SEATTLE HOTELS!
Seattle is close on the heels of San Francisco as a West Coast summer-in-the-city destination, so its hotels stay pretty much booked solid for July and August. Keep in mind that if you aren't on an expense account, you may be faced with sticker shock when you see what these places are charging. But if you're willing to head out a bit from downtown, you'll find prices a little easier to swallow.

As the city has grown more affluent in recent years, the hotel scene has also become more sophisticated. San Francisco's hip aesthetics have spilled over into Seattle, and as a result you'll find several chic, postmodern hotels around town. There are also several historic properties and lots of characterless convention hotels. This all adds up to plenty of options for the traveler planning a trip to Seattle.

Seattle's largest concentrations of hotels are located downtown and near the airport, with a few good options in the University District and also over in the suburbs of Bellevue and Kirkland (on the east side of Lake Washington). If you don't mind high prices, downtown hotels are the most convenient, but if your budget won't allow for a first-class business hotel, try to stay near the Space Needle, in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, or in the University District, where prices are all more reasonable.
Be sure to make reservations as far in advance as possible, especially if you plan to visit during Seafair or another major festival!