Archer Hotel Seattle/Redmond

What makes this a “four star” hotel? The room was claustrophobic and massively overpriced, with broken light fixtures and dirty dishes beside the coffee maker. There was yellow-green stuff growing at the bottom of the pool. And despite the huge parking lot out front, guests can’t use it. You have to pay $15 a day for the deck. That’s a lovely first impression. The lobby restaurant was another major disappointment. We had to pay a $25 credit, so I was looking forward to trying it. The menu names executive chef James Mullins, which raised my expectations for the Huevos Rancheros. What arrived was gray black bean sludge, a whole can of room-temperature diced tomatoes, and two cold, wet tortillas. Asking how you want your eggs doesn’t matter. Everyone gets the same overcooked eggs, with yolks hard as marbles. I’m pregnant and hungry, so I slurped it down before I could take a photo. Christ, guys. If breakfast is worse than Denny’s, why pride yourselves on this? Shame on you and your team, chef James Mullins. This is a scammy trap with a nice lobby, not a luxury hotel. Maybe guests get tricked into staying because of the hotel’s relationship with local wedding venues. I regret not booking the Marriott up the street. Steer clear. We didn’t even have hand soap in our room.

The room and location were great, but ordering food and drinks at the lobby bar and kitchen was a frustrating experience. The brunette server was kind, but on the couple of times I tried, she didn’t come to take my order or bring water. I waited, then went to the bar, where the blonde woman bartender took my order quickly and made a solid drink. This happened more than once. Even in a hotel lobby, if I’m seated I’d rather not have to get up and order at the bar after waiting so long.

Roya welcomed me warmly and was incredibly friendly when I checked in for an overnight work trip. The room was spacious and clean, which I appreciated as a bit of a germaphobe. The huge bed was very comfortable, and I got a good night’s sleep, something that can be hard on the first night of travel. I enjoyed the Nespresso pod options and complimentary Fiji water. Breakfast at the hotel restaurant was genuinely good, with generous portions. Overnight parking was easy and very reasonably priced at $15 a night. The location is central, walkable, and close to plenty of restaurants. After checking out, I emailed the hotel with a question and Grant replied kindly. I enjoyed the stay and would choose to come back to Redmond.

The hotel has spacious rooms, nice facilities, a clean gym, and friendly staff. I also liked the small touch of local candies being left each day. The garage parking costs extra for hotel guests, though. I’d like it to be cheaper.