Review: Renaissance Seattle Hotel

While visiting some friends in Seattle, I wanted to stay at a hotel convenient to downtown attractions and transportation options. Although I’ve stayed at the Renaissance Seattle hotel before, this time I had a lot more downtime to thoroughly explore the property and its amenities. My previous stay also left a bad taste in my mouth with a few housekeeping issues, but I thought I’d give the property another shot.

Price-wise, the Renaissance Seattle was quite reasonable compared to Marriott properties in the Seattle Area. A personal necessity is the inclusion of breakfast or lounge access on-property, a benefit of Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite Status. Although some hotels close lounge access on weekends, I was happy to know that this property keeps their lounge open during the day, but not 24/7.

Read on for a comprehensive account of my stay and everything you need to know about the Renaissance Seattle hotel.

Booking & Check-in

Booking with the AAA/CAA rate, the cash rate for a Guest room, 1 King came to $169 USD for the Friday night I stayed. Compared to other Marriott properties (even the Courtyard) in Seattle’s downtown core, this property always seemed to have the lowest price in the area with a decent review rating. The price seemed to lower by a few dollars about a week before my stay.

If you were to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for a night at this property, the same room would cost around 41,000-60,000 points, which is a bit much relative to how much you’d pay with cash, in my opinion.

There was a small line for the check-in area before the friendly check-in agent greeted me. There were more than a few areas to sit down in case you had to wait with a larger party. Immediately given a water bottle, the check-in agent thanked me for being a Titanium Elite member and informed me that my room was upgraded to one with a City View on a higher floor.

He also mentioned that the complimentary elite breakfast was provided in the hotel restaurant on weekends instead of in the Club Lounge, and provided me with a complimentary elite breakfast voucher. I was given the option to choose between 1,000 bonus points or a $10 credit towards food and beverages as part of my elite status welcome gift.

Location

The Renaissance Seattle is within a 10-minute driving distance of most tourist hotspots, including Pike’s Place Market and the Piers. If you prefer walking, it’s about 15-20 minutes to most attractions. 

Some notable attractions in the immediate area include the Seattle Public Library with its stunning architecture and the Sky View Observatory with spectacular views of Seattle from the 73rd floor, both are within a few blocks. You can also get around using publicly shared e-scooter services which are often parked in front of the lobby.

The drive time from the airport can be as little as 20 minutes. However, depending on the time of day and traffic conditions, it can take as long as 30 minutes to an hour instead.  The hotel is also situated right next to the on and off-ramps for Interstate I-5 but be aware of Seattle’s one-way streets which can make you drive around in circles. The drop-off/pick-up and valet area is on a one-way street going in the Northwest direction only. 

Public transit is also accessible to the hotel, an 8-10 min walk from University Street Link light rail station (not to be confused with U District or University of Washington stations). The station is about a 40-minute ride from Seatte-Tacoma airport. Just be mindful of your surroundings because the block around the station can get a little dicey at times, especially at night.

If you’re flying out of SeaTac, be sure to check out the Seattle American Express Centurion Lounge before your flight. If you’re arriving on Amtrak or an intercity bus, you can take a local King County Metro Bus or Link light rail a couple of stops on either method from International District-Chinatown station.

Parking

On-site and Valet parking are both available. Self-parking is rated at $16 per hour and $50 daily. The entrance for the parking lot is located on the one-way portion of Madison Street heading southwest, a couple of turns away from exit 164A, Madison Street on I-5 North. Even for rideshare and taxi services, it was difficult for drop-off and pick-up because of the one-way street systems around the hotel.

Valet parking (in green) is listed at $63 per day. There is no drive-thru area for the property so those who want to use the valet parking service must meet staff on 6th Avenue in front of the main entrance of the hotel.

Room – Guest Room, 1 King, City View

I was assigned a room on the 25th floor where I was greeted by a TV playing various Renaissance marketing videos.

Entering the room, you’re immediately greeted by the bathroom and closet. The closet had a safe, a standard iron and board, and a Renaissance-branded bathrobe.

Directly adjacent was the coffee/tea bar and mini fridge. The mini-fridge was stocked with two water bottles already in the fridge, with Fiji water bottles available for purchase.

Teavana products were provided for tea with the standard coffee maker and coffee grounds, no fancier Nespresso or Keurig machine was provided.

The bathroom was clean and modern. The toilet paper in the bathroom was stamped with the signature Renaissance ‘R’. Like most other Marriott properties, the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles are in bulk squeeze containers.

There were also a few single-use products such as mouthwash, a hair net, and a small bottle of moisturizer.

The bedding was adequate. Everything about the room was pretty standard across the board.

Instead of a book with a list of amenities and property details, there was an acrylic block with a QR code for you to scan to check out details and room service. Although this is becoming the trend amongst hotels nowadays, it would’ve been nicer with a physical book listing things to do in the hotel and surrounding area.

There was a long desk next to the window with the television as well as plenty of counter space to get work done.

The views from my room faced the Northeast, with Interstate 5 traffic zooming at the bottom.

Restaurants & Bars

The Fig & The Judge – Marriott Platinum Elite Complimentary Breakfast

Located on the 2nd floor, The Fig & The Judge is the Renaissance’s only full-service restaurant. On weekend and holiday mornings, the complimentary breakfast benefit for Marriott Platinum Elite status members and higher is served in the restaurant instead of the Club Lounge on the top floor. Both breakfast locations offer a buffet breakfast. 

The operating hours for the restaurant are consistent throughout the week, opening at 6:30 AM and closing at 1:30 AM every day, with a closure between 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM on weekdays and a closure between 11:00 AM and 11:30 AM on weekends.

I went down for breakfast around 7:30 AM on a Sunday, which I thought would be relatively quiet. The restaurant seemed quite busy with many guests occupying most of the seats beside the windows. I was greeted by what seemed to be the only server working at that moment. Presenting my breakfast voucher, I was whisked to a table near the middle of the restaurant.

The breakfast buffet selection was diverse with different kinds of protein, bread, and pastries. As a person with multiple food allergies, the food selection was valuable to my experience, giving me plenty of options.

They also had alternative creamers for coffee such as oat milk in case you have any intolerances. There was also an espresso machine behind the front counter to which you could order to-go and espresso beverages from the serving staff.

The decor inside the restaurant was homey and inviting, with random props lining the shelves. Despite how busy the restaurant was, the wait staff were still very professional and tended to any needs I had.

The 515 Coffee Bar, Bar & Lounge

This coffee bar and drinking lounge was tucked away from the main area but it seemed like a relaxing place to hang out.

The hours for the cafe portion are from 6:00 AM to 10:30 AM on weekdays or 11:30 AM on weekends before transitioning to a bar, open between 1:30 PM and 12:00 AM midnight every day. You can use your $10 food and beverage credit here if you did not choose points as part of your elite welcome gift.

Facilities

Club Lounge

The Club Lounge is one of the defining features of this property, with north to west views of the Seattle Skyline from the 28th floor. The night I stayed was between Friday and Saturday, which unfortunately did not have any services. 

Nevertheless, it was a spacious quiet place on a Friday night with a small selection of snacks and drinks, perfect for getting some work done. I was happy that the hotel provided lounge access on Friday nights and weekends, a growing trend among premium properties.

I came back to the lounge in the morning to see Seattle in the daylight. Although the views of Elliott Bay and the Seattle Piers were blocked by other buildings, it was nice to see the Seattle Space Needle peeking through the skyline.

The lounge closes daily at 11:00 PM with the following food service hours:

Monday-Friday:

• Continental Breakfast from 6:30 AM-9:30 AM
• Breakfast served in The Fig & The Judge on weekends from 6:30 AM-11:00 AM

Sunday-Thursday:

• Hors d’oeuvres 5:30 PM-7:30 PM
• Dessert 7:30 PM-9:30 PM
• Cocktail Lounge 5 PM-10 PM

Like most other club lounges, complimentary non-alcoholic cold beverages and some fruits and snacks were available for grabs.

Needless to say, the Club Lounge was a great place to stop by for a few snacks and a beverage while getting some work done.

Fitness Center

During my stay, the Fitness Center always seemed to be busy at all times of the day.

Open 24/7, the fitness center has what most standard properties have for gym equipment, plus two Peloton bikes.

Unfortunately, this property does not have a pool or a spa on the premises.

Lobby & Main Floor

The Renaissance’s lobby features a few other facilities that travelers can take advantage of. If you do not have access to the Club Lounge, the main floor has a quiet media room where visitors can relax instead, featuring a few tables and a fireplace to lounge around.

Although not as exclusive as the lounge, this corner still provides a nice little nook to get some work done. There were some ‘reserved’ markers on the table although they didn’t seem to move the entire night I stayed. Adjacent to the Media Room is the workstation area, with three computers and a couple of printers. Both areas are away from the hustle and bustle of the hotel’s traffic flow.

Conclusion

The Renaissance Seattle is a property that I would stay at again because of its convenience to local attractions, elite status benefits, and easy access to transportation options. Although the room was pretty average for a King room, the service, views, and breakfast made up for the value of the stay. If you’re looking for a pool and a spa, unfortunately, this property does not have those as amenities. 

Overall, I’d say for its value, the Renaissance Seattle is a pleasant property to spend a night at and I would be happy to stay again.