I wrote this review especially for new parents of dancers checking reviews for upcoming dance conventions and competition at this location. Therefore, I'm taking the time to give you an honest recap of my past encounters and some of the options to overcome those and make the best experience for me and my dancer. If my personal experience can contribute to at least one reader to have smooth stay with my tips and your Dancer's pleasant experience during comp/convention, then it was sooo worth it!

I like the Westin signature hotels. However, this particular location is my least favorite. We travel year-round for my daughter's competitive dances, and we stop here yearly for one of those. The rooms are good, clean and roomy. It seems that regardless of the room location, you'll enjoy a Seattle Downtown view. The hotel has a good location with plenty of options to order delivery or a quick walk nearby during daytime, or you can simply eat from their bistro and inside restaurants for convenience. The gym has lots of good equipments and good variety of cycling bikes. The pool is a must to-visit during the night to avoid crowds with plenty of chairs and towels. My complaints are the elevator system and parking during the hotel operations at full capacity. Please note that the following comments are based on my experience during full vacancy.

It has been my observation and other hotel guests that I met, that this hotel does not have the capacity to run smoothly for the guests' needs/expectations. For example, their garage and valet were full by miday of the first day of the event. This added unnecessary stress to find outside parking, mainly if you are driving without another adult and only with young dancer(s). This can be intimidating for out of town guests and females. Especially in a town with lots of homeless/transient. If you encounter this issue, give all your bags/stuff to the Concierge at Valet. They will hold it for you or delivered to your room once you check in. Then call another parent to stay with your dancer(s) while you navigate finding parking.

Then the second complaint is the elevators system in peak hours during conventions/competitions. It can take easily take over 10mins to 40 minutes to get to your destination waiting for room in an elevator. This can be extremely stressful for your dancers and yourself! Therefore, here's some inside tips I've learned:

Simplest: leave your room at least 30mins prior your convention/comp call times. However, because that it is easier said than done lol Here's Option #2, if you find all the elevators that stops on your floor full to capacity..do this...Request the "up" button to get an elevator going up. You will find plenty of room doing this. Once you are inside, the bad news is that it'll take you to several floors before finally going down. But you will take less time than just waiting for room going down.

Then, do the opposite during peak hours to go up to your room. Another option people do to overcome the elevator issue is to request a super low floor so you can use the escalators or a super high floor so it can be empty to take you down.

The hotel has a South and North tower. As an added bonus, knowing the location of their convention room can expedite getting there if you stay in the tower closest to that room.

Also, if your kiddos has allergies and you request a refrigerator..regardless if you are promised one..have a backup option such as taking a cooler. For the 2nd year on the row, one of my best friend  have reserved one, and despite of their promises by the time she checks in they are out by Friday.

Despite of the below issues, I have given the Westin Seattle, a 5-star rating because their staff is friendly and truly all the good overcome the bad with proper planning.