CHECKING INTO SEATTLE’S INN AT THE MARKET

Greetings from the state of Washington where we’ll be checking into Seattle’s Inn at the Market.

It is from Seattle that our Celebrity Solstice cruise to Alaska will commence, so we decided to come a day early to insure that we would not miss the boat. It’s never a good idea to travel on the same day a cruise departs, as flight delays or other potential problems could result in the ship sailing without you. Just prior to our flight landing in Seattle my husband got this magnificent photo out of the airplane window. I have no idea what mountain top that is but what a sight it was to behold. Can anybody name it for me?

I have a good friend whose daughter attends The University of Washington and she and her husband often travel to Seattle to visit. Since I haven’t been to Seattle in many years, I consulted with my friend about where to stay, and without hesitation she highly recommended the Inn at the Market.

Trusting my friend’s good judgement I booked a room and off we went to this hotel, conveniently situated in a prime location in downtown Seattle.

The contemporary hotel lobby was comfortable and bright.

I reserved our room on the hotel’s website, selecting their least expensive room, the “City Side View Room” which cost $375.00, and with taxes and fees came to $435.00. Free cancellations were allowed up to 24 hours before check in, and they would not charge me for the room until I checked in. When booking hotel rooms I have learned that upgrades can often be had upon check in, so I never reserve an expensive room. This time, without even asking, the delightful young man (who turned out to be the front desk manager) advised us that he was upgrading us to what he said was “the best room in the house,” room 311. And after arriving in our 3rd floor corner room I have no doubt that it absolutely was. That’s our room in the photo below, the top floor with windows on both sides of the building that afforded us an amazing view of Pike Place Market and Seattle’s Puget Sound waterfront.

Stepping inside we found our room to be spacious, clean and comfortable, with all of the amenities one needs.

The bed was comfortable and dressed in great sheets with 4 feather pillows and cosy duvet-covered comforter. There was a convenient ottoman at the foot of the bed, a desk with a view, a sitting area and plenty of room for suitcases.

The bathroom was clean and had my obligatory magnifying mirror, a must! My only complaint was that the single pedestal sink provided no room for toiletries and makeup. One thoughtful feature of the bathroom was its frosted glass door (not shown) which allowed illumination from the light-filled guestroom to enter the bathroom. Lots of light in a bathroom is always so nice.

But the designers of this hotel should have reduced the size of the immense walk-in closet in favor of adding extra space to the small bathroom. Who needs such a large closet in a hotel room?

So, as I mentioned, this was truly a “room with a view!” It felt as though we were perched right on top of Pike Place Market! I must say, it provided great people watching, and the glass was tinted so no one below could “people watch” us.

I never use hotel mini bars, as the price you pay is always so exorbitant, but the Inn at the Market did have a tempting basket of goodies on display for those that do indulge.

The hotel is designed around an open courtyard with lovely blooming flower boxes.

We decided to make our way to the rooftop garden lounge where we were told we could order an afternoon cocktail and snacks to stave off hunger until dinner.

We arrived in the flower-filled oasis just as an afternoon rain shower, so common in these parts, decided to put a damper on our plans.

That didn’t stop me from taking some photos of the colorful courtyard.

Rooftop cocktails at the Inn at the Market are catered by neighboring “Cafe Campagne,” located on the lower level of the hotel.

Wishing to avoid the rooftop rain, we dashed downstairs to the Cafe Bar where we shared a heaping mound of “frites”. Brad enjoyed a cold beer and I a champagne cocktail.

Our next stop was the fantastic shop, Watson Kennedy, located in the hotel courtyard. What a find!

I had first heard of this wonderful shop on a great blog I follow called, Reviving Charm. Blogger Vanessa talked about her love of this terrific establishment, and since I knew we were going to Seattle soon, I made note of it. Turns out a book Vanessa had referred to in her blog post, penned by the owner of Watson Kennedy, was sitting on the table in our hotel room. My husband picked it up, and to my surprise, was very taken by it, and I was too. So much so, in fact, that I plan to order “Style & Simplicity | An A to Z Guide to Living a More Beautiful Life” when I return, as I don’t need to add another thing to my already over-packed status.

I could have really done some major damage in this wonderful shop but resisted, selecting only a couple of beautiful dish towels that wouldn’t take up too much room in my luggage.

Well, that’s all for today. Gotta go explore Pike Place Market. Stay tuned and in upcoming posts I’ll take you along with us as we further explore Seattle and then journey to the wilds of Alaska.

So there you have it: CHECKING INTO SEATTLE’S INN AT THE MARKET

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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise credited, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission. This was not a sponsored post. I paid for our accommodations at the Inn at the Market and all opinions are my own.