United States · top picks
Best hotels in Seattle
The highest-rated, best-reviewed places to stay in Seattle, United States. We surface Expedia properties scoring 8+ out of 10 from real travelers, sorted by review density.
- ✓Only properties scoring 8.0+ in real Seattle guest reviews
- ✓Sorted by review density — the more reviews, the more reliable the score
- ✓Refundable rates labelled per stay — book now, decide later
- ✓No booking fees · Powered by Expedia
What first-timers get wrong in Seattle
Link light rail runs from the airport into downtown for a flat $3, tapped with ORCA, a contactless card or a phone, against roughly $60 for a rideshare. Washington adds about ten percent sales tax at the register, so posted prices are never the final ones. The hills between the waterfront and First Hill are steeper than any map suggests. Riders eighteen and under travel free on regional transit.
What's actually worth your time in Seattle
Pike Place is a working market rather than a museum, so go before nine to see fishmongers instead of tourists, and give the Gum Wall in Post Alley about thirty seconds. Space Needle admission runs $35 to $42.50 and is cheapest Monday to Thursday before eleven. Kerry Park on Queen Anne delivers the same skyline for nothing. A walk-on Bainbridge ferry buys an hour on the Sound for a few dollars.
What to eat in Seattle
Cold-water oysters are the case worth making here, and Taylor Shellfish and The Walrus and the Carpenter in Ballard shuck them by the dozen. Seattle-style teriyaki, invented in this city in the seventies, is a cheap counter meal in every neighbourhood. Dick's Drive-In sells burgers for a couple of dollars until 2am. In the International District, Vietnamese pho and Cantonese barbecue outnumber anything at Pike Place.
When the weather turns in Seattle
Locals rarely carry umbrellas, because the drizzle falls fine and persistent rather than heavy, and a hood handles most of it. Pike Place's lower levels are covered and largely unvisited. The Seattle Central Library's Koolhaas atrium is free and worth an hour on its own merits. Elliott Bay Book Company on Capitol Hill and the Amazon Spheres, open to the public on scheduled days, both absorb a wet afternoon.
What things cost in Seattle
A flat $3 covers any Link ride, the airport included. The Bainbridge ferry charges walk-on passengers only on the westbound leg, around $10, with the return free. Space Needle tickets run $35 to $42.50 depending on day and hour, and Chihuly Garden and Glass about $35. A Dick's burger costs under $3, while a dozen Ballard oysters lands between $30 and $40.
When to go to Seattle
| Best months for best-hotels | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| July | 25°C / 77°F | 2 days |
| August | 25°C / 77°F | 6 days |
| September | 21°C / 70°F | 8 days |
The month to avoid is January — around 8°C (46°F) with roughly 20 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: July is the sweet spot, January the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Summer clothes, plus one light layer for air-con and evenings, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.
Where to base yourself in Seattle
- Capitol Hill — Bar district — coffee shops, music venues, brunch lines on weekends.
- Ballard — Old fishing town turned cool — locks, breweries, Sunday farmers market.
- Fremont — Quirky neighborhood — the troll, public art, weekend flea market.