Ballard Inn,

5300 Ballard Avenue Northwest, Seattle, WA 98107

"I wanted very much to like this hotel. Location is ideal but it is INCREDIBLY NOISY on a good night. On a bad night, when the room next door is occupied by a group of very drunk and disorderly young people, it is difficult to feel safe let alone sleep. Between 10pm and 1:30am on my first night at the Inn, I was kept awake by loud yelling, stomping and arguing outside my door, and in their room. I called the front desk three times asking that they address the situation. I did hear the night manager come over twice asking the guests to keep the noise down. On my last call around 1am, I was told the police were being called. I know this was probably an isolated event, but it was not handled well by the staff. No one reached out to me the next day to ask how I was, or to address the situation. I gave them one more day and then after no contact, I went to the Hotel Ballard desk to speak with management. When I explained to the young woman I am the guest in the room next door, she got a look of knowing on her face and told me they were expecting me to say something. When the manager did come out, I told her about my experience and asked for a discount on my stay. She replied they did everything they were required to do, which was evict the guests and never allow them back, and she was under no obligation to make it up to me. She denied my request. I worked in the service/hospitality industry for a long, long time and even if something was not necessarily my fault, I always made sure my clients left happy. A gesture of 20% off my bill (about $50) would have gone a long way to show they care about their guests' experience and they take responsibility to make sure it is a positive one. A small discount would have extended good will and would have been the right thing to do. Instead I was dismissed and made to feel as if it was insulting of me to ask for such a thing. Poorly handled Ballard Inn. Very unprofessional. I can not recommend this as a reliable place to stay."

"Everything was clean and looked new. Small rooms as you would expect in an old building. Great location."

"We stayed one night. I wouldn't stay again, here's why: Rooms are clean as are the shared bathrooms and shower but all the aforementioned are very small without room to put anything. Everything except the mattresses and linens was very cheap from the showerhead to the doorhandles to the lamps, etc. It was very stuffy in the rooms and the street noise was very loud. There are portable air conditioners that vent out thought the windows allowing cigarette smoke to come in from the street. There was no coffee, ice or other small amenities. If you want to stay in a older hotel that has character and is in a good location stay at the Ace downtown. They do it right for the same price. The worst thing was definitely the absolute inability to get any sleep. It's walkable to everything, but you pay for it. Staying in Ballard is supposed to be lively but unless you want to sweat in October in a smoke-filled room cluttered with your luggage listening to horrible karaoke until 2 in the morning, I would recommend staying elsewhere. Definitely not worth the price."

"We had a great stay for 2 nights, the hotel has a ton of character. The shared bathrooms were no problem and everything was kept very clean. The complimentary water and coffee in the lobby was a nice touch and the included access to the gym across the street was much appreciated! Would totally stay again."

"First the Ballard Inn is an upscale hostel. It is in the perfect location. We walked out the door on Sunday morning and found a street market. It was wonderful seeing local vendors with fresh vegetables, bread, flowers, honey, etc... The rooms are small but clean and there are shared baths. You can pay more for a private bath if it becomes available. The staff were very helpful. Also I think it's very important to mention the fact that there is no elevator. We had to take six suitcases up 3 flights of stairs and down one to get to our room. And needless to say that was not the time to realize there is no air conditioning. The cost was 129.00 a night. In a pinch it's not bad, but now that we are at a more mature age level we prefer comforts. Elevators and air conditioning are nice after a long day of walking."