Where To Stay and Play In Seattle As A Family

Full disclosure:  All opinions of our stay at Hotel Theodore are my own and not swayed by the hotel in any way.  I was determined to be as honest as possible and wasn’t going to hold back on any of my opinions.  Thankfully I have nothing but good things to say.  Big shout out to the Hotel Theodore for hosting our weekend stay.

Where to Stay and Play In Seattle

If you are planning on taking a trip to Seattle as a family to stay and play, then you have come to the right spot!  To kick things off, let me suggest a fantastic family-friendly hotel to stay while in Seattle.

Where to Stay

Sometimes it can be hard to find family-friendly hotels where you truly feel welcomed.  We were so excited to learn of the Hotel Theodore and have them graciously host our stay.

The Staff

We were taken back by the warm and helpful welcome we received from the staff.  From patiently waiting while we loaded the cart with our endless amount of bags (because travelling with two kids is never light), to checking us in and making sure we felt like we had everything we needed, to just simply being ready to help anytime we had a request.  Let me say it again, the staff was amazing.

The Location

Let’s talk about location.  Location is everything when you travel as a family.  For us, we wanted convenience.  We didn’t want to always have to pack the kids in and out of the car.  Having a hotel where we could walk everywhere was perfect.

Staying right downtown Seattle allowed us to be able to quickly get to some of the most famous areas of Seattle such as Pike Place Market in just a short walk (I am talking like four easy blocks).  Also when you’re within walking distance you can save on the downtown parking fees.

We loved being surrounded by local family-friendly restaurants such as The Cheesecake Factory and places where the kids could just be kids.  Some of the downtown hotels in Seattle are located next to more high-end restaurants which might not be the best with little kids.  What I appreciated about the Hotel Theodores location is that you had options.  Grab and go options, kid-friendly options, higher-end options, not to mention a nice restaurant you could access from the lobby if you didn’t want to leave the hotel.

There is also no shortage of food delivery services in Seattle, so one night we decided to just order off of GrubHub, relax and enjoy our room.  The kids loved being able to play, run and dance around the room.

The Room

The room itself was on the smaller side, but it did the job perfectly for our family.  We had a very comfortable and clean king size bed.  On the other side of the room was a nice big wardrobe and couch that pulled out.  Our oldest daughter (3.5 years old) loved this bed.  For her, it was big and spacious but comfortable.

The hotel provided us with a pack and play for our youngest daughter.  When hotels offer these types of services it is so refreshing for us as parents.  We already have enough to pack, so not having to bring big bulky items such as a pack and play is beyond helpful.  The staff had the pack and play all set up for us as well, we didn’t even have to do it – total bonus.

Each room comes fully equipped with a stocked mini-fridge.  Not all hotel rooms offer mini-fridges so this was nice to be able to have a few drinks and snacks of our own we could store and keep cool.

Now, if you weren’t aware, Seattle is known for its coffee and this hotel did not disappoint on the coffee.  Our room was not only stocked with Nespresso but the coffee shop in the lobby, MADE coffee also had absolutely to die for lattes and drip coffee.

The Amenities

Although there is no hot tub or pool for the guests, they do a great job of just having a big open space where kids can explore.  Our girls just loved roaming around and exploring the hotel lobby area as it has this beautiful grand lounge area.  The staff was so welcoming at letting our girls just wander around and take in everything.

Personally, my favourite perk to this hotel was the cocktail hour!  Yes, that’s right, what parent doesn’t love an hour every day of complimentary cocktails.  It allows you to meet some new travellers or just enjoy a cocktail with your spouse or family.  And let me tell you, they know how to make a GOOD cocktail.

Stay at the Hotel Theodore

If you are travelling as a family to Seattle, once again I can’t say enough good things about the Hotel Theodore and truly recommend you consider it as your choice of stay.  For a downtown hotel, it’s on the cheaper side then all of the other hotels that are in the same area which is awesome if you are trying to save a dollar (which I always am).  But here’s an even better deal for my frugal people, if you want an ADDITIONAL 15% off your stay at the Hotel Theodore then book right now and use promo code “FRUGALANDFRILLS” and checkout.

Where To Play

Now that we have where to stay sorted out, let’s talk about where to play in Seattle.

Pike Place Market

If you have never been to Seattle before, Pike Place Market is just something everyone has to see at least once.  Yes, depending on the time of day it can get VERY busy, so I would recommend if you don’t like crowds to go in the morning time before the afternoon rush.

This market started back in 1907 and is one of the oldest farmer’s markets ever to still be in business.  You do not want to miss out on the rustic cobblestone road, the original Starbucks Coffee Company that ever opened, the endless amount of different food stands and let’s not forget the FAMOUS clam chowder dishes…

Post-Alley

If you are already planning on visiting Pike Place Market, then you have to go find Post Alley.  It is the coolest little alleyway that is JAMMED with amazing little restaurants and bars.  It’s also a really fun spot to take the kids and explore because the alley doesn’t allow any traffic down it, so it’s fully closed off from vehicles and the kids can be free to roam about.

The Famous Gum Wall

The gum wall in Seattle has become so famous to just go see and maybe snap a photo of.  It can be fun for the kids to see as kids love playing with gum right?!

If you are in the  Pike Place Market/Post Alley area, be sure to check it out if you have time.  It originally started back in the ’90s and has just continued to blow up (pun intended).

Woodland Zoo

If you are bringing along the kids for a fun-filled family weekend, then the Woodland Zoo is an absolute MUST see.  It honestly is the best zoo I have ever been too.  Also, for a zoo, it is rather inexpensive.  As a family of four, it only cost us USD 40.

They have almost every bird, animal, bug, and activity you can think of.  Every few hours they have little educational classes that you can sit in on if you want.

Everything is completely self-guided.  This is great with kids as you never know when they are going to want a snack break, bathroom break, etc…

My absolute favourite thing about the zoo besides the animals was the way it was laid out.  I have never seen such a well laid out Zoo.  They truly make it impossible to get off track or miss any sections.  We spent five hours straight walking and exploring and the kids still couldn’t get enough!

I will go back again!  For more information on rates and what you can see, check this out.  If you want to see more videos and photos of what we saw at the zoo, be sure to check out the “Travel Blog” highlight on my Instagram page here.

Stay and Play In Seattle

Seattle is worth visiting if you haven’t yet.  These suggestions are all solely based on my own opinions and honest review.  What my taste is, might be different than yours, but I promise I am giving you my honest review.

If you are looking for more Seattle ideas for where to stay and play, whether you’re a family or not, here is a quick list below of some other activities and places we have tried and loved:

• Flatstick Pub – Local Craft Beer & Mini Golf
• Purple Cafe & Wine Bar
• Seattle Underground Tour
• Seattle Space Needle

Fun Neighborhoods to check out:

• Capitol Hill
• Pioneer Square
• Olympic Park

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Xo, Asia