ENTER TO WIN a stay for your family at The Westin Seattle.
Can I be honest? I’m generally not a city girl. I’m enticed by the lights and the excitement and the activity…but the idea of actually going downtown scares me. Between the driving and the crowds and the unfamiliar geography, I tend to stay in my quiet little suburban bubble, venturing into Seattle maybe once a year.
But friends, that’s a mistake. Over the last few months I’ve come to realize that, despite living here for nearly 20 years, there are a ton of quintessential “Seattle” experiences I’ve missed out on (and so have my children) simply because I’m afraid of driving into and navigating around the city. So when I received an invitation from The Westin Seattle to stay in their hotel in the heart of the action, I took it as a sign that it was time to conquer my fear of downtown and explore some of the iconic attractions I’ve been missing out on.
I was given a free stay at The Westin Seattle in exchange for my honest opinion on my experience. You can enjoy a stay for a special SPIRIT rate of $105.30 – grab your exclusive deal here!
I was a bit anxious as we ventured downtown, but my fears were quickly alleviated when I realized how easy access was to the hotel. The GPS took us exactly where we needed to go, the garage entrance was clearly marked, and there was no need to figure out parking because the valet took care of everything. My biggest fear had been conquered.
My anxiety rose again as we ascended the escalator to the lobby to check in. I knew this was a luxury hotel, and my crew looked a little…shall we say…disheveled. My daughter had fallen asleep on the drive, the kids were dragging their sweatshirts on the floor, my hands were full of stuffed animals and other treasures that they’d promised they’d carry themselves, and we even had a few last-minute items “packed” in a plastic grocery bag. I mean…we weren’t exactly high-class, and I honestly wished we’d have pulled ourselves together a little more lest the people at the front desk realize we “didn’t belong” in such a fancy hotel.
Friends, like my first fear, this one was also unfounded. No sooner had we rounded the corner to the check-in desk than a woman came around front and started engaging with my kids. She asked them if they were excited to swim. She asked me where we were coming from and what we were planning to do in the city. I was struck by how kind and genuine she was, and before you think that we received this treatment because they knew we’d be reviewing our experience later, all this happened before we even checked in. At this point, they didn’t know us from Adam and from what they could tell, we were just a scraggly and travel-weary family.
In fact, every person we encountered at The Westin Seattle was incredibly kind and genuine, and I realized that they really care about each of their guests…whether they’re staying in the most cost-conscious room or an expansive luxury suite.
Speaking of suites, we were treated to the Imperial Suite, which was enormous with an unbeatable view of Seattle. My kids alternated between being speechless and exclaiming “this is crazy!” as we explored our home for the night.
It was so amazing we didn’t want to leave, but I’d committed to finally exploring some of the city, so we headed out. I was delighted to learn that there were a million things to do within walking distance – so once again we didn’t have to deal with driving or parking. The downtown area we explored was clean and safe, and while it was fairly busy it didn’t feel crowded.
We eventually went back to the hotel, enjoyed a dinner at Relish Burger Bistro (the restaurant inside the hotel), and went for a swim.
Then it was back to the room for some snacks, board games, and just general window-gazing at the amazing view as we spent time as a family. We all stayed up way too late because we didn’t want to go to bed – we wanted to savor the view!
The next morning we enjoyed a leisurely pace because we didn’t have to rush to breakfast (Relish serves breakfast until 11 am!), checked our bags at the front desk, and hit the town again to take in a few more sights. When it was time to go the valet brought our car and the GPS easily navigated us out of the city.
The whole way home we talked about how fantastic our stay was, how wonderful the Westin staff were, and how nice it was to be tourists in our own city. And it was completely stress-free, especially because we didn’t need a vehicle the entire time. The Westin was the perfect “home base” for our urban adventure!
If you’ve got a few Seattle-based activities on your summer bucket list, take this tip from one suburban mom to another. Make it easy on yourself and check off a few items staycation-style by booking a night (or three!) at The Westin Seattle and using it as your family-friendly home base for all your downtown activities.
Here’s a list of fun things you can do as a family while you’re there – but if you need more ideas or even simple directions, you can always ask the on-site concierge. They’ll be happy to help because as much as they want you to enjoy their hotel, they also want you to enjoy their incredible city.
Pin this for your summer bucket list!
Family-Friendly Bucket List Activities in Downtown Seattle
Most of these activities are within walking distance of the Westin Seattle. If some are too far for little legs, make it a true adventure and take public transit – it’s easy downtown – and if you need help, just ask the concierge!
- Visit the Space Needle
- Ride the Monorail
- Visit the Seattle Children’s Museum
- Check out the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
- Visit the Seattle Science Center
- Ride the Great Wheel
- Head to Gameworks Seattle
- Go shopping downtown or at Westlake Center
- Take a sightseeing tour on Argosy Cruises
- Visit Tillicum Village on Blake Island
- Check out the Seattle waterfront
- Visit the Seattle Aquarium
- Check out the Amazon Spheres
- Take a glass-blowing class (or just watch) at the Seattle Glassblowing Studio
- See a movie at a nearby theater
- Take in a show at the Paramount or the Fifth Avenue Theater
- Grab a coffee from the Starbucks flagship store
- Buy flowers at Pike Place Market
- Leave some gum on the gum wall
- Take the Underground Tour
- See the Mariners play at T-Mobile Park
- Ride the ferry to Bainbridge Island (check out the Kids Discovery Museum there!) or take the water taxi to Vashon Island.
Friends, this is just the tip of the bucket-list iceberg. There are limitless things to do in Seattle, and using the Westin as your “home base” makes them infinitely more accessible for families. No need to stress about navigating downtown, mama. The Westin makes everything so easy!!!
So what are you waiting for? Choose your bucket-list adventures and then book a room at the special Spirit 105.3 rate or ENTER TO WIN a stay for your family for a close-to-home getaway that will be the highlight of your summer!
Read more of Kristina’s contributions to allmomdoes here.
