Traveling to Seattle is fun for the whole family. With many different neighborhoods from which to choose, why not stay near downtown but without the noise of the major business centers? That’s what we decided to do. With kids, it makes the trip more convenient because you’re still in walking distance to many of Seattle’s most popular attractions.
We stayed at the Sorrento Hotel, in Seattle’s historic First Hill neighborhood, just south of the Capitol Hill district.
The Sorrento is an Italian-inspired boutique hotel with just 76 guestrooms and suites, appealing to all sorts of travelers. Business people like it because of its proximity to the Washington State Convention Center. Artists and intellectuals like the location because it’s very close to Seattle University and not far from the University of Washington. And doctors attending conferences find their way to the Sorrento because it’s so close to several local hospitals.
But families are travelers to whom the Sorrento also caters. There is free Wi-Fi and the lobby Fireside Room offers afternoon tea while evenings feature “Sorrento Nights” of jazz music and other events. There is a lobby restaurant as well called the “Hunt Club.” The lobby has a complimentary morning coffee service.
We enjoyed the evening jazz concerts (as did our toddler) and left the daytime for exploring Seattle. There is also a well-equipped gym for burning off calories or maintaining your regular exercise routine. There’s complimentary water and towels.
A computer center is also on site if you need to access the Internet and didn’t bring your laptop or even to print out your airline boarding passes.
The Sorrento Hotel is child-friendly. The hotel is easily accessible for a stroller, but, because it is a boutique hotel, there is one elevator to reach your room. But we never had to wait long to reach our room or to get to where we wanted to go.
The Sorrento provided our active toddler with a comfortable crib with a mesh bumper. We enjoyed room service for the convenience both for breakfast and dinner. For our first breakfast we enjoyed a “traditional two-egg breakfast” with toast, roast potatoes, a yogurt berry parfait, and orange juice.
That evening for dinner we had grilled beef tenderloin and a seared steelhead trout and salad. Our son had mac and cheese, which was customized just for him.
The next morning we enjoyed the delicious “Crispy Bread Crumb Eggs” with roasted mushrooms and tomatoes and the delectable “Almond Crusted Brioche French Toast” with roasted Yukon gold potatoes and a fruit plate on the side.
Beyond the hotel, Seattle is a jewel in the northwest with many popular attractions, from the Space Needle, the Science Center, Pike Place Market, and the Children’s Museum. We visited all of them.
A great service provided by the Sorrento is that if you decide not to walk but need a ride to the downtown area, guests can feel free to take advantage of the complimentary car service. Just ask at the front desk.
