I was in Seattle for business and needed a hotel for 2 nights. I am 2 nights short of the 50 nights needed for Marriott Gold status so I decided to pick a Marriott chain for these 2 nights. I wanted to stay close to where my work was and there are several hotel options to choose from, some of which I have stayed before at. I decided this time to stay at the Residence inn to see how it compared.
I got there at about 9pm, and I was the only person in the Lobby. Check in was efficient and I was given a bottle of water and package of Milano Cookies for being a Gold Member. 
I looked online and they had some of their larger units available so I asked about an upgrade but was denied. When I am on business I just let it go and only bring out the guns when its on leisure with my family and we need the extra room. I drove my car around to building 4 where I would be on the 1st floor. Of course it was raining in Seattle so I had to hurry to get out of the rain.
I had a 1 King Studio which was decently furnished. You walk into the living area which had a queen size sofa sleeper. The kitchen was on the right and bed straight ahead. The bed also had charging stations in the lamps which is greatly appreciated.
There was a small desk next to the front door. I like to be able to turn the TV and watch some news when I am at a desk, so I did not use it.
There was also a fireplace. However it was not gas and you had to buy specific logs from the front desk.
This is an extended stay type hotel and they had a nice kitchen. There was actually adequate pots and pans and table settings. While the kitchen wasn’t large, it had a regular size oven and electric stove, dishwasher, and a good sized fridge. This would be very beneficial if having to provide ones own meals or having a lot of leftovers.
The bathroom was around the corner from the bed. It was nothing special, but it was clean. I just replaced the caulk in my personal bathroom and this caulk was just as clean as what I just put in mine. There was only 1 sink, but had plenty of counter space.
They also provide a hot breakfast that’s included each morning. It was good enough for a few days. I could see this getting redundant after a few days. They always had eggs and some type of breakfast meat, cereal, yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, breads/danishes, waffle station, hard boiled eggs, and some drinks. I did appreciate that they had a lot of items to put into the oatmeal, as that is one of my favorite things in the morning. The bad part of Residence Inns is you have to walk outside to get to the lobby. It was cold and rainy each morning… I would prefer just to wake up, put on some shorts and a t-shirt and walk down the hall to get breakfast.
The breakfast lounge shared area with the front desk as well. They also had to go coffee’s ready each morning.
The most disappointing aspect was the weight or exercise room. I have ran 2 half marathons in the past month. Working from 7-5 or so, I don’t really like running in new areas in the dark, and was really looking forward to using some weights. Unfortunately this room was horrible. I guess when they say a weight room, that’s because they literally only have 1 weight.
Overall this is a decent option if needing an extended stay. It was clean, and easy to get to. Since i didn’t use the kitchen at all, I probably would not stay here again though. There are several other options in the same area that I would go to first next time like the Embassy Suites.
TrupTravels 