The Hotel Vintage Park in Seattle

One of Seattle's most beautiful hotels is the Vintage Park situated in the heart of the Emerald City's retail and financial district. This Kimpton boutique hotel is just steps away from the theatre and interesting shops and eateries and close to the convention center. It's only a short walk to the waterfront area and Seattle's Ferry Terminal. From the Sea-Tac Airport, there is 24-hour shuttle service available, the SuperShuttle.

Hotel Vintage Park features guestrooms and suites inspired by the nearby wine country. Here, you'll find comfortable rooms elegantly appointed and named for Washington vineyards and wineries. The rooms have custom-designed cherrywood furniture complemented by fabrics in hues of rich golds and warm reds. Their suites are decorated in deep violet tones and greens. They each feature a wood burning fireplace, a living area with a flat screen tv, a large Jacuzzi bathtub, with another television in the bathroom and a comfortable a four-poster bed. In room amenities include umbrellas, fun Kimpton animal print bathrobes, L'Occitane toiletries, oversized bath towels, hairdryers, iron and ironing board, and down and hypo-allergenic pillows. There is complimentary high-speed internet service and free newspapers. Their two-line phones feature dataports, voicemail, and speakerphone capabilities. Your pet is also welcome in this luxurious hotel. Your dog will be welcomed with organic doggie biscuits and you'll find services for pet sitting and entertaining your pet while you're out. (Extra fees may apply.)

Nightly they host a wine reception featuring wines from the nearby wineries. Every night a different host will pour wines from a specific Washington winery and discuss them with hotel guests. Often these hosts are local winery owners and/or wine makers. There is also coffee service available in the lobby. Please visit hotelvintagepark.com for more hotel details.

Tulio, a "cozy Italian restaurant" features contemporary regional Italian cuisine. They're open for breakfast and dinner everyday and for lunch Monday through Friday. Their dishes feature local ingredients and their baked goods, gelatos and desserts are made fresh everyday. Zagat says "definitely the place to be' all day long." A private banquet room, seating 60 guests, is available upstairs. You can check out their menu at tulio.com.

Once you leave the hotel, all of Seattle is nearby, far more attractions that can me mentioned in one article. Here are a few you'll want to check out.

Pike Place Market, a city marketplace for over a century, is a great place to spend a few hours browsing and perhaps enjoying a snack or a complete meal. It's quite crowded on the weekends and during the summer so you might go early in the morning when it's quieter. Check out the flying fish and if you buy some, the fish vendors will pack it in dry ice so you can take it back home with you. The original Starbucks is here along with dozens of other places for delicious snacks.

At Boeing Field, the Museum of Flight has an exhibit of a Concord supersonic planes and you can board one of the retired Air Force One planes. Sit in the cockpit of an F/A-18 Hornet or a real SR-71 Blackbird. Here you'll experience the story of flight from aviation's beginning to the Space Age, including hands-on kids workshops, fly-ins and chatting with aviators. Children will especially enjoy this museum. It's open daily and closed only on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days. The airpark is open Monday through Saturday from mid-May to mid September. Please go to their website for ticket prices and additional information at museumofflight.org.

For a slightly different tour, consider a culinary tour of Seattle. Seattle Food Tours offers a variety of tours, sampling dishes en route. Many of these tours end at Pike Place Market. Check out seattlefoodtours.com for more information.

There are many other places to visit in Seattle but this hotel is a great place to stay while you're enjoying all of the sights and sounds of this wonderful city. And, a great place to start or end your Alaskan cruise. Try to schedule an extra day to check out some of the sights.