The American Hotel Hostel

This place used to be excellent in the past. Stayed 3-4 times here and the latest being in Dec 2024. Except for the walkable vicinity from King station, Seattle, there is absolutely nothing good about this hostel. Not heated enough in Dec-Jan, uncomfortable sleep. Horrible breakfast with no actual coffee (they have instant coffee, creamer powder and a microwave), and bananas. It's such a hassle to request front desk to use elevator while bringing bags upstairs. They can certainly do decently better for the decent price they charge.

I stayed in this hostel twice, once in a 4-bed male dorm and once in a 6-bed male dorm. For some reason I feel like the 6-bed male dorm actually has more shared space for people to put their personal belongings, and this is partly because the 6-bed male dorm is actually two rooms joined together (one room has two bunk beds, and the other has a bunk bed plus a sink; both rooms are connected). The lockers are pretty spacious, but they are located right next to the door, so sometimes it can feel awkward when you are taking out stuff from the locker and someone is walking into or out of the room. The beds work but are admittedly old. The hostel provides fruit, granola bars and coffee for breakfast. The community kitchen is cozy and people come here to chat and make friends. The community male bathroom has two showers which are sort of open (no individual door, just shower curtains). There are a few individual bathrooms with a toilet and a shower in the hostel, which are more spacious. The hostel is located in a convenient location - walk 3 minute to the subway station. There are plenty of eateries around the hostel, since it is located right in the heart of Chinatown. You can also walk 20-30 minute to popular tourist attractions easily. Given how extensive Seattle has become in recent years, the fact that this hostel is so affordable is a strong reason for you to stay here.

Really easy to get to from the airport/ King Street Station. 3 minutes walk from both and China Town stop. The reception lady was so lovely, warm and welcoming. Rooms are warm and cosy. There was even a desk and a chair. A little bit of noise at night but a reasonable amount. Still managed to sleep well. Banana, orange and cereal bars at breakfast. Great way to start the day. Bathrooms are clean, modern and never had to wait 👍

Staff was friendly, and you can store your luggage there during the day for $5. The common areas are clean and comfortable. The bathrooms are also reasonably clean, though the water was not so hot in one of the showers. The front desk is not staffed late at night so you cannot check in too late. The elevator is only for luggage, so you mostly have to walk the 4 flights of stairs if you are unlucky (as we were). Our room still had dirty linens from the last guest. And there was no air conditioning in our room- thankfully open windows and small fans were enough to keep us cool, but I imagine the summers are quite uncomfortable. Our room (2 bunk beds/4 people) was very small but liveable. The area is relatively quiet, and it is conveniently close to the ID link station.

great location, staff are reasonably friendly, but the whole hostel has a bit of a weird vibe… even in common areas, people don’t really socialize. and i found the warnings about security cameras in the common areas a bit discomfiting. also, the lounges close super early, so you’re basically stuck in your room after 8pm. the rooms are also pretty small and the bathrooms could be serviced more often (frequently out of paper towels/toilet paper).