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The South Lake Union area is going through a rather radical transformation. For years it was an industrial, forgotten part of town with few businesses or restaurants. With several high-profile companies moving in (including Amazon, which has such a major presence that the neighborhood is nicknamed Amazonia) SLU is rapidly becoming a hub of new condos, business high-rises, and amenity development. Though the variety of lodging options currently underwhelms, several new hotels are slated to be built in coming years. And while it bustles during the workweek with throngs of badged techies staring at their phones, parts of South Lake Union can seem like a ghost town during the evening and weekends. Stay here and you'll be close to both Downtown and Capitol Hill.
Astra Hotel is essentially a standard Marriott, with clean, comfortable, fairly snug standard rooms in a handy central location. The lobby has colorful, quirky decor, and the rooftop bar has a sunset view and throbbing beats coming from the sound system. Local chain Caffe Ladro has a shop in the lobby, so you can wake up to a good cup of coffee—and even have it delivered to your room by Sparky, the hotel’s “robot butler.”
citizenM Seattle South Lake Union proves that small can still feel smart. The rooms—150 square feet, with a wall-to-wall king bed tucked under a picture window—are compact but cleverly designed, complete with a petite desk, mini-fridge, and rain shower. Solo travelers will find it just right; couples, cozy at best. What the rooms lack in space, the buzzing lobby makes up for: think art books, bold color, a 24/7 bar, and a lounge that feels more like a living room than a hotel. It’s stylish, social, and unmistakably citizenM.
