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Tag Archives: Seattle

Seattle Vacation Rentals - Blending in with locals

Posted on December 4, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

From time to time, we hear from guests who stayed with us in our Seattle locations about how interesting the local culture of Seattle seems to them. Comments like “Coffee is like gold to these people” and “I thought flannel was out of style?” make us chuckle (namely because we’re quite familiar with the Emerald City to the west of our Spokane headquarters). These comments reflect subtly changing desires of travelers today.

We know from consumer research that more and more travelers today are seeking to “travel/live like a local”. The trend of “like a local” reflects a shift in mindset for a growing number of so-called tourists, who are replacing traditional tourist activities like guided tours with locally-recommended activities, restaurants, boutique theaters, among others. And why not? Celebrity tourism experts can’t keep up with local culture like the local people can themselves, whereas reviews are instantly published and (usually) updated frequently. Thus, people trust- and at times rely on- other user reviews. The good news for consumers is that highly-praised and reviewed local favorites are typically very dependable. The end result? Knowing which coffee stand nearest your Seattle Vacation Rental makes your favorite drink the best, before you make the walk.

(Psst - Hey you! Get our review-driven cityguide app for free right here)

 

UPDATE:
We did some searching on this subject ourselves and found something that is relevant to this post.The following list is from an article from TripAdvisor that does a good job of giving you the bullet points on how to avoid appearing like a tourist when you stay in Seattle vacation rentals:

“Now that you’ve made the decision to visit the Great Northwest, you want to blend in with the locals right? Of course you do. You will be spotted as a tourist immediately if you make any of the following mistakes:

• First it’s the Pike Place Market, or simply “The Market”. Calling it Pikes Market, or some other corruption will label you as an out of towner immediately.

• Another pet peeve is what to call the freeway system. The freeway is I-5 or ‘the freeway’.

Its not THE FIVE or THE I-90 or THE 405. People will immediately ask what part of California you’re from.

• While not totally universal locals order pop not soda.

• Locals go to the beach not the shore.

• When watching weather reports listen to the forecast for a chance of ‘sunbreaks”. Also if ‘the mountain is out” refers to the few days when residents can actually see Mt. Rainier.

• Warm is defined as anything over 70 degrees and a heat wave would be 3 or 4 days of over 80. During winter look forward to constant special news boadcasts of “Our Winter

Stormwatch” which includes any snow forecast of over 2 inches. People from the midwest or east think locals are crazy but you don’t have to shovel rain.

• The license plates on cars has a tab that states the year of expiration. Not sure what the ‘tag’ number is but locals know the plate number.

• Yard sales are what some people in other areas call tag sales.

• The shoulder of the highway is just called the shoulder, vs the ‘breakdown’ lane.

• Learn how to say Puyallup. (pew AL up) Learn how to say Tukwila. (TUK wil a) Heck, learn how to say Seattle while you’re at it. (see AT ul)”

To that list, we would add:

• Coffee is sacred to Seattlites (don’t call them that). From Starbucks on every corner to the

hundreds of independent (and totally hipster) cafes, there’s the perfect cup of coffee out

there for anyone’s preferences. Unless you prefer tea. In which case, order some tea from

Amazon.com (Seattlites love shopping local… fortunately that includes Amazon.com)

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Vacation Rentals Leading Innovation in Accommodation

Posted on November 28, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

Seattle Vacation Rentals like Stay Alfred - leading innovation in accommodation

In the hotel industry, not a lot has changed in the last 5, 10, well… 50 years. Guests of a hotel can expect the same check in and check out process, lobbies, small desks, luggage bellmen, over-chlorinated pools, and everything else they could expect to find in 1960. This old model tends to limit the modern traveler. Think of a family with 3 kids wanting to visit Seattle (if it’s easier to imagine, a group of six friends can be considered in this same way) - Why stay in a suburb of Seattle, when really, your family (or group of friends) wants to stay down the street from Pike’s Place Market or the Space Needle? Before vacation rentals, the elements in balance were price and convenience. Your party of six can’t stay at a hotel in downtown Seattle without paying way too much, especially if you’re trying to stay anywhere near the Convention Center, or near Safeco Field, or CenturyLink Field to see the Seattle Seahawks. And your room is tiny. And your room MIGHT have a microwave… if you’re in a “deluxe suite”. Travelling with a big family? Two or more couples? A team of your best sales reps? A couple of hotel rooms in those central areas can get quite spendy… and that’s not even mentioning the fact that you’ll probably have to “split up or double up” to accommodate everyone at the same location.

In thinking about the nature of hotels that way, many ask, why aren’t there better options?

Enter vacation rentals. While the hotel industry has been resistant to change, Seattle vacation rentals like Stay Alfred are leading the way in accommodation innovation. Split up or double up NO MORE! There is a wide-spread desire of travelers to spend more quality time with the family/friends/associates they traveled with, and those they traveled to see. Quality time doesn’t happen in a lobby or in separate rooms: quality time happens in a fully furnished, two-bedroom vacation rental towering over the lively streets of Seattle. Our average unit size is over 1,000 square feet – three times the size and space of the average hotel room. Many of our guests at Stay Alfred tell us that having the additional space made them feel much more at home than they typically feel in a hotel, and the home-like amenities really helped save time and money. As one of our guests recently described it, “the meals we made with Pike Place Market fresh ingredients in our unit throughout the week allowed us to spend more time and money enjoying Seattle.” Families vacationing in Seattle don’t need or want someone knocking on their door every morning. They want to stay in a clean, comfortable space that makes them feel like they are at home- away from home.

Travelers, particularly families and business travelers, are showing strong preferences towards home-like features instead of worrying about whether someone will be there to charge to park their car every time. Family vacations don’t need a bellhop- they need a washer and dryer, and a full kitchen comes in handy for the meals they’d rather have a home-cooked meal for. Stay Alfred knows that these home-like amenities are much more important, useful, and relevant for modern travelers. From design and décor, to location and value of staying together, vacation rental companies like Stay Alfred are becoming popular alternatives to hotels, much to the chagrin of hotels.
It will be interesting to see if hotels start to catch on- because unparalleled value, space, privacy, and home-like amenities in unbeatable downtown locations are not fads- they are the demands of the next generation of travelers everywhere.

Until next time,

Stay Alfred

Seattle Google+ Local Page: https://plus.google.com/113729059969224759774/about?gl=us&hl=en

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Bumbershoot 2013 August 31-September 2nd at Seattle Center!

Posted on August 21, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

The 43rd annual Bumbershoot Festival opens in Seattle over Labor Day weekend, from Saturday 8/31 to Monday 9/2. The festival features tons of art, music, and good eats. The festival’s history began in 1971 as a city-funded event, with over 100,000 visitors. In the 1980’s, the festival was taken over by One Reel Productions and is now affiliated, and produced by AEG Live. Bumbershoot is Seattle’s most notable events and it is back to kick things off in 2013.

This year, the festival line-up includes Death Cab, MGMT, Kendrick Lamar, Crystal Castles, Gary Numan, The Breeders, Matt & Kim, Tegan & Sara, and so many more.

Get your tickets and head out to Seattle to join the Bumbershoot festivities.

For more information please visit http://bumbershoot.org/

Also please be sure to visit us in any of the cities we are in and check out our website at www.StayAlfred.com where you can view all of our properties, rates and make reservations.

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Pacific Science Center, Imaginate Exhibition!

Posted on August 19, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

Where do you get your inspiration and do you inspire others? You will soon find out as you open up your thinking, reflect on what you learn and create something new with Imaginate - a muliti-activity exhibition that introduces you to the skills and attitudes that are part of the process of innovation.

Imaginate explores five broad themes each representing a possible pathway to innovation. Below are examples of activties found within each theme.

Dream Big

  • So You Think You Can Fly: As a child did you ever just want to fly? Put on a pair on wings, flap your arms and compare your flapping rate to different birds. Step on our scale and see what your wingspan would need to be for you to be able to fly.

Expect the Unexpected

  • Materials Playground: Have you ever looked at something ordinary and thought of a way to make it extraordinary? Test out various properties of materials in this materials playground and see how nature has directly inspired many inventions.

Collaborate or Compete

  • Sound Panels: Is it just noise or is it “music”? In this large room of sound and lights, you can create a musical masterpiece involving rhythm, light, pattern and emotion. Collaboration with others lets you work with each other’s sounds.

Try, Try and Try Again

  • Friction Zone: Many good innovations come from an understanding of the properties of the materials being used. By experimenting with the surface properties of a range of materials, you can discover which combinations yield the fastest or slowest run.

Look to the World

  • 3D Evolution: The evolution of 3D is filled with examples of innovative behavior – from stereoscopes to 3D glasses to 3D screens that can be viewed without glasses. Learn how the brain perceives 3D and experience some illusions that take spectacular advantage of this science.- www.pacificsciencecenter.org

Imaginate is great for the whole family both young and old alike. Please be sure to check it out this great show and don’t forget to use your imagination! This exhibition continues thru September 02, 2013.

To learn more about the Pacific Science Center or Imaginate please click on the link below!

http://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/Exhibits/imaginate

Also please be sure to visit us in any of the cities we are in and check out our website at www.StayAlfred.com where you can view all of our properties, rates and make reservations.

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Seattle City Pass, A great value!

Posted on August 12, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

City Pass is a wonderful way to see the top attractions that Seattle has to offer over a course of nine consecutive days not only will you be saving time and money as well. You will be saving up to 50% off of posted ticket prices and you will be able to skip the long lines. The pass includes admission to 6 must see attractions: the Space needle, Seattle Aquarium, Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, Pacific Science center, EMP Museum, Woodland Park Zoo or The Museum of Flight! We suggest to our guest that even though you might not have time to see all the attractions the City Pass would defiantly still be a great buy!

One of the best attractions that Alfred’s recommends you don’t miss is the Argosy Cruises Harbor Tours, during the one-hour voyage you learn about Seattle as you take in the spectacular panoramic background of the majestic Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. Among the spectacular views of the mountain ranges you see the city’s historic waterfront, sparkling Emerald City skyline, busy shipyards, colorful Alki Beach and breathtaking natural beauty.

Please be sure to visit us in any of the cities we are in and check out our website at www.StayAlfred.com where you can view all of our properties, rates and make reservations.

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The best burger in town! (Seattle Edition)

Posted on August 10, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

(Photo Credit: Chad Pryor)

Many of Alfred’s Vacation Rental properties are located in Belltown which is a great location because it’s a foodie paradise. There are so many different types of restaurants to choose from one would we like to highlight is the Spur Gastropub! It was voted one of best burger joints in town according a recent poll on SeattleEater.com. It was ranked #5 out of 10. “Housed in a historic Seattle building in Belltown, Spur nods to the area’s pioneer, fisherman and occasional outlaw roots. Spur features iconic American imagery in a rotating photo exhibit.” This restaurant offers the delicious Spur’s Burger which is a grass fed beef burger and includes red onion jam, cheddar and thyme! This burger is a staple to the menu now for years to come. If you would like to try this burger out for yourself you can check out Spur Gastropub located at 113 BLANCHARD ST, SEATTLE, WA 98121

Please be sure to visit us in any of the cities we are in and check out our website at www.StayAlfred.com where you can view all of our properties, rates and make reservations.

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Seattle’s Pike Place Market: Why it is such a great attraction for all!

Posted on August 9, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

A little history about this great tourist attraction, at the turn of the century, Seattle was a rough and tumble place and a rapidly growing city. As the population of gold rushers, loggers, fishermen, shipbuilders and merchants grew, so did the demand for produce and goods from the city’s neighboring farms. In the decade of 1890-1900, Seattle’s population nearly doubled, growing from 42,000 to 80,000 citizens.

Farmers brought their vegetables, fruit, milk, dairy, eggs and meat to the city by horse drawn wagons and by ferry from the nearby islands. The goods were purchases by wholesalers, who sold the goods at a commission at warehouses on Western Ave. In this system, farmers occasionally made a profit but increasingly only broke even or lost money.

In 1906-1907, the price of produce—onions namely—soared, leaving the farmers none the richer and the citizens angry over the price gouging. The uproar led one local official to try to find a solution. In the summer of 1907, Seattle City Councilman Thomas Revelle proposed the city create a public market place where farmers and consumers could meet directly to sell and buy goods and thereby sidelining the wholesalers.

On the public market’s first day, August 17, 1907, crowds of shoppers seeking fresh produce and bargains descended upon the new marketplace. The first farmer sold out of produce within minutes. Within a week, 70 wagons were gathering daily to sell along the newly named Pike Place, a wooden roadway that connected First St. to Western Ave.

When the maze of aging buildings was slated for demolition in the 1960s, architect Victor Steinbrueck rallied Seattle to “Save the Market.” Voters approved a 17-acre historic district on November 2, 1971, and the City of Seattle later established the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority to rehabilitate and manage the Market’s core buildings.

–Pikeplacemarket.org

Pike place market has a very rich history and it is one of the oldest operating farmer’s markets. It offers fresh produce, unique foods, and special handmade crafts to would defiantly peak your interest! The market overlooks the beautiful Elliott Bay and is centrally located in downtown Seattle. There are many reasons why thousands of people visits each year one of the most popular attractions that brings visitors from near and far would have is the world famous fish market! Where fishmongers throw back and forth they are entertaining people and memorable experience for those just passing by! Be sure to be you are paying attention you might get a surprise from a kiss from a fish. If you love to shop Pikes Place Market is the place for you it has a vast array of different vendors that sell many types of special handmade products including fashion wearable’s, crafted ceramics, jewelry and much more. The Market’s year-round seasonal produce is a great addition for any meal.

Pikes Place market is wonderful attraction for the young to the old; it offers so much for so little. The shops, food, restaurants and the views provide the visitors a fun, engaging experience but memories that last forever!

Please be sure to visit us in any of the cities we are in and check out our website at www.StayAlfred.com where you can view all of our properties, rates and make reservations.

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A little about Alfred’s Vacation Rentals

Posted on August 9, 2013 by admin — 1 Comment ↓

Alfred’s Vacation rentals was founded in 2011 in Spokane, WA. The company had a small beginning with only having a few properties in Seattle and Spokane. Now we manage 52 different properties in Seattle, Bellevue, Spokane, Portland and Denver. Alfred’s goal is to offer short term rentals at affordable prices while making the booking process easy and problem free. Our company fully furnishes condominiums and apartments in only key locations. We provide a perfect place for people coming into town for various reasons such as vacations, weddings, family reunions, corporate travelers, local events and business conferences; who simply don’t want to stay in cramped and expensive hotel rooms.

Our rates are very comparable to nearby hotels, while offering more amenities such as fully stocked kitchens, living rooms, separate bedrooms, balconies, flat screens, comfortable couches, cable, Wi-Fi, linens, and more. Our goal is to make sure that guests have a comfortable and memorable experience while staying in our units. We work very hard to ensure that you will always be greeted with a professionally cleaned unit and quality furnishings. We pride ourselves on our unique service and adaptability to cater to your individual needs.

Our experienced customer service representatives are standing by to answer any questions you may have about vacation rentals in Seattle, Bellevue, Spokane, Denver, Portland, and more.

Please be sure to visit us in any of the cities we are in and check out our website at www.StayAlfred.com where you can view all of our properties, rates and make reservations.

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