Leela was a communicative and very informative host. She was very helpful getting us checked in and made herself available for questions and communications. Check in was straightforward and easy. As for the loft itself, perhaps it was a mismatched situation of our expectation and reality. I should preface by saying that perhaps we aren't the typical guests that might rent this unit out as I am a Seattle native who was coming back to visit family for the holidays and I am already pretty familiar with the city. We were not looking to sightsee or bar hop, and with COVID we had expectations of spending more time in the unit and cooking in than perhaps a lot of guests. I think this loft is geared toward the guest who is looking to spend more time outside sightseeing. The loft is romantic and bohemian with found objects being used in creative and upcycled ways. The huge ceilings and windows did not disappoint. The bed is comfortable, and the lofted space is fun and creates that sense of urban chic. The bathroom has good water pressure and water temperature. The kitchen has most of the things that you would need to cook (stove, fridge, freezer, microwave, dishwasher, french press), though some additions would make things that much better. The washer/dryer is a lifesaver.
That being said there were some unexpected things that made our stay a bit challenging. Some of them are just things that can't be helped, but guests should be aware of.
1) The windows, though monumental and impressive, are single paned. That means that everything outside sounds like it's happening inside. It also means the cold comes through so you have to close the blinds and the view in order to keep warm. We knew that there were going to be garbage trucks coming and going in the morning, but we weren't necessarily expecting were the consecutive two day 3am drunken brawls in the alley complete with shattered glass, overthrown recycling bins and the sound of every punch landing on somebody or something. This is Pioneer Square and it has historically been a bit of a rough area with homeless camps and it seemed to be coming out of its history pre-COVID. But with COVID, it has somewhat returned to its rougher roots. The seagulls also like to hang out here early in the morning to gossip about all the goings on. :)
2) Closet space is very limited. The large main closet is used to store cleaning equipment/linens and other items. There is no space to store folded clothes other than your suitcase. Hanging space is available.
3) It's dark. The space is very high and light fixtures over the seating area doesn't really exist. Many of the table lamps did not have bulbs in them and are a bit delicate. For example, one of the bedside lamps has the socket assembly mounted in a cork plug in the mouth of the lamp base that is not secured to the base, If you did not navigate very carefully to turn on the lamp, it is very easily tipped out. The main dining area is ONLY lit with string lights on a plug with no switch. You have to plug/unplug them. The kitchen has overhead lights on a switch, but only over the counter area.
4) The bathroom does not have towel racks to hang your towels. Also be careful in the stall as the faucet handle sticks into the stall a bit far and if you put your arms down while showering, your elbow can very easily hit the handle and turn your shower freezing cold or extra hot and steamy.
5) We didn't use the mezzanine level as it was just the two of us, but we did explore up there and it's nice, but the ceiling is very low and your head is very close to the pipes on the ceiling so just use caution up there.
6) The kitchen is mostly stocked with basics, but again, since we were looking to spend more time in than out, what we found lacking might be perfectly fine for someone else. I won't get granular here as you can absolutely cook a full meal but you'll need to to get creative if you need a veg peeler, one more cutting board or more than one full size fork. Knives are all pretty sharp though, so that's a plus!
7) The insuite washer dryer is awesome but when we checked in, the linens from the previous guest were still in the dryer which we folded and put away.
8) The dedicated workspace desk as advertised was not present, and that was a bit unexpected as I had brought my computer to do some work. It was fine, of course and we found a way to make it work, but it was just something that wasn't as advertised.
We did enjoy our stay here, but for what was not present in the unit, and how you have to tiptoe around everyday, high-traffic items like table lamps and shower handles that don't normally require much thought, having to find solutions for basics like bathroom towel racks and work space, the price point is a bit steep in my opinion. The space has a ton of potential and a lot of visual appeal. The headboard is every bit as monumental as it is in the pictures, and the height of the space is truly soaring and impressive, but for the amount of money we spent here, we just wish it was a little more homey and comfortable.