The color scheme is uniform: striped earth-tone carpet and wood floors, crisp white bedding, and wood-laminate furniture, with the same art in every room. The property aims for a residential feel with comfortable seating areas and large work areas, and some rooms have great Space Needle views. Most rooms have full kitchens, with full refrigerators, two-burner stovetops, microwaves, dishwashers, and coffeemakers. Each is well equipped with pots, pans, dishes, and cutlery. Rooms without kitchens have mini-fridges, microwaves, and coffeemakers. Larger rooms and suites with separate sitting and sleeping areas have a clever layout that takes good advantage of the space, with a room divider holding a 42-inch flat-screen TV. Double queen studios have pull-out sofas, so they can accommodate up to five people -- a boon for families. In addition to the oversize TV, each room has a digital clock/docking station, programmable safe, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are large but unremarkable, with walk-in showers or shower/tub combos, hairdryers, and toiletries.

The standout feature at the Hyatt House Seattle/Downtown is the wonderful rooftop grill space and lounge area. In addition to great views of the Space Needle, it has multiple seating areas, divided by cool corrugated steel panels, with chic outdoor furnishings, fire pits, and grills. The hotel’s large bar and restaurant serves standards like sandwiches, salads, burgers, and pizza at reasonable prices but closes early. It also hosts the free breakfast buffet, which has lots of fresh options and includes two omelet stations. The pleasant ground-floor fitness center has four treadmills, four cross trainers, free weights, and lots of natural light; it’s open 24 hours. Also open 24 hours is the business center with two computers and printing capabilities. Another convenience is the on-site snack shop, which is open 24/7. The hotel offers free shuttle service within a one-mile radius and free Wi-Fi throughout. On-site parking, self-serve laundry, and same-day dry cleaning service are available for a fee.