Having spent the previous night at the Thompson Seattle, we moved on up the street to checkout the Destination-branded Motif Seattle (another Wold of Hyatt property).
Review: Motif Seattle (WA)
Location
The Motif Seattle is a contemporary boutique hotel located on 5th Avenue, between Pike Place Market and Union Street in downtown Seattle.
The historic hotel completed renovations to become Motif Seattle in 2014.
Parking
The underground parking garage is accessed from 5th Avenue.
Parking rates are $50 per night for hotel guests (and complementary for Hyatt Globalists).
World Of Hyatt Redemption
The nightly rate during our stay started at $274 USD for a “1 Queen Bed” room ($347.92 total with taxes and fees).
However, because the Motif Seattle was a World of Hyatt Category 4 property, I booked the room for just 15,000 points (I used a free night certificate).
This was a respectable redemption value for Hyatt points of 2.32 CPP.
Lobby
The Motif was decorated with interesting art pieces on every wall of the lobby.
There was also a playable grand piano in the lobby.
Image: hyatt.com
Front Desk & Check-In
Check in was quick, but a little confusing, as the front desk staff member struggled to explain the Globalist breakfast benefit.
From what I gathered, we had the option to pick up a grab-n-go box for breakfast, order room service by pre-ordering breakfast the night before, or eat breakfast at the Starbucks next door and charge it to the room.
Image: hyatt.com
Room Upgrade
As a Hyatt Globalist we received a room “upgrade” to a higher floor.
Room Key
Elevator Area
Although newly renovated, there were things about the hotel that seemed older and dated especially in the elevators and hallway.
Hallway
Room Entrance
Image: hyatt.com
Bedroom
When we arrived at the room, we found it clean and comfortable and “modern enough”.
The room vibe was minimalist and austere, but sprinkled with hints of Seattle’s storied musical legacy.
A pillow with various song titles from Seattle’s greatest artists
Living Area
Room Amenities
As far as room amenities went, the Motif had a Keurig coffee machine with various coffees and teas as well as their own Motif-branded bottled water.
There was also a large and empty mini-fridge and some strategically-placed neon green coat hangers across from the closet.
Bathroom
Of all the room renovations, the most significant seemed to be in the bathroom.
The bathroom featured fresh coats of neon paint, brand new white tiling, accents of chrome hardware, and a cool piece of artwork that featured slivers of infamous albums from the Seattle scene.
The Nest Fragrances brand of toiletries was the hotels brand of choice (although we spotted a Pharmacopia bottle of lotion as well).
What album covers can you spot?
View From The Room
The view from our room was [technically] of the Seattle Waterfront (although it was mostly obstructed by rooftops and skyscrapers).
Breakfast
For breakfast, we initially tried the “Starbucks option,” which required us to exit the hotel and walk down 5th Avenue to the Starbucks next door.
I [wisely] decided to inquire first with Starbucks about what the breakfast policy was at the Motif. To my surprise the barista had no idea what I was talking about. He said, “hang on a minute, let me go ask my boss”.
45 seconds later he returned and said, “my boss says he “kind of remembers something about that,” but he isn’t sure you can do that. For now, he thinks you shouldn’t try to bill it to your room.
With that, I thanked the barista and headed back to Motif to simplify things and just grab a grab’n’ go box for breakfast.
Unfortunately, the grab’n’ go box was a disappointing letdown. It consisted of a Tree Top cranberry juice, an orange, a large blueberry muffin, a Chobani yogurt, and an English muffin – but it lacked anything resembling a warm breakfast.
The Property Interior
Image: hyatt.com
Image: hyatt.com
Image: hyatt.com
Fitness Center
Image: hyatt.com
The Bottom-Line Review: Review: Motif Seattle (WA)
Overall, we found our stay at Motif Seattle to be good (but not great).
On the negative side of things, the property was more tired than we expected, the breakfast was a disappointment, and the hotel’s location was in a rougher part of town then we had anticipated from looking at it in Google maps. The Motif was [technically] walking distance to Pike’s Place, but it would have been a longer walk than we bargained for.
On the positive side of things, it has some good things going for it, the interesting and tangible artsy vibe, the younger crowds, and the [apparently] awesome Frolic room. “Bang for the buck”-wise, the Motif Seattle is a good choice and a good value (via either cash or points) when staying downtown in the Emerald City.
On that note, I would easily recommend Motif Seattle for singles looking for downtown nightlife, couples on a weekend getaway, and tourists on a budget.
Final Rating: 7 out of 10
