Are you familiar with downtown Seattle? My 13 year-old son and I are going there for 5 nights in late August. What do you think is the coolest downtown hotel? We are looking at Hotel 100 and The W but can't decide. We are open to all suggestions as well as any other hints you may have - Carole

I'm not sure what the "coolest" hotel in Seattle is, but I do know I've always wanted to stay at The Inn At The Market ever since my mother, who is also a flight attendant, told me about the place after having stayed there a few years ago. When I asked her if she thought it might be a nice hotel for a mother-son team, she said, "Well....the rooms are a little old lady-ish, but nice and clean."

Old lady-ish? That doesn't sound good. And something tells me this is not what a thirteen year-old boy has in mind when he's on summer vacation. So I asked my mother to elaborate.

"I think the thing that may have made it seem old lady-ish was the flowered comforter," she said.

That's easy enough to fix. Just pull it off the bed and throw it on the floor! (Trust me, you don't want to use that thing anyway.)

My mother also had this to say, "The view out the window of the Puget Sound was incredible. From the hotel we could look right down on the market. I literally stepped out the door, turned to the right, and within a few steps I was at Pike's Market (pictured below). The hotel has an outside patio area where you can sit and watch the sun go down at dusk. Off in the distance you can see the ferry lights. It's beautiful. "

I don't know about you, Carole, but location, for me, is everything, regardless of a floral comforter! And I can't think of a better place to be in Seattle than right next to Pike's Market. Yeah, it's touristy, but so what! I love that place. All flight attendants do. It's always a big part of our layover routine.

If you're determined to keep it cool, a few people I know suggested these hotels:

Hotel Max & Hotel 100: "Both are hip and cool," said Shannon

Sheraton : "For best location, rooftop pool, and Chihuly glass throughout," said Scott Laird. (I can second that!)

Hotel Andra: "It's quite nice - and Lola (one of Tom Douglass' restaurants) is on the 1st floor. Mmmm!" said Geraldine

The Edgewater: "It's right on Puget Sound, amazing views, walk to aquarium and Pike's Place," said Allison Carter.

As for things to do with your son, take him on the underground tour of downtown Seattle or have the hotel arrange a tour of the Boeing plant. Take the ferry to Bainbridge Island and have lunch. The scenery on the ride over is just breathtaking. Ride the monorail to the Space Needle. Or just walk around. There are so many things to do and see. A pilot on my last trip went hiking. I'm not sure where, exactly, but I bet the hotel can direct you if you're interested. There's a little red trolley you can hop on and off for a quick tour of the city. This might be a good way to familiarize yourself on your first day. Of course you can't leave Seattle without eating clam chowder out of a bread bowl at Anthony's. Again, touristy, but I do it on every single layover!

Check out my other Seattle post about Seattle- it's all about kids, trains, and food!

As well as these other Gadling posts...

10 places to eat in Seattle

Budget Vacations from Seattle: Puget Sound and San Juan Islands

Budget Vacations from Seattle: Bainbridge Island

Filed under: Food and Drink, Hotels and Accommodations, Galley Gossip