Agree with all of the positive reviews for the Monaco. It's located in the heart of downtown Seattle and walking distance to Pike Place and other downtown spots. Rooms were very clean and functional and we loved some of the interesting touches. For example you can request a goldfish as a temporary pet and the faux animal terry robes were very comfortable.

The one negative was the parking fee as others have also commented on. I'm not sure if $40/day is the norm in Seattle - it is convenient to have the car valet parked - but something to note. Overall we were very pleased and would consider staying at the Monaco again.

We stayed here in March as we were on a Hockey tour. The Hotel is literally opposite the Arena so was a perfect location for us as we had two matches to go to in the four days we were there. Also it is right next to China Town (which is nothing to write home about) and also it is not to far from all the tourist attractions. The cost was a little high at $217 per night but the hotel, location and amenities were worth it to us. The Hotel's restaurant we only ate once in as food was really expensive, but very good. Another nice touch was the wine receptions every evening, which were free receptions for those staying at the hotel. The bathroom needed updating but was perfectly usable and the min bar has to be seen to be believed. All in all I would recommend this hotel.

I just left the Monaco and would say that this hotel has absolutely everything for the business traveller. Firstly, in all my years of travel, I have never come across such a friendly, welcoming, and inviting staff outside of Asia. That alone makes this hotel stand out from most US hotels. But there is much more to recommend it. The location is good for anyone staying in Seattle for a conference, or with a need to be downtown. The convention center is appx 10 miute walk, but conversely, it is closer to the waterfront and Pikes Place. The room was outstanding. The bed was large and luxurious, Internet (both wired and WIFI) available at no charge to guests and with a very good signal. The desk was adequate size for working and the room itself was not cramped. Paper at your door every morning. Good coffee (but then again, it is Seattle...).

The gym left a bit to be desired, but it was adequate and what was there was new, clean and in great working order,and it was available 24 hours. And they did have a reciprocal agreement with a full health club nearby.

The hotel has a bit of a funky vibe (complete with faux leopard-skin robes in the closet), but not so much as to turn off even the most conservative business traveller.

In summary, I would recommend the hotel to anyone heading into downtown Seattle for any reason.

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Monaco for a Saturday night prior to leaving on an Alaska Cruise from the Port of Seattle. We had a Monaco King Room, and they have a program where you can adopt a goldfish for your stay. Our adoptive goldfish was named Belle. Belle was a charmer, very interactive for a fish, and we really missed her upon leaving. Check-In was fast and friendly, and after we had dropped off our bags we went back down and asked some directions from the front desk staff. They were very kind and gave us maps, suggestions, and directions to our specific query. The one little blip in our arrival was that we are Kimpton members and the specific little preferences that were supposed to be on tap for our room, were not in place. However, they later made up for it with a nice little fruit basket and mineral water.

It is a beautifully done, elegant, smaller hotel, and I loved the reproduction Minoan frescoes, a la Knossos, in the reception area. There is definitely a ‘personal touch’ to the Hotel Monaco Seattle. The hotel is placed well, and we were able to walk to some nice downtown shopping areas and to the Pike Place Market, albeit nearly everything was closed by the time we made it down there.

One negative, and it had nothing to do with the Hotel, were the swarms of homeless that approached one asking you to buy a 'paper'. Apparently Seattle deals with its homeless in a very humane manner and gives them identity badges and allows them to sell these newspapers. A unique approach to the problem, but it does get bothersome the fortieth time one is asked to 'buy a paper'. That and the rather seedy looking fellows lounging in a doorway, as we were getting near Pike Market, who were coveting my hub's camera - Seattle is beautiful architecturally so he was taking snaps like mad. However, I gave them my meanest - i.e. if looks could maim, ex-NYCer, ex-Chi-towner, ex-Miami, current LA Hollywood denizen glare and they backed off right quick. So, try not to look like a tourist in downtown Seattle, unless you are ready to thrash someone to a pulp if they try to jump you. Frankly, from my point of view, try not to look like a tourist anywhere!

So, other than those two little blips, Seattle was fab, and the Hotel Monaco was AbFab! We had a nice large room, it was oddly shaped, but I do like things like that, and a huge window with a view up toward what I suppose are the hills. If one were of a voyeuristic bent, you could watch the life going on around one down on the street, and across the way in the residential buildings. The bathroom was large and spotless, with nice soft towels and L'Occitane products. There were some free sundries, and also a list of other sundries available for nominal prices. In the mini-bar were lots of choices, and these cute little stuffed goldfish that one can purchase. Yes, I got one and named her Belle, Too. In the closet were robes, camies and boxers in assorted sizes, and an umbrella that one could purchase, on the honour system. All in all, the items in the closet were a little on the pricey side - so I did not partake of any, but we got a good price on our room from my hubs corporate travel agency, so we ended up paying less by almost a c-note that we would have paid if we booked the room ourselves. The normal price of the room was comparable for others of the same class in the same area, but I liked the Monaco better because of the ambiance, the 'Green' feel, and of course, BELLE!

Oh, and the bed, and pillows, were EVER so comfortable. I might even consider buying one from the Kimpton website sometime in the future. I had a wonderful sleep. The decor was nice and bright, but it had a modern classical empire sort of vibe, as well. There was free wifi, a definite plus, and I got to see other guests walking their pets, which always makes me happy. Although, it did make me miss my kitties. Also, there is a little shop on the main floor for sodas, emergency things if you need them, and they have souvenirs, too. There is an exercise room downstairs, but I didn’t have time to use it. Although, it did look nice and clean.

The next morning my hub's niece, who lives in Seattle, met us for breakfast at the hotel restaurant, Sazerac. The food was very tasty, mid-priced, and the staff very attentive. When I asked if the breakfast potatoes had onions in them - I am allergic to onions - they went to check, and then later when I didn't get the turkey sausage I ordered and I enquired about it, they said they had substituted it with ham because the turkey sausage had onion in it - ham had been my second choice. The waitress had remembered, and YES, she got quite a good tip for her attention to detail. Our niece, who had never been to the hotel before, told us that she would be coming back to Sazerac with her friends. The decor of Sazerac was lovely with all these wonderful free form glass fixtures, for which Seattle is famous, on the ceiling.

The only possible cons about our hotel experience would be that the three elevators could be a little slow, and that there are only ice machines on a few floors, and of those two were broken. None of these problems were deal-breakers. When we visit Seattle again, and we will be going back, we will be staying at the Monaco again if they are available. It will be our first choice. Next time, I will ask if they have any rooms that one can see DOWN the hill from. I'd like a harbour view the next time. However, I did love the hill view, with all the lights glowing in the night. We LOVED our stay at the Monaco because of the ambiance, the people, the 'Green' feel, and of course, BELLE! We will be back, sometime in the near future, if at all possible