Hotel Max

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Issaquah, WA

9/15/2009

3 Strikes and You're Out!

I decided to get a place here due to recommendation of friends and moderate reviews on Yelp.

Overall, the staff was courteous but the standards/organization of the company as a whole is laughable.

Strike 1 - I arrive at the hotel to check in at 7PM. I receive my keys and proceed to the room. I open the door and the blankets were askew, food on the desk and half filled cups of water on the dresser. I open the bathroom and wet towels cover the ground.

Strike 2 - I go back downstairs to notify them of the situation. I get a new room and same thing!

Strike 3 - I go back downstairs again, to request a new room again. This time the room is "serviced". However I have a letter addressed to someone else on the dresser. Odd. The comforter is stained. I open the windows and now my fingers are covered in black soot. Being that it is almost an hour of dealing with switching rooms I decided to give up and call it a night... a premature night as the alarm clock was preset!

3 strikes is too much when all I want is a clean room and a bed to sleep in.

Sadly, i've been to Motel 6's with better standards.

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Comment from Jonathon S. of Hotel Max 11/6/2009

Hello, Tony. I really appreciate your feedback; please… More »

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elaine l.

Hillsboro, OR

9/22/2009

We went to a wedding in Seattle and opted to stay the night. Hotel prices were a bit of sticker shock for us laid-back Hillsborians. Rooms at the wedding site were a hefty $400 a night. Ouch. For under a hundred bucks we could have grabbed a room near SEA TAC, but then would have had the inconvenience of a drive after the party, not to mention the staleness of a generic room. With a little searching (and the help of Yelp) we found a place in the middle: Hotel Max.

It is actually a delightful little place. Little being a key word; it's not for those of stout stature. Smallish rooms, little elevators, and even littler showers, but comfortable with plenty of amenities to compensate.

It's not far from the sites of Seattle, very friendly with a "we aim to please" atmosphere, hip, artsy, and attached to a restaurant that, although not five-star, is good.

But my absolute favorite thing: they have a pillow menu! How cool is that? You can order up the firmness you want or get a U-neck, body, or a reading pillow. Maybe the option isn't new, I don't stay out much, but it was a first for me. From one who always packs her own, this just tickled me.

If you make a reservation, ask for packages they offer. We got free valet parking and $20 towards breakfast included with our room.

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amelia A.

Seattle, WA

11/4/2009

Booked a room here for cheap online after our hot water heater blew up. On a tuesday night, they were far from full, but still gave us a totally crappy room- teeny bed, tiny bathroom, right by the elevator. Service was disorganized, room service breakfast was sub-par, and the decor is looking a little 2005.

Comment from Jonathon S. of Hotel Max 11/6/2009

Thank you for your feedback, Amelia; we value the feedbacks… More »

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stephanie r.

Chicago, IL

9/9/2009

Overall my stay at Hotel Max was just OK. I shared one room with 2 others and it was definately a tight sqeeze, with even less room in the small bathroom.

The local art and funky decor was definately unique, however it was a bit too dark for me, and in my opinion, was not worth the somewhat pricey room charge.

Also, the Concierge, while polite, were not very helpful, failing to tell me about the bus tunnel while providing directions to the airport.

Elite '09

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538

Laurel B.

San Francisco, CA

Updated - 9/26/2009

So one time ago, big room. This time, not. Big difference. No good.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

4/21/2007
Eh. We were recently back for a birthday or a wedding or something, and opting not to stay with… Read more »

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Chris W.

Superior, CO

10/11/2009

Staff was nice, but this place is very over priced and the rooms are ridiculously small. The shower stall was barely even large enough to stand in.

Plus, they charge for Wifi which I find stupid since almost every budget hotel chain in the world now offers free wifi. Its the same internet....Why do they think its OK to charge me when it is free everywhere else!!!

Comment from Jonathon S. of Hotel Max 11/6/2009

Thank you for choosing Hotel Max, Chris. I'm sorry I did… More »

Elite '09

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Tony H.

San Jose, CA

7/23/2009

4.5 stars!

Great experience, awesome service! We stayed here the last night of our trip in Seattle and it definitely made it even more special.

I wanted to make the trip special, so I called in and spoke with an employee on any romantic packages they have (ie flowers, wine, chocolate). They told me they have an exotic package with handcuffs and all that good stuff. Hmm interesting but not what I was looking for. Sooo the lady went the extra mile and called up flower places herself and got chocolate and wine ordered for us.

We checked in and although the room wasnt ready, it was worth waiting for! Rose petals scattered on the bed and floor and wine and chocolate as promised. It wasnt anything extraordinary but the thought made my day.. and hopefully hers too.The chocolate was tasty btw. Talk about going the extra mile. Kudos to Hotel Max.

The only thing I can say bad about this place was that the rooms were really small and the bathroom was nothing special. Oh yeah and the pictures in the hallways were kinda creepy. But thats all good cuz they gave us a complementary $20 voucher for their sushi restaurant downstairs which was super delicious.

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Todd W.

Medford, MA

7/23/2009

Hip and with it, this hotel was an overall pleasure to stay at. It's close to the conference center, which was good for me, a great deli right across the street (can't remember the name), and good service, they even have a mix CD waiting for you in your room and the radio tuned to the uber wonderful KEXP.
The restaurant downstairs, Red fin, was acceptable as well, the sushi was okay and their prices for room service were reasonable.
The only downsides were the showers weren't super user-friendly, and the rooms were wicked cramped. I mean, these rooms were so small I felt like I was staying in a matchbox. Ugh.
All-in-all, a great cheap place to stay when you're in town for a conference, or meetings. But be prepared to feel like your room is giving you a big-fat hug.

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Karen H.

Fitchburg, WI

10/14/2009

My husband and I booked two nights at Hotel Max for the beginning of our 4-night trip to Seattle. We booked the last two nights at a bigger, more expensive boutique hotel. After reading the reviews of Hotel Max, we were sure we'd like the hotel, but needed an "insurance" policy b/c of the reviews of size of the rooms and the noisiness. Hotel Max was great though. The staff was great and although the rooms were very, very small, we only needed a place to nap and sleep, so Max was perfect for that. We ended up canceling our fancier reservations and stayed at Max the whole time.
A couple situations particularly impressed me. First, when my husband and I were on the ferry, I couldn't find my wallet. I nearly had a heart attack! But a call to the front desk solved my problem. I asked if they could have someone check through the room for me, which they did, and found my wallet. This simple effort meant we could enjoy our daylong excursion. Second, we checked in early and they let us get into our room 8 hours early. This was so great, as we were exhausted from traveling.
Overall, not a luxury hotel but a solid, friendly place in the heart of downtown. I'd like to give it 3.5 stars.

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Ken M.

Tempe, AZ

9/9/2009

This hotel is in a great location, very hip and modern. While wating to check in, I paged through "The History of Punk Rock" which was sitting on the coffee table. The rooms are quite small, and some small yachts have bigger bathrooms, but for me, a hotel is only a place to lay my head. The price is certainly lower than the whole modern & funky vibe would suggest, and good food, drinks, and fun are steps from the front door. If you're you need a place to stay in Seattle, call the Hotel Max.

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Vanessa M.

Glendale, AZ

9/9/2009 4 photos

My friend and I stayed here for Labor day weekend, we had never been to Seattle before and we couldn't have been happier with this Hotel. It was swanky and hip and fun. We had reserved a 2 bed room and they had overbooked so to accommodate we took the one bed and they gave us a $20 voucher for RED Fin (see my not so good review on them). Well we realized since they must be overbooked for the weekend ..we said we would keep the 1 bed for the entire weekend if we got 2 T-shirts and they had no problem with that..so we got to stay at this super funky hotel, and received souvenirs to boot. Other than the staff and the contemporary rooms the location couldn't have been better! We were able to walk EVERYWHERE! Best pick for first timers.. no doubt!

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Elite '09

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Samantha O.

Portland, OR

5/27/2009

My boyfriend and I, like many other people, decided to head to Seattle for Memorial Day weekend. We were also a pair of many who took advantage of the $99 a night special with free valet parking and wifi. And I'm glad for the free parking because otherwise, whoa! It's $30 a night.

The staff were friendly and helpful. However, we didn't ask for too much direction from then on attractions to see or restaurants to try after being directed to a national chain restaurant when we asked where could get some good late-night food nearby. We consulted Yelp and the free weeklies after that! But they were helpful in providing maps and giving walking directions to a few things.

The location was pretty stellar. While it's I guess technically located in Belltown, we were pretty close to the central Downtown area, as well as Queen Anne and Capitol Hill. The boyfriend and I tried to walk to as many places as we could to avoid the hassle of looking for street parking or a parking garage, but we did take the car out a few times and I personally found the valet to be a bit slow at times, but what you gonna do? Just be conscious of the fact that you need to call 10 minutes ahead of when you want to leave and prepare to wait for another 5-10 after that 10 is up!

As far as the room, I didn't feel like ours was too small, as other people seem to feel. I came expecting it to be a bit on the smaller side, knowing the Hotel Max is in an older building that's been remodeled to be modern and lovely. And well, it was modern and lovely. And bigger than I had expected, too. We had a corner room, so maybe that's why. I got a peek into another room that looked a wee bit smaller that was adjacent.

We had a giant bed with luxurious pillows (and the pillow menu, which I did not take advantage of, but might next time because the pillows were a bit on the soft side for me). There was a desk and an LCD TV, plus lots of windows and natural light. Though, upside/downside to the windows; hello world if you're changing/naked and forget to uh, lower the shades, as well as brightness from the city lights at night. We were only on the 2nd floor, so we also got a bit of noise from the restaurant below which also sucked, but turning the radio on helped to cancel out the street noise. Yes, the bathroom was on the small side, but living in small apartments for the last 3 years I'm used it it. In fact, I think the bathroom in the room was bigger than the one I have in my residence currently! We had a shelf above the sink in our room too, so no lack of space their either.

Also, those elevators! Definitely small. They were like clown car elevators. Except you couldn't fit like 12 clowns in there, you could fit maybe 4 people if you didn't have any bags with you. That kind of sucked.

But overall, I'm feeling pretty positive on Hotel Max. It was an affordable, plush, chic, boutique hotel with a rock and roll edge and an eclectic vibe. I'm not done with exploring Seattle just yet, and I would definitely stay here again.

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Elite '09

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Jacob G.

Portland, OR

5/29/2009

I got this deal from the Hotel Max website: $99/night with free parking and WiFi. Awesome deal since the WiFi cost would have been huge thanks to looking for stuff on Yelp and my girlfriend and my Twitter obsessions.

The room wasn't very big but it didn't matter much. The bed was really comfortable but the bathroom was tiny. But, hey, it had a marble floor.

The valets were a bit slow in getting the car- I'd call the front desk up for our car, wait 10 minutes, then try to find the valet to get them the car. But, really, it wasn't too much of a problem.

I thought the "pillow menu" was a nice touch though I didn't take them up on their offer. The picture on the front door of our room was great for letting me know where my room was (it was a lawn flamingo on ours).

The location was great- right downtown, close to the mall that has the monorail. I had to laugh about seeing 4 Starbucks within three blocks, but that's expected. But that has noting to do with the hotel, so...

in all, Hotel Max, with the sweet deal they're offering, is totally worth the dough. YES.

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Elite '09

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Valentina V.

Seattle, WA

3/25/2009

I have a soft spot for alternative art spaces. Galleries and museums are great, but a whole generation of emerging-artists have relied on these nontraditional spaces to build their careers. So when I got to see that Hotel Max is, in substance, a huge alternative space that features Northwestern artists and photographers, I was in bliss!

We attended a very nicely put Happy Hour (courtesy for Hotel Max's Twitter followers) at their restaurant, The Red Fin. We were warmly welcomed by their staff--Scott "The Top Dog-GM", Carolina "Hot Piece of Max - Sales" and Jen "Captain of making it happen" all what their very original, black and white business cards say. They all invited us to enjoy a delicious selection of sushi and Japanese inspired hors d'oeuvres while sipping specialty drinks.

The Dude is not fond of raw fish, so I got to have his share of rolls. These were very flavorful, and some had interesting combinations--one had a piece of chile, maybe jalapeño--that made them fun to eat. They also offered us small finger food like the delightful Takoyaki (crispy octopus fritters with Wasabi mayo and tonkatsu sauce), and the Shiitake Dumplings (with San Bi Su), which were creamy and pulpy, delicate like a caress but to your tongue.

We were indulged with an extra hour of HH drink specials. I had a Cherry Limeade that was very refreshing, perfect for my mood that day. The Dude settled for a Hercules Double IPA, which he enjoyed very much. After this great experience, we decided are going back to the Red Fin. It was definitely a topnotch Japanese dining experience.

Part of this gathering included a tour to the hotel rooms, conducted by Jen--iPhone in hand to tweet on real time--who festively twirled around explaining us every single detail, and answering questions. I liked that she always showed how proud she is to be working for this fine establishment.

It almost felt like a informal but swell museum guided tour. The doors of each room feature a black and white photograph, and the room number sign next to it had the name of the featured photographer (one per floor) and the piece's title. Every single image I got to see was fantastic.

We went to several floors, being the 6th floor the center of most of our attention. We found ourselves surrounded by rock stars and musicians there. This is the floor where some of Charles Peterson's iconic photos are. For those who'd like to know who Peterson is, he is a Seattle-based artist, notorious for his early 90s black and white photographs of Sub Pop bands.

The rooms are on the small size, but are comfortable and sleek. Original artwork rest on the deep-gray colored walls. White and orange linens and accessories complete the interesting color palette. The rooms are also equipped with recycle bins, and Aveda bath products.

If you're ever a guest at the Hotel Max, you'll find out that there are pillow and spiritual menus on your nightstand. Want a full body pillow? You got it! Want to read the main book of your spiritual choice? They have it. And THE best part is that they have a book that compiles all the photographic work displayed in the hotel!

At the end, I found that I had a small list of favorites from Hotel Max. First of all, the room radios are preset on KEXP. They are serious when it comes to showcase what makes Seattle a great city. My second favorite were the views from the rooms. It's Downtown Seattle and it looked spectacular from those windows. My last--but never least--fave thing was their sensational service. Everyone in the hotel and the restaurant were welcoming and always ready to take care of you.

I'd say, thought, that this is a hotel targeted to a late 20s to 40s' audience. We'll send out-of-town guests in their direction. And who knows, we might make Hotel Max our special place for a weekend away without going out of Seattle.

¡Cinco estrellas!

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Linda J.

San Francisco, CA

6/25/2009

I wanted to stay at the Ace Hotel, but they were full. This was a good alternative.

The price was right. The location was perfect. The staff was bend-over-backward helpful and friendly. The rooms were good-small, comfy and modern. Everything was so darkly colored in the room (lots of black and dark grey) that at one point I searched for ten minutes for a black item of clothing. But I liked the color scheme.

Yes, it's true about the thin walls, but thin walls and street noise don't bother me much. The restaurant was eh for breakfast--they seemed overwhelmed that is was 1/3 full. Some of the art was really cool, and some was cheesy.

Overall, a good experience.

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Diana P.

Pasadena, CA

5/15/2009

This is the best deal in downtown Seattle!

$99/night for a Queen-sized room with free wi-fi and free valet parking.

Who needs a HUGE bathroom and room when you're going to be spending the day exploring the beautiful city?
Hotel Max is a great location and 2 blocks away from the flagship Nordstrom's (SOLD!).

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Elizabeth R.

San Diego, CA

7/2/2009

Very friendly and helpful staff. The beds were very comfortable, and the location is great, far enough away for no loud bars and drunks around, and close enough to walk anywhere downtown. I saved a lot of money on cabs just by walking.
The bathroom is incredibly small, but we dealt with it, being small girls anyway. However, if you are a larger person, you would have a lot of trouble taking a shower and using the bathroom.
Again, the staff was very knowledgeable and made great restaurant recommendations! I would stay here again!
I stayed on marathon weekend so the price was a bit elevated from what other people paid it seems.

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Kat O.

Seattle, WA

4/28/2009

Let's get the "bad" first: Bathrooms are terribly TINY. Like REALLY tiny, terrible terrible terrrrrrrible. You can't get two people in the bathroom comfortably.
Loved everything else, I wish the hallways were miles long so i could just look at all of the pictures on the doors.
Room's were perfect size, not too small, because I only use a hotel room for sleep.
Red Fin was *tasty*, but every single person on the staff gave off this clueless "what am I doing here" interaction. It was bizarre.
Thanks for the sweet $99 deal, genious, including valet parking. I was freaked out I would have to pay for parking. And the Valet guys were SUPER rad.

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Jessica G.

Fairfield, CA

3/26/2009

I had a great experience in this hotel. I stayed for 4 nights and there was no problems at all. This hotel is a whole lot of style for not that much money. Like the W without the attitude. I loved that the hotel had personality, had character and that you knew you were in seattle when you woke up. the desk staff was friendly enough and offered plenty of suggestions for dining options. the business center conveniently had a printer that allowed me to print my boarding pass a day before my flight. pillow menu, mattress and fluffy towels felt luxurious.

the very best thing about hotel max in the location. close to EVERYTHING. seriously, it was so easy to get to and from the airport. to walk to all the places to see and to take the bus to wherever you want to go.

minus one star for having to pay for internet, for not having a cool roof area to hang at and for their heater system that will dry out your mucus membranes as you sleep.

regardless, i would stay here again and definitely recommend it to my friends.

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Tabitha G.

Chicago, IL

9/3/2009

Stayed here for 3 weeks for business and really enjoyed this hotel. The beds are comfortable with an assortment of pillow choices and a fluffy duvet. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful and the hotel is in a great spot to do business or explore Seattle (the market, downtown, shopping, capital hill, restaurants, entertainment, etc). The only downsides are the size of the rooms and that some rooms have showers only and limited sink/bathroom shelf space. I would definitely recommend this hotel for business or pleasure.

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Julie H.

Springfield, IL

5/28/2009

This place was awesome! My sisters and I were in Seattle over the weekend for a little fun and had the privilege of staying in this hotel. Ya, I said privilege! The bed was the most comfortable hotel bed I have ever slept in and I have stayed in hotels that were easily four times what I paid for the room in this hotel. We were able to get a package that included parking and a room for a steal!!! The valet's were great, always prompt with the car...we never had to wait more than 5 minutes, tops. The location of this hotel is really perfect. Seattle is a very walkable city anyway, but the Max puts you right in the middle of the action.

Two words, Pillow Menu.....YES! Hard to get a good nights sleep without the correct pillow. This is def. a nice bonus!

The last thing that I want to say is how really friendly, knowledgeable and helpful the staff was at this hotel. They were great about giving directions and recommendations.

I think that I have found my hotel for all future stays in beautiful Seattle!

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Elinor S.

Minneapolis, MN

3/21/2009

I'm actually writing this from my hotel room. I bought my ticket on http://Priceline.com based on reviews on the various cheap tickets sites. Right away the staff was super nice. Now, this place is swank by my standards, and I was kind of expecting to be a little snubbed, based on my looks and my hello kitty carry on (don't ask...), but I wasn't! They took my bags, the "bell boy" had ear plugs and looked all punk, which made me feel comfortable, so I asked him about movie theaters and he was super helpful.

I got a king size room, which was unexpected, but not unwelcome! The room is small, but it's clean and ... soft. I don't know why, it just is.

Also, I've been here about two days and have found plenty to amuse me without taking anymore public transit after the bus from the airport -- which, by the way, you can't beat the $1.75 bus fare for a quick ride into DT Seattle. Take the 194 and walk about two blocks to the Hotel Max for a wonderful trip!

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Randy M.

San Francisco, CA

8/24/2009

Hotel Max was a lovely two-night stay, in a great location proximate to Pikes Place Market and historic Pioneer Square (underground tours). The in-room coffee is pretty good, as is the art and decor. I never heard any noise from the ground-floor bar or outside cars zipping through the downtown. That said, I wouldn't pay more than $100 or so per night, as I went on a Travelzoo special.

Elite '09

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Nique F.

Santa Rosa, CA

3/22/2009

It's easy to love your hotel when you get a ridiculously good deal on the room. I paid something like $129 (cheaper than the blah Hampton Inn), so I really couldn't complain about anything for that price. But lets say I did pay full price...here's the stuff that kind of bugged:

- elevator is EXTREMELY slow. I was on the second floor and sometimes it would take like 3 whole minutes to get up to me. Grrrr.
- rooms and bathrooms are more-than cozy. I guess it works if you're going to be out and about, and just come back to your room to crash, but if you like to stretch, space is a little tight.
- a bit noisy because of the downtown location, but if you're used to the city sounds you'll feel right at home.

So, besides those minor details...location is ideal for shopping and sightseeing, and a few blocks from I-5 if you're running around on business. According to my local friend, the hotel restaurant - Red Fin - is some of the best sushi in town. Yeah, sushi was good and fresh, but the so-called Happy Hour deals were nothing to write home about. The staff was very accommodating, and seem to like to get to know their guests (in a friendly, non-invasive way).

Oh, and of course, the decor is very artsy. Almost the entire hotel is done in black, with huge pieces of art on every wall and works by local artists in each room. Yeah, you'll feel pretty cool if you stay here...especially if you steal a deal on Orbitz.

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Colleen W.

Seattle, WA

3/25/2009

I still have to give this hotel four stars for the incredibly affordable rates (the special I got was $99/night including parking!!) in a great location. The hotel is modern with all the amenities you need for a pleasant stay in the city. The rooms are small but it's no big deal if you don't plan on hanging out in your room all day.

My little complaints:
The valet service is pretty slow and there's not always someone there to get your car for you. Prepare for plenty of wait time.

Both times I've stayed at this hotel with the "Nope" do-not-disturb sign on the door, I've been walked in on by housekeeping. Neat.

The bathroom felt like an airplane bathroom. The little sink and tiny ledge below the mirror crack me up. (On the plus side, it's clean and the Aveda products are a nice touch.)

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Kevin D.

San Diego, CA

8/4/2009

Exactly what we were looking for!

My wife and I went to Seattle for our anniversary and we happened to stumble across Hotel Max during an online search. Coincidentally, they were having a great special on rooms for that weekend and since the place looked legit from the website (not always the most accurate depiction), we thought we'd give it a try.

In my online reservation, I requested to have champagne and flowers delivered to the room prior to our arrival. A few days later, I received a call from the manager, Scott, letting me know he'd be happy to provide us with a bottle of champagne - free of charge. He also recommended a local florist who could accommodate my floral request.

When we arrived, the place was better than we expected. The building has tons of architectural character, not to mention the overall ambiance and decor was very contemporary and unique with all sorts of original artwork and bold, but tasteful, colors. Plus, the artwork throughout the hotel is from local Seattle artists which was a really nice touch.

Our room was exactly what we would expect from a trendy urban hotel. Not too big but certainly more than adequate with a king-sized bed and windows on 2 sides. When we arrived, the champagne and flowers were already there and they were perfect!

Throughout the course of our stay, the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. We would definitely go back to this place and recommend it to anyone we know going to Seattle that's looking for something with a little more style and character than your typical chain hotel.

Thanks, Hotel Max (and Scott)!!

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Brad S.

Marin, CA

7/6/2009

We just got back from the Fourth of July weekend in Seattle and Hotel Max was a big part in making it the best weekend we've had in a LONG time!

The plusses --

1) Location, location, location. It just doesn't get any better. We could easily walk to everything we really wanted to do, and when we couldn't, public transportation (not to mention the Seattle Center monorail!) was just steps away.

2) The beds. So freaking comfortable. The best beds I've ever experienced in a hotel.

3) The Max is the antithesis of the big cheesy, mausoleum-like national chain hotel. It's really cozy and really cool.

4) The staff: Extraordinarily friendly and helpful. We were worried we were going to get the worst room since we booked a deal on Hotwire. All we had to do was ask for a room on a high floor on the north side (best Space Needle views) and we got a top-floor corner room with a great view.

5) The restaurant: Red Fin has EXCELLENT sushi rolls and the bartender is incredibly easy on the eyes. ;-)

So I can't say enough good things about Hotel Max. The weekend couldn't have been any better. Now, with all that said, the Max may not be for everyone (what is, really?). We took the airporter in from Sea-Tac and noticed all of the tour groups of generously-sized Midwestern tourists getting off at the Sheraton and other similar hotels. I don't think most of them would "get" the Max. Most couldn't move around the rooms (the scale of the rooms reminded me of New York hotels, which I actually liked!), they wouldn't appreciate the art or the vibe, and most probably wouldn't know a sushi roll from a Tootsie roll. My point is, if you like different, sophisticated, urbane, cozy, etc., you'll love the Max!

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Elite '09

7

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Brynn M.

Hillsboro, OR

12/13/2008

Just stayed in the Hotel Max while in Seattle to see Last Comic Standing. Honestly, everything was just fine. And for every high point, there was a very low point.

Example: High Point - The room was clean, comfy, and had some great art on the wall. Low Point - They just happened to put us in the room next to the 20-somethings who felt the need to party until 4:30am. I called the front desk, who sent someone up to talk to them. Unfortunately, the walls are so paper thin that it didn't matter.

The stay-castion package we got was well worth the price. Free parking, $20 toward breakfast, and the room. All for one low price. So, even with the small amount of sleep we got, it was worth the price. And breakfast in the RedFin was great. But more on that in another review...

So, if you don't mind a little noise but love a young, hip ambiance and great art, this would be a good place to stay.

Unfortunately, if you are a young married couple, in town for a show and some alone time together... Well, not so much.

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Christina R.

Stillwater, MN

3/30/2009

Hotel Max really benefits from being so well-placed in downtown Seattle, with easy walking access to the Aquarium, Pike Place Market, and other tourist attractions. This is the primary reason why we stayed here. We didn't snag any of the room deals that other reviewers have utilized, but it was the parking fee that was the most painful hit to the wallet. Perhaps this is just a fact of life in Seattle, but it was somewhat disappointing to not get more of discount for being customers at the hotel, and doesn't really make for a terribly welcoming experience.

The hotel features a bar and a restaurant, which I'd heard were pretty good, but we didn't have the time to visit them so I cannot comment. As for other amenities, though, I'd say they were alright (but not amazing). Hotel Max features Aveda toiletries in the bathrooms, a brand I love, but getting them restocked was a hassle. We stayed 3 nights and housekeeping restocked our supplies only once - we even had to call the front desk to request the toilet paper they neglected to replace. They also charge for Wi-Fi usage, which is kind of irritating. But the hotel gym is free and at least has some free weights, a few treadmills, plus some other machines, so getting a workout in during our stay was nice.

I must admit that this is probably one of the more unique-looking hotels I've stayed in. This place at least has a fresh sense of style. As an artist and sometimes-fan of modern art, I was pleased to see that the front lobby is also a gallery. We were greeted by a giant painting of bare breasts upon walking in, and even the key cards had art on them: in our case, bare-bottomed mannequins. We found this highly amusing. The slick black and red hallways added to the appeal, and the doors on our floor featured stylish black-and-white photographs of exotic animals. Moreover, the room was attractive and comfortable (though it did smell strongly of disinfectant upon walking in). The bed was so nice that there was no need to utilize the hotel's trendy "pillow menu."

For its prime location, we probably would stay at Hotel Max again, but only if we could manage one of those room or parking deals.

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Heather W.

San Diego, CA

5/26/2009

Hotel Max was my home for 4 nights during memorial weekend. I really thank them for helping to make my trip enjoyable and pleasant.

Service - 5 stars. The staff is incredibly friendly and hospitable. Always greeted us coming in and out, always opened the door, and was there for any questions we had. The girl at the desk remembered my last name every time I came over after the initial check in. I found that really impressive.

Location - 5 stars. You really can't do better. Right in the heart of downtown where everything cool is in walking distance - Pike's Place, the Westlake mall (and monorail), main bus stop is right around the corner, starbucks around the corner (though in Seattle the saying there is one on every corner is literally true!!)...oh and you can see the space needle clearly from the street outside. Thanks to the location and pretty efficient bus system in Seattle we were able to enjoy everything there was to offer without getting a rental car.

Room - 3 stars. I gotta say, it would be difficult to put a spin on our room situation and call it "cozy." HELLO small. Our bags had no where to go without being tripped over. I had to put the radio under the end table so I could put my toiletries on it (the bathroom only has a bowl sink and no where to put anything). I didn't dig that the shower was external from the bathroom....I'm sure 1/2 of Seattle has now seen me naked. You exit the shower, and if your windows are open you better not be shy because you are instantly in full view. You also better be comfortable with the person you are staying with for that reason because it's a bit of a pain to towel up and migrate into the tiny bathroom. Though I'm guessing a room that includes an intimacy kit for purchase would assume that. We had the "Queen of Art" room btw. I got a peek into a King room and it did look much more spacial so it might be worth it to pay the extra $20 or whatever if you are claustrophobic like me. I'm not sure what the solution would be for the space issue but some sort of space saver bathroom shelves or something would be nice to allow you to store more than your toothbrush on the ity bity sink top. I ended up having to put my makeup on next to the bed in order to have a mirror and a tabletop next to each other.

Comfort & atmosphere: 4 stars. Once you get over the initial shock of how small the room is, you get used to it and find a way to feel at home. The bed was really comfortable and I slept like a bebe. I was surprised that with our room facing the street it was actually really quiet. We had peaceful nights the entire time. Of course the hotel is known for it's artistic vibe and it definitely has that. I loved the outside doors of all the rooms, the dark neutral paint inside, the naked mannequin door keys...I mean 'unique' really only scrapes the surface in describing the look & feel.

Price: 3.5 stars. The regular price room is a tad ridiculous IMO...esp. for the queen room like we had which was the size of a cruise ship cabin. You can't beat the location and I get that. The staff is professional and everything is chic. But do try to hit it up during a promotion. We got the $99 a night special for all but one night and that included free wifi and valet parking. Oh and chocolate truffles...that was the most important inclusion of course.

And drum roll please...my math skills tell me my score card ave comes out to 4.1 stars. So that is what I will give. See? Don't you see the tiny sliver I added on the 5th star? You don't? Hmm you might want to see the optometrist about that.

So do I recommend Hotel Max? Absolutely. But get a promo because $160 for a shoe box is not ideal.

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Andrej A.

Boston, MA

4/12/2009

Place is a'ight. I got a great deal on my room. Tiny room. Walls are kinda thin, as I was kept up hours past my bedtime due to the 'cardio' activities going on next door.

Friendly staff, though. They have a sushi bar next to the lobby as part of the hotel - I didn't get a chance to try it (thanks to Tom Douglas' restaurants), but hear around town that they're known to be one of the better sushi bars in town.

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Elite '09

157

205

William A.

Healdsburg, CA

3/9/2009

3.5 stars. Your mileage based on your likes/dislikes, may vary.

The decor of the entry of this place is well done.
The room decor is pretty decent, although its my classic dislike of very old hotels....throw in a King size bed and you have to go outside to change your mind. Worked out fine, we weren't in the room much,
it was quiet and comfy. I am a slightly bigger fan, both overall, and location wise, of Ace Hotel, but this is likely more reliable. and quiet.

Staff was very helpful and friendly. (I think mean people are banned in Seattle and Portland.)

A solid choice, if you get a reasonable rate.

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8

Suzanne M.

Brooklyn, NY

7/12/2009

This hotel was so much more than I expected it would be.

Like many others, we got a deal (from http://hotels.com) for $99 per night, free wi-fi and free parking. I knew I chose the right hotel for us when we saw how unique it was from the other hotels in that area. The modern design of the lobby, hallways, and rooms, really makes you appreciate the small touches they put into the building.

I second the comment that the bed was AMAZING. It was so comfortable, with really nice, soft linens.

I thought that the room was a nice size, and perfect for us as we just wanted a nice, comfortable place to sleep and relax. But maybe if you came to Seattle on a business trip or something and were only planning on staying in your room the whole time, it might not suit your needs.

As somebody who had never visited Seattle before, and didn't know anything about the area, I would say that the hotel is in the perfect location. It was within walking distance to everything that we wanted to see. 10 minutes to the needle/Seattle center. 5-10 minutes to Pike Place. 1 minute to downtown. Right near a ton of bus lines.

I'm deducting a point from this review because the staff seemed to be more attentive to the older people, and families that were staying there, and seemed to brush us off because we were 20-somethings.

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23

Shad A.

Fayetteville, GA

7/25/2009

First hotel that I would recommend visiting just for the restaurant. Redfin serves a very good breakfast and some amazing sushi for dinner. I'd say top sushi spot in Seattle. Sidewalk dining ups the cool factor. Hotel staff very in tune with the ambiance. Great stay.

10

78

Rachel C.

Monterey, CA

1/29/2009

Hands down the best and most rad hotel to stay at. Yes the rooms are a little small but I loved every minute of my stay there. I was there December 2006 with my two bffs. We had a two double room. Best part very artsy, and pillow menu. The staff was to die for Jen ( the person that wrote the first review on here) is the best anyone could ask for. She went out of her way to tell us the best bars to go to. As well as directed us to some great vintage shops up Capital hill.

Red fin is the restaurant on site and also had a great atmosphere. So full after leaving there.

All was good, next time I go to Seattle I will stay here!

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Elite '09

141

327

Dru C.

Irvine, CA

10/27/2008

There's nothing like a large nude photo to hit you smack-dab in your grill the first time you walk into a hotel lobby. It obviously tells you that this isn't your typical, run-of-the-mill travel accomodation with snot-nosed toddlers running around crying and screaming, and that's a good thing.

My wife and I booked a short getaway trip to Seattle, and I decided to book Hotel Max mainly because of it's great central location and competitive rates. It's only minutes away from Pike Place and only a bit longer walk to Seattle Center. The rates on the web were attractive compared to others in the area, especially for a very comfortable king sized bed. We even got a nice welcome card, accompanied with some Chukar cherries and a bottle of wine. And it couldn't get any better than the view from our room -- the Seattle skyline with the Space Needle in the background.

Sure, the rooms are small. The LCD TV is utterly outdated and the stainless steel bathroom sink looks like it belongs at a dentistry. But with the chic and contemporary decor, b&w photography on the doors, friendly service, and of course that photo with the exposed boobies in the lobby, it definitely made our stay more memorable. Instead of wondering which beige hotel chain we stayed at, we'll definitely remember the colorful Hotel Max in Seattle.

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Gabby S.

Vancouver, BC

Canada

3/1/2009

I've stayed at the Westin and Sheraton and decided for my sister's visit to try a boutique hotel.

Yes, it's very trendy with all the original art and dark halls but since it's a reno of an old building, the space is limited. I could just turn around in the bathroom and there was no space to put my toiletries anywhere. The vent was pretty bad and the whole place steamed up quickly and the shower curtain and I got to know each other very well. I also checked 3 other rooms and was surprised to find that there were even SMALLER bathrooms. (The Westin hotel bathroom was 4 times bigger!)

If you're into FENG SHUI, please check the room before you check in. Some of the furniture placement is questionable. Yes, they are designers but I'm really aware of corners and doors opening and cutting into certain areas. I'm not a Feng Shui expert but I need to feel comfortable.

Our room was on the 2nd or 3rd floor but we could hear the late bar go-ers downstairs! I think I recall that we had no curtains to cover the lofty windows but only tree branches from the outside. It is nice to wake up to swaying trees in the morning but at night, the bare branches do little to shed our eyes from the street lights.

So if you're not creeped out by spirits and the such, you don't need a pool and room service, by all means, this is a good bet. Just keep in mind that you're likely to pay a bit more for this boutique hotel minus the amenities than the larger chain hotels. I really don't like things hiding in dark corners when I'm sleeping.

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Elite '09

337

126

Christopher K.

San Francisco, CA

9/16/2008

My company put me up in this posh little boutique hotel for a recent conference. Hotel Max is sublimely decorated with an incredible array of amenities, including an entire menu of pillows (ranging from soft, firm, body, reading, neck etc) and an entire menu of religious reading materials (ranging from the bible, the koran, and even the book of scientology).

After checking in, my coworkers and I grabbed some dinner. I returned to my room after dinner and my phone rang. Here is the conversation about some of the other amenities:

Coworker: Do you have a TV in your room?
Me: Yeah... why?
Coworker: There's a cabinet underneath, right?
Me: Uh... Let me check. Yup.
Coworker: And you see some wine glasses and a small bottle of wine.
Me: Um... sure.
Coworker: Does your room have a vibrator?
Me: Does it... a WHAT?!!
(I spot a small, elongated red box next to the "intimacy kit".)
Me: Yes. Yes it does.

That's Hotel Max. Remember the name.

edit: And for those who say, pics or it didn't happen:
http://deadfrank.com/p...

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Elite '09

69

322

Sarah K.

New Orleans, LA

5/18/2009

My mom was a little scared that the keys displayed naked mannequins' backsides, and that the concierge said, "Slide the key in feet first." But, she warmed up because the rooms are pretty awesome. Flat screen TVs, modern and clean decor balanced by abstract local artwork--my only gripe is the size, which depending on your perspective, could be compact or cramped. The hotel also has a gym (I planned on going for a run, but I don't do rain)! And they gave us free wireless when normally there's a fee. An Asian fusion restaurant downstairs has happy hour from 10pm-12am, and it's connected to the lobby. Not exactly a family hotel, but it's great for hip youngsters/wannabes.

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112 reviews for Hotel Max

One of Hotel Max's Favorite Reviews What's This?

1 Previous Review: Show all »

About This Business

Meet the Manager: Scott W.

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