Hotel Reviews – DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport
If you are looking for Don Draper, you just might find him hiding out in the mid-century modern lair that is the DoubleTree byHilton Hotel Seattle Airport. From arrival to departure, I found myself longing for a sweet vintage dress that would do this property justice. No sarcasm intended – read on….
Arrival
I arrived in Seattle from a connecting flight on Alaska Airlines and caught the hotel shuttle for the short ride to the property, which is a hop-skip-jump from the main terminal. I could have probably walked it if I’d tried.
Once off the shuttle, everyone aboard made a mad dash to be the first to the front desk. This left me scratching my head a bit… pushing and shoving is so NOT mid-century modern.
Check In
I soon realized why the rush. It’s simple – George Clooney lied. Everyone IS, in fact, elite with Hilton. (Me included now – at the time of this stay, I was Silver – but I was Diamond a week later!) Fortunately the hotel seemed to recognize this imbalance, deploying more agents to call on guests from all lines in some balanced order.
I got my key faster than some of the Gold/Diamond folks in line and was also offered my two famous Doubletree cookies. (I declined and then later realized I should have gotten them for my sweet friend who was coming to take me to dinner and a movie!)
The Room
I was assigned room 622 in the Tower. The property is spread out with wings as well as a main tower location. The layout means that one can be several minutes away from the lobby so that needs to be factored when time is important.
The room itself was a mix of retro fixtures and more modern pieces. Everything was slightly askew when I checked in (the lamps, the television), but it was comfortable.
The room had a wet bar, reminiscent of older properties.
The bathroom had been updated with a newer vanity since the last time I stayed at this property.
The views from the balcony give full justice to the architecture of the property.
The television took a while to turn on and plugs were not conveniently located, but this is as expected at older airport properties.
Other Considerations
The hotel has a coffee bar (with light snacks), a sports bar, and a full restaurant. I did not dine on this visit but have enjoyed fresh seafood and locally sourced ingredients on past visits.
Check Out
I woke up to catch an early flight. There was no folio under my door (a pet peeve of mine, especially at airport properties) so I went downstairs where there was (again) a long line.
I was told that the shuttle only ran every 20 minutes and would be coming any minute so I decided to not check out and deal with getting a folio later. I then waited several minutes for the shuttle to arrive and several more minutes on the shuttle waiting for the driver (who had gone inside) so I could have probably gotten a folio if I’d joined the line to begin with.
Summary
There are not tons of property choices right next to the Seattle airport as many of the airport properties are still several minutes away. This property is a decent option for an overnight stay – not where I’d choose to vacation, but perfectly passable for an airport property.