Fodor's Expert Review Ballard Inn

Travelers seeking an authentic Seattle neighborhood experience will fall hard for this charming budget-friendly inn right in the heart of Ballard, tucked between coffee shops, trendy boutiques, and restaurants. It's got character too: the 1909 property, a former bank, is done in a minimalist, modern Louis XIV style, from the giant black rosette chandelier in the black-and-white lobby to the gold-leaf French provincial dressers, blue walls, and quilted headboards in some rooms upstairs. Other than the deluxe king rooms, the rooms use shared bathrooms. Two of the four suites have separate entrances for a private apartment-like feel.