Staying near the First Hill hospitals: a practical guide for families
When someone you love is having surgery or a run of appointments, where you sleep matters more than it does on a holiday. You want to be close, you want a kitchen, and you want somewhere quiet to decompress at the end of a long day in a waiting room. Downtown Seattle sits right next to First Hill, home to several of the region's major hospitals, and our apartments in downtown Seattle are within walking distance of them.
This guide gives the real walking distances, explains what a two-bedroom apartment can and can't offer a family, and is upfront about accessibility.
Walking distances to the First Hill hospitals
Distances are OpenStreetMap walking routes from our building. They follow streets, not straight lines. First Hill is, as the name suggests, uphill from downtown, so allow extra time if anyone in your group walks slowly.
| Hospital | Address used | Walking distance | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Mason | 1100 9th Ave | about 0.36 mi | about 8 min |
| Swedish First Hill | 747 Broadway | about 0.68 mi | about 15 min |
| Harborview Medical Center | 325 9th Ave | about 0.83 mi | about 18 min |
On days with early appointments, discharge or heavy bags, a short rideshare is the easier choice. Hospitals often have several entrances, so check which one your appointment letter names.
Please read: accessibility
Our apartments are not wheelchair accessible. If anyone in your group uses a wheelchair, or if a patient will be recovering from surgery that affects their mobility, please email us at [email protected] before you book. We'll answer your questions honestly, and we'd rather help you find the right place than have you arrive at the wrong one. The hospitals' patient and family services teams can often suggest accessible lodging.
Why families choose an apartment for medical stays
- Two bedrooms. A parent and a teenager, or two adult siblings taking turns at a bedside, each get a room with a door.
- A full kitchen. Hospital-cafeteria meals get old fast. You can cook simple meals, keep the fridge stocked with snacks and prepare food that suits a special diet.
- Laundry. The Lumière 2BR and the Two-Bath 2BR have their own washer and dryer, which makes a big difference on stays longer than a few days. The Top-Floor 2BR uses the building's shared laundry room on the 2nd floor.
- A living room. Hospital updates, insurance calls and late-night conversations need a place to sit that isn't the edge of a hotel bed.
- Two bathrooms if you need them. For larger family groups, the Two-Bath 2BR takes the pressure off mornings.
Planning a stay around appointments
Check-in and checkout. Check-in is from 4:00 PM and checkout is by 11:00 AM. If a procedure is scheduled early on your arrival day, tell us. Early check-in is sometimes possible for $35 depending on the cleaning schedule, but we can't guarantee it, so please plan as if it isn't available. We also can't store luggage.
Parking. If you're driving from out of town, our in-building garage space is for compact cars only, at $35 per night on request. SUVs and larger vehicles don't fit. The hospitals run their own patient and visitor garages; check their websites for rates. See our parking guide for the downtown garages.
Getting here without a car. The Link light rail 1 Line runs from Sea-Tac Airport to Westlake Station, about a 9-minute walk (0.44 mi) from the building. From the apartments, the walk to Virginia Mason is shorter than many hotel-to-hospital rideshare waits.
Quiet time. You don't have to stay in the apartment between visits. Freeway Park, the terraced green space beside the Convention Center, is a good spot for a breath of fresh air. Pike Place Market (about 0.72 mi, ≈15 min walk) is a good short outing on a better day.
What we can and can't do
We're a small local host team, not a hotel, and we don't offer medical transport or luggage storage. What we can do is answer messages promptly, send arrival instructions before your stay, and be honest about whether an apartment suits your situation. Before booking, please tell us about anything that worries you: stairs, the walk, parking or noise.
Pets: no pets, please. Service animals are welcome.
Booking
Booking direct on this site gets you 10% off our nightly rate and a flat $120 cleaning fee. A $300 pre-authorization is placed on your card one day before arrival and released after checkout; it's a hold, not a charge. Check availability for all three apartments.
Sources: hospital street addresses from each hospital's public listing; walking distances from OpenStreetMap routing (routing.openstreetmap.de), computed 24 Oct 2026. This guide is general travel information, not medical advice.