Seattle’s Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Research Paper

Introduction

Seattle is the largest and the most populous city in Northwest Pacific of America. The city has a couple of nicknames including the Emerald city, Queen City, jet city and Gateway to Alaska. Seattle is a major cultural, economic and educational center, having the highest percentage of graduates compared to major cities in the United States. The city has a reputation for heavy coffee consumption and is regarded as the birthplace of grime music.

Geographic Location

Seattle is located in Western side of the U.S. state of Washington, approximately 105 miles south of the United States-Canada border. To the west, the city borders Pacific Ocean inlet known as Puget Sound and to the east, is lake Washington. Due to its location and the surrounding waters bodies and mountains, the city of Seattle offer all year round picture perfects views and plenty of recreational opportunities for tourist (Klingle, 2007).

Climate

Seattle has a Mediterranean climate, with dry summer and wet winters. The Pacific Ocean and lake Washington play a key role in moderating the city’s temperatures. The Olympic Mountains helps in shielding the city from the pacific Storms while the Cascade Range blocks the cold arctic air. The average daytime temperatures during summer range from 73 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Winters are usually cool and wet with average temperatures between 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (Nickels, 2008).

Population

According to the 2007 official census, Seattle had a population of 586, 200. Latest data released by the Washington State Office on April 2008, showed that the population had increased to 592,800. The population density is 6,979 people per square mile. Approximately 65 percent of the population is white, 15 Asian and 10 percent African-American. Other races found within the city of Seattle include Native Americans, Hispanic and Pacific Islanders. 80 percent of the population speaks English, 4 percent Spanish and2.5 percent speak Mandarin.

Currently 15.5 percent of Seattle population follows in the 18 to 24 age bracket. 38.5 percent are between the age of 25 to 44 and 22 percent for those between the ages of 45 to 64. 12 percent of the population is over 65 years of age. The median age of Seattle at 35 years (Nickels, 2008).

Seattle Dining Establishments

Due to its diverse cultural make-up, Seattle has a reputation as best dining destination in the America’s northwest. The city is known for fresh seafood, Asian cuisines, Italian restaurants, fine steakhouses and many other establishments which offer incredible foods.

Casual Dining: Brasa Restaurant

Brasa is located in downtown Seattle, on 3^rd Avenue. It has over time been voted as one of the best restaurant for casual dining. The food quality is outstanding and is made from local farm produce. Some of the services offered include dinner, bar and private Lounge from 5pm to 11 pm. Dinner menu features meals such as Escalivada, potato garlic sauce, and arugula. (Yee, 2008)

Fine Dining: 35^th Street Bistro

35^th Street Bistro is a European Style restaurant located in Fremont area of Seattle. The restaurant features sustainably and locally produced food, a full bar and extensive list of wines. It is open for lunch every day from 11am to 11pm except on Monday. Dinner is served every day from 5pm to 11pm. The restaurant serves brunch on weekend; Saturday and Sunday. Lunch menu include French Radishes, bistro frites and duck. (Yee, 2008)

Specialty Restaurant: The Matador

Located in west Seattle, on California Avenue, The Matador features gourmet Tex-Mex cuisines, coupled with wide selection of Tequila. The matador is one of the few restaurants with an open fireplace for clients to sit around. Dinner menu include Blackened ahi, jalapenos stuffed with goat cheese. The dinner menu is complemented by a large selection of scrumptious desserts. The Matador features a full bar which serve specialty cocktails, imported beers and wines.

Ethnic Restaurant: Jai Thai Restaurant

Jai Thai restaurant is located in Fremont area, Northern Seattle, on Fremont Avenue. The restaurant features Thailand cuisines with the recent addition of Thai-American Breakfast served on Saturday and Sunday morning. Jai Thai is unique in that it features an extensive collection of Thai Original artwork display for clients. The restaurant has daily lunch and drink specials. Breakfast is served from 7 am till noon, lunch on Monday to Friday from 11am to 4 pm and Dinner is served 4pm to 9.30pm. In addition, late-night menu is available until 1.30 am daily, on special orders. (Yee, 2008)

Lodging Facility

There are over 11,500 hotels rooms available in downtown Seattle and 32,000 hotel rooms available in King county areas. Advance reservation is recommended during peak season, between May to September, The city may also be busy especially during annual fairs and festivals like Seattle International Film festival and Northwest Folklife. Some of the establishment offering lodging facilities to visitors includes; (Bartley, 2007)ю

Budget: Virginia Hotel

Virginia Hotel is located in down Seattle, 2 blocks from Beltown art and culture centre. The hotel features 140 budget rooms, with antique lighting, tile work, marble and decorative historic moldings. The hotel lounge features a wide selection of local beers and wine. A standard guest room has a queen bed, phone facility, cable TV, sink basin and private bathrooms. Adjoining rooms’ suites have two separate bedrooms and a shared bath. Price ranges from $72-$120 for a standard room and $120-$150 for a suite (Bartley, 2007).

Commercial: Dreamland Lodging

This lodging facility is located next to Washington convention Center, on 5^th Avenue. Clients have an option for the following facilities; Breakfast, parking, shuttle and stocked fridge. In addition, the lodging has meeting facilities for at least 10 people, translation services, food services, pool table, and elevator services. Price range for dreamland lodging is $160-$175 (Bartley, 2007).

Resort: Ashton wood Resort

Ashton wood resort is located on Bainbridge Island, on a private land, next to Grand forest. Visitor access the resort by ferry from downtown Seattle. Guests have two accommodation options to chose from, either the loft or cottage. Both facilities are designed for two people, featuring queen size bed and a fireplace. In the morning, guest enjoys a freshly baked breakfast, delivered to their rooms. The resort is also available for group off-site meetings and retreats. The minimum stay at Ashton wood resort is 2 days, at a cost of $550. (Bartley, 2007)

Bed and Breakfast: Elegant B $B

Elegant B & B is an urban 20 room inn located in downtown Seattle. This lodging facility features standard Guest room with a bed, fireplace, wet bars and a balcony on each room. Guests have access to swimming room, a sauna and a fitness center. Basic amenities available at Elegant B & B include TV, mini-fridge and a CD player. For breakfast, a full gourmet breakfast is served in the garden room.

Transportation

Road Transport

Automobiles are the main mode of transportation to Seattle for visitor from the State of Washington and the surrounding US states. The interstate 5 and Stateline 99 run uninterrupted through downtown Seattle. North / Southbound traffic highly depends on Interstate 5 while highway 99 serve connect Seattle to the US-Canada border. Other important roads to and from Seattle are State Route 520 and Interstate 90, which carries East / Westbound traffic. The city has an extensive bus route network, which includes electric trolleybuses, providing transportations services to various destinations within Seattle (Nickels, 2008).

Air Transport

Seattle Tacoma International Airport, also known as Sea-Tac airport, is the main gateway for both international visitors and those from within United States. The airport is located in the city of SeaTac, providing air transportation services to and from various international destinations and major US cities. Some of the airlines which provide air services to and from major US cities include United, Northwest and American Airlines. The cost of travel from Midwest United States to Seattle ranges from $200 to $250 in 6 hrs non-stop flight. Lufthansa, Air France, KLM and British Airways are some of the major flights that provide air transportation services to European Visitors (Nickels, 2008).

Water Transport

Due to the location of Seattle, water transportation remains an important mode of transportation to and from Seattle. Visitors can access the city using ferry and Cruise ships. Passengers from surrounding islands like Vashon and Bainbridge, use ferry services provided by Washington State Ferries, to reach downtown Seattle. Cruise ships visits have gained popularity with an estimated 800,000 visitors arriving in Seattle by cruise ships every year. The cost and the duration of cruise ship transportation vary with the source and the season (Arafe, 2007).

Tourist attractions

Seattle is considered as one of the top travel destinations in United States due to the diversity found within the city. Some of the destinations that I would like to visit include Pike Place Market, The Space Needle, Museum of flights and Downtown Seattle.

As the tallest structure in Seattle, I would like to climb on top of the Space needle and enjoy a 360 degree view of downtown Seattle and the surrounding region. The cost is reasonable, as I will spend $16 only for this experience (Arafe, 2007).

Pike Place Market is one of the oldest, continually operated public market in United States. As such, I would like to visit the market for a chance to buy hand crafted gifts for friends and family (Arafe, 2007).

The Museum of Flight is another destination that I wouldn’t miss while visiting Seattle. The museum is the largest air and Space museum in the world. I will have a chance to learn a bit of the history and the future of Flights, everything from Wright Brothers to Space exploration (Bartley, 2007).

Seattle downtown is a haven for many features for a tourist to enjoy. As such, I would visit downtown Seattle, especially the 20-block historic district, which offer guided underground tour of Klondike Goldrush Museum and other art Galleries.

Conclusion

Seattle is one of the leading tourist destinations in United States. Because of its diversity the city has a reputation as one the best dining destination in the Northwest. Visitors to the city have a wide selection of lodging facilities to choose from, ranging from Bed and Breakfast to Resorts. Various modes of transportation to and from Seattle are available depending with where one is coming from. Seattle has many interesting places where tourist can enjoy. These include the Pike Place Market and the Museum of flight.

Works Cited

1. Arafe, L. (2007). Seattle: Ranks among Top U.S. Touirist Destination. Web.
2. Bartley, N. (2007). Top travel destination. Web.
3. Klingle, M. W. (2007). Emerald City: An Environmental History of Seattle. Connectcuit: Yale University Press.
4. Nickels, G. (2008, Feb 12). The Greater Seattle Data Sheet.
5. Yee, L. (2008). Affordanable Dining Luxuries. The premier Seattle Monthly , 17-28.