Dec 13

I mentioned on my last post yesterday that my family and I were off to enjoy Downtown Seattle for the weekend.  Overall we had a great weekend and look forward to doing this again next year.

Kids can have fun anywhere, even in long lines

There were some surprise freebies we loved, and some things that did not work out as we hoped.  I thought I would include a review in case others are interested in participating in any of the festivities downtown.

By far my favorite highlight of the weekend was a surprise – The Red Lion on 5th Ave and FREE Santa pictures!

This freebie was so much fun, and the staff at The Red Lion was so welcoming.  We got two free Santa Photos, one with the kids and one that included grandma (it was a beautiful setting, a wonderful Santa and professional photographs)!  You do not have to pay a dime for the pictures.  Best part about it, there was no line. We walked right into the Red Lion lobby and got to take our photos with Santa with no wait at all, and they had them developed and in our hands in under 5 minutes. Just when I thought the freebie could not get better, it did.  The staff offered the adults free glasses of wine (a blend from a local winery) and the kids got free apple cider and cookies.  There is a fireplace in the lobby and other seating options, so we were able to relax with our free treats after our free photos with Santa.  We enjoyed this freebie so much that we decided to skip trying to catch it snowing at Pacific Place mall and just sit there and relax for awhile.

The only downside is that they only do it one day out of the year, so if you missed it yesterday then you will have to wait until next year.  My family was so impressed with the service and offerings that we plan to stay there next year.

My hubby looks worried, I think he is having trouble finding his name

Another highlight was the Teddy Bear Suite at The Fairmont. This will continue through the holiday season and was a fun visit for the kids.  It is located about one block down on 5th Ave. from the Red Lion, and so was an easy walk. When you enter The Fairmont on the bottom level there is a nice Santa setting with a Christmas Tree and Fireplace.  Its a great photo opp for the family.  You then take the elevator to the 3rd floor and there is a suite that they have decorated to the extreme with Teddy Bears.  It is fun for the young kids, and another great photo opp.  Its only one suite, so not huge, however there were no lines when we got there and my toddlers loved it.

There is a long line at Gingerbread lane, you might want to go earlier then we did!

Gingerbread Village at The Sheraton, also completely free, was nice.  The big downside here was the line. It took us a half hour in line before we made it up to the Gingerbread houses.  There were about 4 or 5 houses to view once you got up there.  The houses were very cool, but I would definitely recommend going during an off time (they are open 24 hrs a day, so maybe early or later).  We went right after dinner and I am not sure it was worth the wait.

Another favorite was the Carousel on the waterfront. We skipped the outdoor carousel at Westlake Center and headed down to the waterfront to let the kids ride the carousel indoors.  I also have a teenager and he was able to enjoy the arcade. We spent $20 there for an evening of fun for the kids, and they stayed warm.

Toyland Village on the waterfront would have been nicer if it had not been raining. In better weather it would be a fun stroll with the kids, but we rushed through since it was so cold out.

Mom & Dad are still smiling at the end of the night, it was a good trip!

The only disappointment of the weekend was our hotel, The Edgewater. I do not know if I will stay here again. We got the Travelzoo special rate, and evidently that put us in a lower rate room at the back of the hotel. All of the rooms we could see into had flat screen TVs.  We had an older TV that did not work well at all. According to their website “All accommodations are furnished with custom-designed knotty pine furniture, overstuffed chairs and a fuzzy bear ottoman located in front of the rustic pine gas fireplace.”.  Our room had no ottoman and that was always a favorite of mine at this hotel.  The restaurant was nothing like I remember.  I did not enjoy the food this time, and this used to be a favorite restaurant of mine. Worst part was that two dishes they brought out to us (with food) had hairs on them. I had to send back twice, and there was nothing about how they handled it that was impressive. Service was mediocre at best. All of this may have been par for the course with a $99 rate special, but once you added in all of the additional costs (and at this hotel EVERYTHING was an additional cost) it really was not worth it. Parking was an additional $33, and the only option is valet so there is tipping involved on top of that. To get to all of the events downtown we had to drive and park again, so over the weekend we spent over $60 just on parking costs.  Add in all of the taxes and an additional charge here and there and we spent $200 for the hotel, when we had planned on a $99 nt.  I highly suggest taking parking into consideration when planning your visit downtown. Next year we will consider one of the many deals at a hotel up closer to everything, and more kid friendly.

In general you can have a great weekend in Seattle over the holidays without spending a fortune, by snagging one of the deals that becomes available up in the city center. There are many affordable eating options in that area, and lots of free or affordable entertainment options. If you can resist the urge to shop then there are many free, or low cost options to enjoy the season.

Go here to the Holidays In The City site to find events and plan your weekend downtown for the Christmas season. This is where I found the events we participated in, and they highlight weekly happenings each week.

Print PDF

Share and Enjoy