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Book Bag
Once upon a time in Greece
A tale of ruins and revelers and Aegean nights -- and the way things fit together in time and space.
By Don George
[10/20/99]

Out of the Blue
Confessions of a onetime ramp rat
Two months as an airport baggage-handler almost cost me my life.
By Elliott Neal Hester
[10/19/99]

Searching for Mr. Watson
Two frat brothers make a healing pilgrimage to a legendary renegade's retreat in the heart of the Everglades.
By Bill Belleville
[10/16/99]

Wanderlust
Love letters in the sand
I was his English teacher, 14 years older. But on the beach in Mazatlan, love is love.
By Susan McKinney de Ortega
[10/15/99]

Travel Advisor
Day of the Dead
I want to participate in Oaxaca's festivities, but am worried about the recent floods. Can I still go? Plus: Our expert's tips on touring Big Ben's private gears and finding a teaching job at sea.
By Donald D. Groff
[10/14/99]

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By Donald D. Groff

Oct. 21, 1999 | For a first-time trip to Seattle, where can we get information on an interesting place to stay, as well as dining advice?

Seattle has many hotels with soothing views of Puget Sound and the surrounding mountain ranges, and on clear days you might even see Mount Rainier if you have a high, southeasterly exposure. You're also within walking distance of Pike Place Market, the waterfront and other downtown attractions.

Among places to consider are:

Ace Hotel, 2423 First Ave., (206) 448-4721, 30 rooms in a new hotel near Pike Place Market.

The Alexis Hotel, 1007 First Ave., (800) 426-7033, 109 rooms tucked into the heart of downtown.

Inn at the Market, 86 Pine St., (800) 446-4484, 70 rooms in a French country inn motif.

Pacific Plaza Hotel, 400 Spring St., (800) 426-1165, 160 rooms in a European-style hotel.

The Warwick Hotel, 401 Lenora St., (800) 426-9280, 229 rooms in the middle of downtown. Expensive.

Many other hotels, grouped by location, can be found through the Seattle-King County Convention & Visitors Bureau, phone (206) 461-5800. You also can find out about discount programs through the Web site.

A clearinghouse for hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts and other accommodation is Pacific Reservation Service, phone (800) 684-2932.

For quick-hit dining advice try the Zagat Survey guide to Seattle and the Seattle Weekly's readers' "best of Seattle" picks for 1999.

I'm looking for a reasonable place to stay in New York in November. Any suggestions?

New York has plenty of hotel rooms, but at this time of year, conventions and the approaching holidays can make it seem like every one of them is booked, at least for business-class rooms, which are in greatest demand. If you wait until the last minute to book, you'll end up paying a premium and may not get your first choice of location. In fact, during November and December, there is not much discounting available even if you book well in advance.

The New York Convention & Visitors Bureau site has a search engine for selecting hotels by price range and location. You can also check with brokers such as Quikbook and Central Reservation Service.

The CVB also promotes a Peak Season Hotel Hotline at (800) 846-7666 designed to help people find lodging during the fall and holiday seasons. When using that line, though, callers should know that it's operated by Hotel Reservations Network, the biggest online hotel broker, which promotes itself as offering rooms at a discount. A story in the August 1999 Consumer Reports Travel Letter reported on a test of several brokers, including HRN, and found that HRN sometimes charged more, not less, than if you called the hotels directly.

However, brokers such as HRN sometimes have blocks of rooms available even after a hotel reports being fully booked, so they can be worth checking even if the price is not discounted. They also can save you the effort of calling many hotels looking for a room. (Always ask whether a broker charges a booking fee or cancellation fees.)

Another holiday twist is that many of the better New York hotels have minimum booking requirements -- at least two days, sometimes more. I monitored this last year and discovered that single-night bookings do become available at the last minute if they haven't managed to fill all their rooms.

Next page | Wisconsin's Apostle Islands, plus inside Big Ben -- top secret details