Stayed two nights after AMTRAKing from LA. Walked from railway station to hotel. An old building refitted to be good lodging place. Refitting was installing bathroom in each room as an afterthought. Remaining space is small for higher class hotel. Simularly, the elevator column eats part of the original lobby space. The classy open stairway is still in service. Also, historic district sign code constricts the outdoor sign of the hotel to omit the words Best Western. beyond her oddities the place was just fine. Good beds, clean bathrooms, nice breakfast, WIFI, internet computers, competent staff, reasonable price.

The area of Pioneer Square looked a bit down and out when we arrived at 7pm. But looking at other options of Seattle, we decided the whole town had its share of homeless. Later, we decided that the problems of Seattle are benign, so don't be put off. While the outside of the "Pioneer Square Hotel" looks a bit run down, again, do not let that deter you. Inside, the rooms and common areas are high quality and the staff are friendly. Good beds, very clean bathrooms with good toiletries, and free wifi. Our coffee make was excellent. One of those Keurig "pop in a cartridge" jobs. But Keurig machines are not in every room, I think. We didn't like the LCD being on the wall to the side of the bed, but there didn't seem anywhere else to put it in our room - which was quite large. I did not get a chance to see if this was the case in other rooms. I'll check when we go back next week.

The breakfast was included, and was pretty good: waffles, cereal, fruit, danish, bagels...

Parking in Seattle isn't easy. I had read about some problems with some lots, but BW has a deal with a decent parking building 1.5 blocks away. If BW have reached their limit, you can usually still get into the lot. $28 for 24 hours - less if you can get access through BW. There is parking outside for 15 minutes. Like many Best Westerns, there are self-service luggage trolleys at the entrance to take your bags to the room, if you don't have wheelies.

There is also a PC with printer available if you don;t have your own laptop (with the free wifi), or need to print a boarding pass. This is also a free service.

When I asked Moman, the front-desk manager (he may be the owner?) where the Post Office was, he offered to take the letter and post it with the hotel mail.

Around the corner (right onto 1st Avenue) at New Orleans (the sign says 75c rooms), you can enjoy a jazz evening every Monday from 6-9.30. Louder jazz on Tuesdays, and it builds up though the week until it is Saturday night rock. Cover charge on Saturdays. Opposite, the J&M cafe offers 99c appetisers from 2-6 and 10-midnight. And 99c beer!

There are other options: Contours (left onto 1st Ave.) does decent happy hour food. A couple of Irish bars nearby. And the expensive, but very good Metropolitan Grill on 2nd Avenue & Marion.

Until September 2012, bus rides within the city centre are free, so walk up to 3rd Ave, take a free bus to Macy's, then walk a block inland to Westlake Centre for the monorail to the Needle. Or walk towards the water for the Pike Place Market, and a stroll back to Pioneer Square.

Lastly, traffic on the I-5 and I-405 around Seattle is dreadful. We drove in from the north at 6pm and it took an hour to go 15 miles. Try to avoid driving if you can.

Enjoy Seattle. And enjoy this pretty well-appointed Best Western hotel.

The Best Western Pioneer Square is a great hotel in an underrated part of downtown Seattle. The historic hotel has retained its historic atmosphere without sacrificing quality. My son and I stayed for 5 days here in January. Being off season, it may have problems (like noise) that we did not run into. The room was compact but very livable and very clean. Our room faced an internal courtyard and was very quiet, especially for a downtown hotel. The free breakfast was exceptional in my opinion; plenty of options with a helpful staff dedicated to the breakfast room. The staff was very friendly and very helpful. The location is a little ways from the financial/shopping part of downtown Seattle, but a rather easy walk. Pioneer Square has a lot of ambiance, and the waterfront and stadiums are very close by, along with public transportation (Amtrak, light rail to the airport). Lots of good restaurants and pubs within a block or two. This was one of those rare hotel experiences where I have nothing but good things to say about this hotel. Just keep in mind that it's almost 100 years old and not a 5* luxury hotel, and you won't be disappointed.

We loved the area where this old hotel is located. you have restaraunts and shops all around pioneer square, but they cater to the downtown area so they close early around 7pm. The room was large and the bed very comfortable and our room faced the street and it was very quiet. We enjoyed the small breakfast as we were looking for something to hold us over til we got to Pike's market. The staff was helpful and even though the parking is off sight it was not that inconvenient. You are allowed to park in front for 15 minutes to get your bags up to your room. We ate at the Italian eatery next door and found it romantic and good food but a little over priced and they will charge you for everything so be careful. You have to ask. The bread does not come with the meal!!! Overall we loved the place and will come back again.