Best Western Plus Pioneer Square Hotel Downtown — Hotel in Seattle

Coming from Bremerton and being on foot with a backpack & a duffel bag, I needed an affordable place as close as possible to the ferry dock to avoid a long walk or having to take a cab, and let me tell you, it doesn't get any easier than this! It's only a two minute walk from the ferry.

Upon my arrival I was greeted by the staff who were absolutely wonderful! Friendly & as accommodating as could be. Just to make it clear, this is not a modern hotel... it has a vintage style due to the era it was built in, and I personally loved the atmosphere. They lock the front doors at 11PM which is extra comforting, but don't worry, if you have to leave afterwards for whatever reason there is someone at the front desk at all times who will buzz you back in.

As far as the rooms go, they are very nice, if a bit unspectacular. They are a tad on the smaller side, and while there may be a view if your room is facing the entrance, mine sadly was not, so no view for me. The TV was wall mounted and was roughly a 28" size, so again, pretty small. The signal wasn't perfect, at least for the channel I was watching, but it was tolerable.

The bathroom was very clean and well stocked with towels and all your usual soaps... unfortunately while taking a shower the temperature fluctuated quite a bit, depending on whether other guests were using their water or not. Again, all the issues I have stated so far are really small/insignificant and didn't bother me hardly at all. But I can certainly see someone with a nitpicky personality being annoyed by such things.

Something I really loved about my stay here is that even though there were definitely other guests staying there, while we were in my room we did not so much as a hear a peep the entire time. No footsteps, no doors opening/closing, just peaceful silence. My companion and I were thankful of the privacy and found the bed to be clean and comfy.

Now I'm not usually a morning person, but when somebody offers me free breakfast, I am going to take it, and I am SO glad I did! I was not expecting much, but I was blown away by the vast amount of options they provide... they had EVERYTHING! It's more like a breakfast buffet, you don't have to order or anything, it's self service. Off the top of my head, they had: A waffle maker with butter and strawberry syrup 😋 toast, bagels, cereals, oranges/apples/bananas, yogurt, pastries, orange juice, apple juice, darigold fat free & whole milk, coffee regular & decaf, oatmeal, biscuits, and so much more! It was absolutely outstanding! The area was kept super clean and all the items were fresh & delicious!

To wrap it up, I loved staying here! It's not perfect and has it's quirks, but all in all for what you are paying it's definitely a bargain! I look forward to next time I have a reason to stay here, and so does...

This may be my first ever 5 star review for a hotel.

Check-in/check-out process: quick and easy. Staff were friendly and made sure I knew the amenities in the hotel and how to get around downtown.

Service: I ran into two things I needed service for. First was a few more hangers (I was staying for 5 nights) and they had them to my room in under five minutes. That was amazing. Also the room safe was running out of batteries and I asked if they could be replaced that day. There was a miscommunication and they thought my stuff was locked inside and the manager was there within 10 minutes to let me in. I was amazed.

The Room: It was a good size and configuration, the bed was comfortable and came with usable pillows (not those that immediately flatten out on you, I hate that kind of hotel pillow). TV was in good working order, the desk was perfect for the room and working. The windows didn't have a view but they opened and let me have fresh air (important to me). Finally the bathroom was nice, hot water arrived quickly and the shower space was large.

Breakfast: The hotel lists the breakfast as continental. I usually don't have high expectation. Breads, juices, cereals, yogurts, and if you are lucky hard boiled eggs. This place added warmed Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches (a variety), a wide variety of refrigerated items, waffles, and even Nutella packages. My son would have gone nuts with a massive stack of waffles covered in Nutella. Oh, and this is Seattle so I expected good coffee and wasn't disappointed there either.

Location: Less than half a mile from attractions down at the water, the stadium, Seattle Art Museum, and many 1st street shops. Just a bit over half a mile walk from Pike's Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium, and the glass museum walk. Also a very short Uber/Lyft ride to the Space Needle I walked it, it's not a hard walk).

Finally, they had cookies. I loved that, it's a small window of time that they are available in the evening and there is a limited stack but if you check at the right time you'll get a...

Arrived at Amtrak station late at night with my daughter and luggage and talked to two Yellow Cab drivers who didn't want to give me a ride once they heard where I was going. They said the hotel was right around the corner and told us to walk. I should've gotten an Uber but walked. It was pretty far and kind of interesting but seedy. My experience with the cabbies isn't Best Western's fault but may speak to the hotel's reputation. Many homeless people wandering or camped in doorways along the way. They didn't bother us. The ladies working at the hotel desk did ok but were not hospitality professionals. The building was old but in good repair. It had some historic integrity. I noticed a GLARING problem when I looked out my window. Next door was an empty lot with trash. I noticed another GLARING problem outside my other window: long-term homeless men working together to strip down several bicycles next to the loud highway. I can only assume they gave me their worst room because I made my reservation on Priceline, though i paid a rate that matched the actual value of a regular room for this hotel and for similar rooms in Seattle. The room was clean and fresh. The decor was probably nice in 1980 but was shabby for 2017. Decor doesn't matter though. Bed was comfy. Air conditioner/heater worked. Power outlets available on top of desk. Continental breakfast was good. Coffee was very good. Breakfast room was nice. Breakfast staff did an extra good job -- very attentive to their jobs. In the morning everything was normal out the window. I notice when searching for a new hotel to move to that this hotel's regular price was over $300, about 3 times as much as the downtown Westin or the other Best Western for the same night. Outrageously overpriced. Left after 1 night to go to a better hotel in a better location in same...