Hotels in SeaTac, USA

A Convenient Stopover South of Seattle - It’s SeaTac

Located in Washington’s southern King County and incorporated in 1990, the city of SeaTac combines the names of nearby cities Seattle and Tacoma. The city covers an area of around ten square miles, about seven of which are taken up by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Tourist attractions in this outer suburb of Seattle are not exactly what you’d describe as abundant but the ample hotels and B&Bs in the area provide a handy stopover for those using the services at the airport. Plus, you’ll find yourself within a short drive of attractions should you wish to explore the Pacific Northwest.

Beautiful Green Spaces to Explore

If your stopover is a short one but you’re still keen to escape your hotel for a while, the city’s green spaces are an ideal place to do just that. The ten-acre Angle Lake Park, situated within four miles of the airport and home to the annual SeaTac International Festival, is a recently renovated space with water play areas, a boating launch, and a fishing dock. To the north of the airport, the Highline SeaTac Botanical Gardens features spaces such as the Seike Japanese Garden and Elda Behm’s Paradise Garden. If you have time to head out further, Kubota Garden, Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, and Tiger Mountain State Forest are all within a 15 to 50-minute drive of the city.

Shopping and Dining in and Near SeaTac

You’ll find a decent choice of shops and dining spots inside the airport but if you’d like to explore a little further afield, the Westfield Southcenter, one of the biggest shopping malls in the Seattle area, is within a ten-minute drive of the airport. Here you’ll find a vast selection of shops and restaurants as well as a movie theatre and a play space for younger visitors. A free shuttle service, the Seattle Southside Express, stops regularly at many SeaTac hotels on its way to the mall. At the nearby Great Wall Shopping Mall, Asian-themed shopping and dining is on offer. You can also head to areas such as Des Moines and Dash Point to enjoy a meal at one of the waterfront dining spots dotted along the coastline.

Plentiful Animal Experiences

A stay in SeaTac places you within easy reach of a wide variety of animal encounters along the Puget Sound. Woodland Park Zoo and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the latter home to a popular red wolf habitat and exhibition, are both within a 40-minute drive of SeaTac. Just a little further afield is the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, a 700-acre park where a tram tour and free-range animal area are among the attractions. Another highlight of this area is the opportunity to see wild orca whales in the waters around San Juan Island. These waters offer one of the best spots in North America to see these magnificent creatures although you may also spot eagles and seals.

Exploring Seattle Attractions

Downtown Seattle is just 15 miles north of Seattle and is easily accessible via car or the area’s Central Link light rail system. The city centre offers the chance to visit sightseeing hotspots such as the Space Needle, the Pike Place Market, and the Seattle Great Wheel. Fans of arts and culture are also in for a treat. You might like to catch a show at the historic Paramount and 5th Avenue Theatres, the latter a restored vaudeville venue dating back to 1926. Additional cultural highlights include Chihuly Garden and Museum, the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, the Henry Art Gallery, and the Experience Music Project Museum.

Visiting Nearby Tacoma

Lying a little over 20 miles from SeaTac, a trip to Tacoma is also a possibility. Escape the airport for a while and head southwest to explore attractions such as the Museum of Glass, America’s Car Museum, the Tacoma Art Museum, and the Bridge of Glass. You can also visit the likes of Union Passenger Station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974, and Fort Nisqually, a re-created trading post that depicts life at the time of European settlement in the area during the 1830s. On your way back to SeaTac, you might like to call in at the Wild Waves & Enchanted Village theme park.