Springtime at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square and City Pass Specials

Seattle is a city of many neighborhoods: Pioneer Square, International District, Urban Downtown, the picturesque waterfront, and Seattle Center. All are walkable and easily can be reached by metro or riding on the Seattle Monorail.

The city is also known for some great companies and brands – Nordstrom, Starbucks, Costco, Amazon, REI, Brooks Running shoes, Microsoft and Boeing.

Staying two nights at the Embassy Suites Seattle Downtown Hotel, we met the newest room service attendant, Milton. He stands near the reservation desk and elevators helping guests when needed. His specialty is delivering welcome amenities and room service requests. This adorable butler robot is an oversize ice bucket on wheels, delivering bottled water, wine, soda and snacks to guest rooms. Guests make requests and orders via their room’s Alexa virtual assistant; and when Milton is loaded and ready to roll, he notifies guests with a phone call when he arrives at the guest’s door. With a push of a button, Milton raises his lid and guests retrieve their items. When his interior is empty, he whistles to complete the transaction and rolls down the hallway to the elevator. No tipping is required with this service.

The hotel is in a perfect location in Pioneer Square, just steps from Lumen Field, where the Seattle Seahawks play and Union Station for easy access to the Space Needle, Chihuly Gardens, Seattle Place and Pike Place.

Staying on the 23rd floor in a luxury Penthouse two bedroom and two bathroom suite offers views of the Seattle skyline, and ferry boats crossing Elliott Bay with snow capped beyond. Elliott Bay is a part of Puget Sound. Seattle was founded on this body of water in the 1850s, and has since grown to encompass the entire area.

Our spacious corner two-bedroom suite had a living area, full kitchen, flat screen televisions in every room and electronic blackout shades. The king-sized beds had plush pillows, soft sheets and a down comforter. There was a large walk-in shower with four shower heads in one bathroom and also a deep soaking spa tub in the other.

Inside the hotel guests receive a complimentary hot and cold breakfast buffet with made to order omelet bar. In the evening guests gather at the complimentary cocktail hour for a beer, glass of wine or cocktail and snacks. Other dining venues at the hotel include the ground floor 13 Coins restaurant, a local favorite since 1967. Inside there are high backed booths, swiveling captain’s chairs and an exhibition kitchen for diners to watch the chefs prepare their meal. The Zephyr Bar off the lobby area is another popular cocktail meet up spot before watching a game at the nearby studium.

Before exploring many of Seattle’s neighborhood, purchase a Seattle CityPASS. You will get to experience five of Seattle’s top attractions for one price. Visit the Space Needle and Seattle Aquarium, plus three other Seattle experiences such as a Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, touring the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit or Woodland Park Zoo. The Seattle CityPASS price is $115 per adult and $87 per child. To purchase each of the above tickets individually, the cost would be $206.14 for adults and $138.20 for children. That is a 44% discount with the CityPASS. Reservations are required for the attractions, and you can make and modify reservations at the attraction.

One of the most iconic Seattle landmarks was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. This 605-foot-tall Space Needle quickly became a favorite attraction in the city. Ride up the 43-second elevator for birds eye views of Elliott Bay, the Cascade Mountains, and even Mount Rainier. There is a café at the top and a gift shop at the bottom level.

Just a few steps away is the one-of-a-kind Chihuly Glass and Gardens. Visitors learn a little about the talented artist Dale Chihuly and his team creating the most exquisite free blown, sculpture fine art glass. Tour various galleries, gardens and a spectacular glasshouse with a a vibrant 100-foot-long sculpture in hues of red, orange, and yellow suspended from the ceiling. Experience his colors, inventiveness and grand scale of glass art. Be sure to see the visually stunning Float Boats for their stunning shapes and colors. Visit his Sealife room to witness the most beautiful underwater glass garden, a the exhibit room filled with multi-colored uniquely shaped bowls.

One of the most educational venues to visit is the Museum of Pop Culture. Designed by famous architect Frank Gehry, this family-fun interactive museum is founded and funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Opened in 2000, the exhibits celebrate Seattle’s music and cultural innovations.

Down by the waterfront, use your Seattle CityPASS to explore the Seattle’s Aquarium. They have a fascinating jellyfish arch and wonderful sea otter exhibit. They also allow visitors to touch live sea creatures in tide pools.

Nearby is another CityPASS attraction, a one-hour harbor cruise along Seattle’s picturesque harbor offering views of the skyline, Public Market, and historic landmarks. Sit inside or out on the open outdoor decks on the Spirit of Seattle. There is a snack bar serving items to eat and drink.

Go for a spin on the Seattle Great Wheel with 42 attached gondolas offering optimal views of Seattle city, nearby  islands and snow capped mountains in the distance. The 15 minute ride on the 175-foot tall ferris wheel was installed at Pier 57 years ago, and touted the tallest fully enclosed ferris wheel along the West Coast.

One of the most popular Seattle historic sites is the lively Pike Place Market founded in 1907. This is where locals and visitors watch fish mongers send whole fish flying at the seafood stalls. One of the most unique Seattle attractions is the brick chewing gum wall. Known as the Market Theater Gum Wall it’s located on Post Alley near Pike Street, where thousands of sticky and hard gum marks decorate the alleyway.

Pike Place Market is also the location of the first Starbucks Coffee Cafe featuring its original siren logo, and the first location of the kitchenware store, Sur La Table on Pine Street.

Seattle offers a variety of excellent dining opportunities. One of the best times to explore their culinary scene is during Seattle Restaurant Week, a bi-annual prix-fixe dining promotion offering diners a unique chance to heighten your senses. Conversation Kitchen & Bar is a local and visitor favorite located in the Thompson Hotel. Executive Chef Kaleena Bliss was recently crowned Food Network champion of “Chopped: Casino Royale” tournament. Her menu at Conversation is focused on fresh local produce, farm-raised proteins, and the best ingredients from the Pacific Northwest.

To learn more about Seattle, go to visitseattle.org