Visit Seattle - Red Lion Hotel Seattle Airport

Click on all photos to enlarge.  Thank you to the Red Lion Hotel Seattle Airport for hosting our stay and parking. All meals and gratuities were paid on our own.

Whenever our family travels and I'm in search of a hotel, I look for one that offers value, an ideal location, a variety of amenities, and of course, has great online reviews, and after doing a lot of research for our trip to Seattle, the Red Lion Hotel Seattle Airport fit all of that criteria.

Located right across the street from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, I selected the Red Lion Hotel Seattle Airport because it was offering a great rate* of $119/night for a standard 2 queen bed room, including breakfast buffet, and it was centrally located amongst all of the attractions we planned to visit.

Upon arrival shortly after midnight, we were warmly greeted upon check-in, given our room keys, and also given some bottled water due to being a Red Lion Hotels R&R Club Member.

One of the things I immediately noticed while getting checked-in was the Staff Favorites board, which I think is such a great idea!

Heading towards the elevators to get to our rooms, I also noticed how inviting the lobby looked, which was given a face lift earlier this year.

Room
Upon entering our connecting 2 queen bed rooms, I thought they were clean, quite spacious, and nicely decorated.  One room was a little bigger than the other - the only major differences were that the chair in the bigger room also had an ottoman, and there was also a little counter near the bathroom we used as a "charging station" since there were numerous outlets there. 

The queen beds were very comfy, the pillows were plentiful, and the microwave and mini fridge came in very handy for whenever we had leftovers from dining out.

Just about everything in the room - the TV, the bedding, the shower, the large desk space, the biodegradable amenities - was great, and the only suggestion I'd have would be to replace the chairs, as the chairs in both rooms looked a little stained and dated.

Although we could sometimes hear clock alarms or the shower from other rooms, fortunately my kids were never awakened by the noise, but if you're a light sleeper like I am - don't forget your earplugs!

Despite any noise that may have awakened me during the night, it was always worth it to wake up to beautiful views like this right outside our window.

Dining

Right next door to the hotel is Gregory's Bar & Grill, the hotel's restaurant, which offers Red Lion's famous Roaring Start Breakfast Buffet for just $7.95 per adult (children 10 and under eat free with each adult).  The buffet's selections include sausage, bacon, potatoes, eggs, fresh fruit, waffles, bagels, toast, cereals, yogurt, and assorted drinks. A breakfast menu is also available for those who do not opt for the buffet.

Service was always prompt and friendly, and the price is just fantastic! 

There are also numerous other restaurants located within walking distance, or just a short drive away.

Other Services & Amenities

• 24-hour complimentary shuttle service to/from the airport
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Laundry Room
• Fitness Center
• Business Center (very convenient for printing out boarding passes)
• Terry cloth robe available for use (perfect for the chilly nights and mornings)
• Cafe2Go (for those needing to grab a quick drink or bite)
• Parking available for $10 a night (we never had an issue finding a parking space).

For a complete list of amenities, click here.

Final Thoughts
Overall our stay was wonderful!

Excellent service from check-in to check-out from ALL employees we encountered, clean and comfortable rooms, a variety of amenities, and a great location are just a few of the reasons why I highly recommend the Red Lion Hotel Seattle Airport to anyone visiting the area.

This is the second Red Lion Hotel location I've stayed at, and after this visit my trust in the brand continues to grow.

Below are more photos from our stay. Enjoy!

*Note: I originally booked a room at $119/night, breakfast included; our room and parking charges were subsequently covered by the hotel; breakfast buffet and gratuities were paid on our own.

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WW: Blue Hawaii

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Duke's Waikiki

Our family dined at Duke's Waikiki for the first time last month.

Keiki Cheese Pizza

Lunch Buffet

Mac Nut Chicken Katsu

Grilled Turkey, Bacon, and Avocado Sandwich

Kimo's Original Hula Pie

The food was really good, and of course the Hula Pie was a great way to end the meal.

The service was excellent.  When ordering the kids' meals, I originally ordered a Keiki Teriyaki Chicken plate for my 2-year old, but the server suggested that since the buffet has Teriyaki Chicken and it's free for 2-year olds, he may as well just eat from the buffet!

And throughout our entire meal he was very efficient and friendly.

He was one of the best servers we had anywhere!

I can't believe we waited so long to finally try Duke's, but it's now one of my favorite restaurants in Waikiki!

Duke's Waikiki
2335 Kalakaua Ave #116
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-2268

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f'real milkshakes

There has been a lot of talk about f'real milkshakes.  For a while, I didn't bother to investigate what all the hype was about.  But the other day I was craving something sweet, and since we were on the road, I figured we'd give it a try.

f'real is made out of real ice cream and milk, therefore it's very high in calories and fat.  It was delicious, but it'll bust your waistline and wallet.  It is available at select 7-Eleven locations for $3.99 plus tax.

f'real comes in many flavors.  The hardest part of the process is deciding on which one to try, because they all sound good.  

As a big fan of Reese's, I could not pass up the peanut butter cup milkshake since it's made with Reese's.

After you select your shake, tear off the foil on top and then place in the machine and follow the directions on the touch screen.  Then watch as your cup is lifted into the machine for mixing.

Here's the finished product.

For best results, do not read the nutrition facts on the back.  It will only depress you.  It's full of calories, fat (saturated), and sugar.   

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Visit Seattle - Seattle Aquarium

Click on all photos to enlarge.  Disclosure: Our family received complimentary admission in conjunction with the Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour Combo Package.  

Our family loves going to aquariums, so we knew that a visit to the Seattle Aquarium, the 9th largest aquarium in the US by attendance, was a must during our recent trip to Seattle.

Highlights of Our Visit

Immediately upon entering we came upon the Window on Washington Waters exhibit.  This 120,000-gallon tank is filled with hundreds of species of marine life local to the area.  We arrived just in time to see the Diver Show, in which guests could ask questions and learn more about a variety of fish.

Shortly thereafter we went through the Life of a Drifter exhibits, where we saw some of our favorite animals. 

We all loved the Ring of Life crystal ring full of graceful moon jellies, and we all were in awe of the Giant Pacific Octopus - the biggest octopus we've ever seen at an aquarium.

There were so many other great exhibits, and one of the neatest was the Underwater Dome, which offered a 360 degree view of a 400,000-gallon tank with even more incredible marine life.

Other highlights included touching star sea stars in the Touch Pool (which all my kids loved), seeing a variety of birds, getting an up-close look at unusual creatures (the Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker below was one of my favorite exhibits), and seeing a lot of salmon.

 

Scattered throughout the aquarium are several fun photo ops and interactive educational exhibits which my kids found quite entertaining.

 

Our Experience Visiting with a Special-Needs Child
My oldest son has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and although I know kids on the spectrum all behave and react differently in various environments, I always try to share our personal experience when visiting attractions.

Since my son has been to aquariums before, he knew what to expect when we got there.

Because we arrived shortly after the aquarium opened, I anticipated there would be a lot of kids visiting on field trips, and I was right.  Because of this, my son constantly wanted to follow the other children, and had a hard time focusing on the exhibits.  

Fortunately, I was able to help him re-focus by pointing out the variety of animals and encouraging him to interact with the exhibits.

Anytime he saw a screen - whether it was a video display or interactive screen, he became very excited, so we allowed him lots of time in these areas.

There is plenty of seating throughout the aquarium if we needed a break, but fortunately my son did not get very anxious, even though the aquarium was quite crowded.

He had a very nice time at the aquarium seeing all the different animals, and especially touching the sea stars in the touch pool.

Final Thoughts
Although the Seattle Aquarium is small, there are so many intriguing and educational exhibits, and their continuous conservation and research efforts are impressive (you can read more about their conservation efforts here).

Although admission seems a bit pricey, by getting your hand stamped, you can re-enter the same day - great if you want to grab some lunch on the waterfront or simply walk around and see the sights and return later (we spent 1 1/2 hours there, and had we not had other plans the rest of the day we definitely would've returned).

Ultimately, the fees help the Seattle Aquarium in achieving its various goals and objectives, one of which is to "Energize each visitor's experience with the power and impact of the Aquarium's marine animals in all their natural awe and magic," and I personally believe that objective was achieved during our visit.

It's impossible to not be amazed by all that is on exhibit.  From the intriguing seahorses and playful otters, to the colorful corals and beautiful harbor seals - there is something special to see at every turn.

Below are more photos from our visit.  Enjoy!



Seattle Aquarium: 1483 Alaskan Way Seattle, WA 98101; (206) 386-4300

Open daily 9:30am-5pm, with some exceptions.

For admission prices, including the Seattle Aquarium + Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour Cruise Combo package, click here.

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Tiki's Grill & Bar

It's been a while since I've been to Tiki's Grill & Bar, and our family recently dined there for lunch.

Keiki Grilled Cheese Sandwich

da Kine Club Sandwich

Tiki's Mixed Plate - Panko Crusted Island Fish, Kalbi Rib Eye, Furikake Chicken Katsu, Kim Chee, Mac Salad, and Rice

Keiki Chicken Strips

Maui Gold Pineapple Cheesecake

Keiki Sundae (the kids wanted the haupia cake instead, but we were told they no longer serve the cake).

The food was very good and the prices and portions were very reasonable considering the location.

The views were great, and despite a few miscommunication issues - our server seemed to be new, as he was often asking others to get answers to our questions - he was very nice and efficient, and he was very friendly to my kids.

Our family had a great lunch at Tiki's!

Tiki's Grill & Bar
2570 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 923-8454

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Visit Seattle - Space Needle

Click on all photos to enlarge.  Disclosure: Our family received complimentary admission.

When most people think of Seattle attractions, the Space Needle immediately comes to mind, so we knew our visit to Seattle would not be complete without taking in the views from the Space Needle Observation Deck.

Highlights of Our Visit
We arrived at the Space Needle just after sunset (we wanted to see the views while there was still some sunlight out, as well as when the city lights went on).

Although we had VIP tickets, which offers expedited entry, a VIP lanyard and an exclusive 360 experience map, we were ushered into the regular "general boarding line" due to a special event that was taking place, but fortunately, the general boarding line was very short, and the wait to get in the elevator was less than 5 minutes.

According to the elevator attendant, we were in a "slow" elevator, which took a mere 82 seconds to reach the Observation Deck, and once we arrived we took in the magnificent views.

Since it was cloudy and a bit foggy, we couldn't see Mt. Rainier or other points of interest that were at a really far-off distance, but we still had beautiful views of Elliott Bay, Downtown Seattle, the Seattle Great Wheel, and more.

All around the Observation Deck there are numerous complimentary telescopes allowing visitors to get a closer look at all the sights around them.

As it got darker and darker, the city lights began to glow, and the views were even more beautiful.

The views were simply stunning! 

Our Experience Visiting with a Special-Needs Child

My oldest son has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and although I know kids on the spectrum all behave and react differently in various environments, I always try to share our personal experience when visiting attractions.

Prior to visiting, whenever we passed the Space Needle we always pointed it out and talked about how we'd take an elevator to the Observation Deck.

Fortunately, once there we did not have to wait in very long lines to go up to the Observation Deck.  No one likes to wait in long lines, but for a child on the spectrum - many of whom, like my son, don't understand the concept of patience - a wait of just a few minutes can become very, very challenging.  In those cases I would highly suggest getting a VIP ticket, which allows for expedited entry, especially if you're going on a busy day and can already see a long line of people waiting.

Since my son loves elevators, he was eager to ride up to the Observation Deck, and once inside my son was immediately drawn to the SkyQ Kiosk, where he could've spent hours exploring the regional map (he's obsessed with maps).

When we got to the outside Observation Deck, he kept wanting to look through the telescopes (love that they are complimentary to use!).

Because it was quite crowded due to a special event, and also because it started to drizzle (he has sensory issues with rain), he started to get very anxious.  Fortunately, we could easily take cover indoors, and there was plenty of seating both on the inside and outside Observation Decks for whenever breaks were needed.

Overall my son did great, and although he commented how nice the views were, what he enjoyed the most were the elevator rides up and down, the SkyQ Kiosk, and the numerous telescopes he could look out of!

Final Thoughts
Our family had a wonderful visit and walked the outdoor Observation Deck multiple times. Even though it can be a bit unnerving for some to be up 520 feet in the open air, the views are absolutely gorgeous.

It's no wonder that the Space Needle is the #1 tourist attraction in the Northwest, attracting more than 1.2 million visitors annually.

If you're in the Seattle area, I think a trip to the Observation Deck at least once is a must. Some may think a ticket is pricey, but how can you not make a trip to the Observation Deck of this Seattle icon?

Space Needle: 400 Broad St  Seattle, WA 98109; (206) 905-2100

For information on ticket prices click here; for hours click here.

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