Where to Stay in Capitol Hill and First Hill: Best Picks

Capitol Hill and First Hill sit side by side, with a Link light rail station, lively nightlife, a handful of well-reviewed inns and hotels, and many short-stay suites. This guide covers top-rated and budget hotels, kitchen stays, hostels and what is near each pick, with the booking site behind every rating.

The best places to stay in Capitol Hill and First Hill, Seattle are 11th Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast, Cecil Bacon Manor and Silver Cloud Hotel Broadway for top ratings. For savings, try First Hill Suites or Kasa Capitol Hill. The Capitol Hill Link station, near Cal Anderson Park, makes getting around easy.

Where to stay in Capitol Hill and First Hill depends on how you like to travel. Capitol Hill has bars, coffee, bookstores and parks on its doorstep but few large hotels, mostly inns, guesthouses and suites in older buildings. First Hill, just south, has more traditional hotels. Because the two neighborhoods are close, you can compare Capitol Hill First Hill hotels in one search. If you want to plan your days first, read our guide to one day in Capitol Hill.

This post lists up to three of the highest-rated places and three budget picks for each type of stay, and it names the booking site behind every number. Sites use different scales and change often, so all ratings and prices here are as of October 21, 2026. Prices are "from" rates for sample dates, not quotes. Check the live price and your dates before you book.

By the Numbers: 1 Link station near Cal Anderson Park, 2 QFC and 2 Safeway stores on Capitol Hill, and most hotels in the Kayak lists below sit 0.0 to 0.8 miles from the center of their neighborhood.

Quick Picks

If you want...	Pick	Why (ratings and prices as of October 21, 2026)
The best-rated place	11th Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast	9.7 out of 10 from 516 reviews on Kayak
A bigger hotel with a strong score	Silver Cloud Hotel Broadway (First Hill)	8.8 out of 10 from 1,884 reviews on Kayak
The cheapest in-neighborhood stay	First Hill Suites	From about $81 on Kayak; no guest score shown
A budget apartment stay	Kasa Capitol Hill Seattle	8.8 out of 10 from 289 reviews on Expedia
A kitchen for a longer stay	Residence Inn Downtown/Convention Center	9.4 out of 10 on Expedia; confirm kitchens
The cheapest bed	Green Tortoise Hostel (downtown)	2 stars and about $81 a night on Travelocity
Light rail close by	Cecil Bacon Manor	0.2 miles from "Capitol Hill" on Kayak
A stay close to a grocery chain	A stay near Broadway or 15th Ave E	One Safeway is at 15th Ave and John St; a QFC is in Harvard Market
A hotel close to a landmark	Hotel Sorrento (First Hill)	8.6 out of 10 from 558 reviews on Kayak, 0.1 miles from First Hill
Near nightlife	A stay near Pike/Pine	Neumos, Rumba and Hula Hula are on the corridor
Near a park	A stay near Cal Anderson Park	Reflecting pools, lawns and the AIDS Memorial Pathway

Neighborhood Vibes

Capitol Hill is the lively one. It is a dense, walkable neighborhood of older apartment buildings, brunch spots, bookstores, coffee shops and bars, and a travel writer for Islands magazine describes it as diverse, progressive and walkable. Streets climb and drop, so you will walk uphill more than you expect. Mornings tend to be quiet and coffee-focused, afternoons revolve around shops and Cal Anderson Park, and the energy builds in the evening around Pike/Pine, where live music clubs and bars stay busy. Capitol Hill has a large LGBTQ+ community, and Pride in June is its busiest and most colorful time, according to Visit Seattle. For calm, Volunteer Park covers nearly 50 acres, was designed by the Olmsted Brothers and holds a 1912 glass conservatory.

Living or staying here means trading quiet for convenience. You can walk to dinner, a bookstore and a park, and the Link station is close. In return, expect street noise on weekend nights near Pike/Pine, steep blocks and limited parking. If you sleep lightly, ask for a room away from the street, or pick a stay farther up the hill.

First Hill sits just south and is more of a hotel district. On the lists we checked, it has more traditional hotels and fewer bars and cafes than Capitol Hill, so it suits travelers who want a conventional hotel and a short trip to the action. We did not find enough sourced detail to describe its street life further, so walk around it on a map before you book.

Light Rail and Bus Access

• Link light rail: the Capitol Hill station is near Cal Anderson Park. It links to Pioneer Square, the University of Washington and the airport, according to a regional travel guide. See our guide to getting from SeaTac to downtown Seattle for the airport ride.
• Hotels near light rail: Cecil Bacon Manor, at about 0.2 miles from the center of Capitol Hill, is the closest well-reviewed stay we found.
• Distances: Kayak lists distances "from Capitol Hill" or "from First Hill" in general, not from a station, so we quote them that way. Confirm the walk on a map.
• Bus: Metro buses cross both hills. We did not confirm routes for each stay, so use a trip planner for your address.
• Uphill: Volunteer Park is up the hill from the station, so allow a bus or a longer walk.

Top Rated Hotels and Inns

Scores are out of 10 from Kayak, which lists hotels in each neighborhood with distances from the neighborhood center. Prices are "from" rates for the sample dates shown on Kayak.

1. 11th Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast (Capitol Hill): 9.7/10 (Kayak), 516 reviews, from about $228. About 0.4 miles from Capitol Hill. A bed and breakfast, so it suits couples more than groups.
2. Cecil Bacon Manor (Capitol Hill): 8.9/10 (Kayak), 499 reviews, from about $294. About 0.2 miles from Capitol Hill, one of the closest well-reviewed stays.
3. Silver Cloud Hotel Broadway (First Hill): 8.8/10 (Kayak), 1,884 reviews, from about $230. About 0.2 miles from First Hill, at 1100 Broadway per Travelocity, which lists it at 2 stars.

Also well reviewed: Hotel Sorrento (First Hill) at 8.6/10 from 558 reviews on Kayak, from about $271 (Kayak's "most popular" price is about $144), about 0.1 miles from First Hill. Kayak also lists Mozart Guest House (Capitol Hill) at 8.9/10 from 119 reviews, but its "from" price of about $1,162 for the sample dates looks unusual, so check the live rate.

Budget Pick Hotels

Budget stays here have fewer reviews than the top picks, so read recent guest reviews before booking. Scores and prices are from Kayak unless named otherwise.

1. First Hill Suites (First Hill): from about $81, no guest score shown (Kayak). About 0.0 miles from First Hill, so it is the cheapest in-neighborhood option we found. Confirm room details and reviews on the booking site.
2. Dragonstone Sweet Suite (Capitol Hill): 7.0/10 (Kayak), 12 reviews, from about $109. About 0.3 miles from Capitol Hill. Review counts are small. Travelocity lists the Sweet Suite properties at 619 Malden Ave E at 1 star.
3. The Boylston Hotel Capitol Hill: 8.4/10 (Kayak), 362 reviews, from about $146. About 0.7 miles from Capitol Hill, and the best-reviewed of the three. Travelocity lists it at 4 stars.

Hostels

We could not confirm a hostel inside Capitol Hill or First Hill. The nearest on Travelocity's list for the Capitol Hill station area is downtown, and Travelocity shows a star level, not a guest score.

• Green Tortoise Hostel Seattle, 105 Pike St: 2 stars, from about $81 a night ($94 with taxes and fees) on Travelocity. It sits near Pike Place Market, not on the hills.

We have not checked Hostelworld guest scores for it, so look them up before you book. Rates change by date and bed type.

Top Rated Apartments and Kitchen Stays

For a longer stay with a kitchen, the strongest scores belong to downtown suite hotels, a short ride from the hills. These scores are out of 10 from Expedia, from its list of kitchen-equipped stays. Totals include taxes and fees for the sample dates.

1. Residence Inn by Marriott Seattle Downtown/Convention Center: 9.4/10 (Expedia), 1,612 reviews, about $190 a night.
2. Hyatt House Seattle/Downtown: 9.2/10 (Expedia), 2,208 reviews, about $194 a night.
3. Hampton Inn & Suites Seattle Downtown: 9.0/10 (Expedia), 1,735 reviews, about $130 to $154 a night depending on the page and dates. Confirm that your room includes a kitchen or kitchenette.

Kayak also lists Homewood Suites by Hilton Seattle Convention Center-Pike Street, about 0.3 miles from First Hill, from about $224, with no guest score shown.

Budget Picks: Apartments and Kitchen Stays

Review counts are smaller for in-neighborhood stays, so read recent reviews before you book.

1. Kasa Capitol Hill Seattle: 8.8/10 (Expedia), 289 reviews, from about $106 a night. Some sites list the same property as Casa Capitol Hill. Kayak shows 7.4/10 from only 12 reviews and about $247 on its sample dates, so scores and prices disagree. Check the live rate.
2. Sweet Suites Capitol Hill: 2 stars (Travelocity), from about $118 a night on Travelocity's extended-stay list. No guest score is shown.
3. Homewood Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown: 8.8/10 (Expedia), 1,001 reviews, about $134 a night. It is downtown, a short ride from the hills.

If you stay a month or more, ask each property about weekly and monthly rates, which sites often hide.

Other Types of Stays

• Bed and breakfasts and guesthouses: 11th Avenue Inn and Mozart Guest House (see above) are the guesthouses.
• Vacation rentals: Kayak lists condos such as Hosteeva Capitol Hill Condos and Capitol Hill Cozy Condos. We did not collect ratings for them, so compare reviews and cancellation rules on the site.
• Studios and lofts: Lofty Studio Prime Cap Hill is listed at 9.2/10 on Kayak from only 4 reviews, about 0.1 miles from Capitol Hill, and a loft near First Hill is listed at 9.0/10 from 2 reviews. Treat both scores as thin.

What Is Near Each Pick

Distances come from the sources named, as of October 21, 2026. Confirm walking times on a map.

Pick	Grocery chain	Landmark	Nightlife	Park
11th Avenue Inn (0.4 mi, Kayak)	QFC and Safeway stores serve Capitol Hill (check the nearest)	Cal Anderson Park and Broadway are the center of the hill	Pike/Pine, including Neumos, Rumba and Hula Hula	Cal Anderson Park
Cecil Bacon Manor (0.2 mi, Kayak)	QFC and Safeway stores serve Capitol Hill	Elliott Bay Book Company and Cal Anderson Park	Pike/Pine	Cal Anderson Park; Volunteer Park is uphill
The Boylston Hotel (0.7 mi, Kayak)	QFC and Safeway stores serve Capitol Hill	The Broadway and Pike/Pine corridors	Pike/Pine	Cal Anderson Park
Kasa Capitol Hill Seattle	QFC and Safeway stores serve Capitol Hill	The hill's shops and cafes	Pike/Pine	Cal Anderson Park is on the hill; confirm the walk

The table covers the Capitol Hill picks, where we have sourced details. For the First Hill and downtown picks (Silver Cloud Hotel Broadway, Hotel Sorrento, First Hill Suites, Residence Inn and Hyatt House), we did not find sourced grocery, nightlife or park details, so check the map for your hotel.

Groceries. Capitol Hill has two QFCs and two Safeways, according to the neighborhood news site Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. One Safeway is at 15th Ave and John St, and one QFC is in Harvard Market. City Market, at 1722 Bellevue Ave at the base of E Olive Way, and Hillcrest Market, on Summit Ave E, are smaller options. The Whole Foods at Broadway and Madison closed on June 16, 2025. We did not confirm a chain grocery inside First Hill, so check the map for your hotel.

Nightlife. Neumos is a live music club on the Pike/Pine corridor. Rumba and Hula Hula are bars known for cocktails and tiki and karaoke. Check each venue for hours, covers and age rules.

Parks. Cal Anderson Park has lawns, reflecting pools, paths and picnic areas. Volunteer Park, with its 1912 conservatory, is up the hill.

What Is Near Where You Stay

• Eating and coffee: brunch spots, Cafe Argento and Overcast Coffee near Cal Anderson Park, and Taurus Ox and Paparepas for dinner
• Books and shops: Elliott Bay Book Company, Glasswing in Melrose Market and shops along Pike/Pine
• Landmarks: Volunteer Park Conservatory, Seattle Asian Art Museum and Cal Anderson Park
• Malls: we did not find a large mall on either hill, so for department stores head downtown. Confirm the nearest options on a map.

Which Type Should You Choose?

• Couples: 11th Avenue Inn or Cecil Bacon Manor.
• Hotel fans: Silver Cloud Hotel Broadway or Hotel Sorrento in First Hill.
• Budget travelers: First Hill Suites or Kasa Capitol Hill, after checking recent reviews.
• Longer stays: Residence Inn, Hyatt House or Kasa for a kitchen.
• Nightlife fans: stay near Pike/Pine, and plan your ride home.
• First-time visitors: compare this area with others in our Seattle neighborhood guide.

Tips Before You Book

• Check the map: both hills are steep, so a short distance can mean a long climb.
• Compare sites: ratings and prices differ by site, so check at least two.
• Look at cancellation rules: pick free cancellation if your plans may change.
• Think about noise: the busiest nights are around Pike/Pine, so ask for a quieter room if you sleep lightly.
• Want another light rail option: see our guide to where to stay in the International District.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the best place to stay in Capitol Hill? Near Cal Anderson Park and the Link station, where food, nightlife and transit are close. Check recent reviews and your dates.

Are there hotels in First Hill? Yes. Kayak lists Silver Cloud Hotel Broadway, Hotel Sorrento, The Baroness Hotel and First Hill Suites there.

Is there light rail in Capitol Hill? Yes. The Capitol Hill Link station is near Cal Anderson Park.

Is Capitol Hill a good area for nightlife? Yes, Pike/Pine has bars, live music and clubs. Expect noise on weekends.

Is there a grocery store in Capitol Hill? Yes. The hill has two QFCs and two Safeways, per Capitol Hill Seattle Blog.

Conclusion

For Capitol Hill and First Hill, choose an inn for atmosphere, a First Hill hotel for convenience or a suite with a kitchen for a longer stay. Check current ratings, prices and cancellation rules before you book.

Seattle on a Budget may earn a commission if you book through some links on this page, at no extra cost to you.

References

• Hotels in Capitol Hill, Kayak: https://www.kayak.com/Seattle-Hotels_Capitol-Hill.N208555.7054.hotel.ksp
• Hotels in First Hill, Kayak: https://www.kayak.com/Seattle-Hotels_First-Hill.N208777.7054.hotel.ksp
• Hostels near Capitol Hill Station, Travelocity: https://www.travelocity.com/Capitol-Hill-Station-Hostels.d553248635974544843-aaHostels.Travel-Guide-Accommodation
• Extended stay hotels near Capitol Hill Station, Travelocity: https://www.travelocity.com/Capitol-Hill-Station-Extended-Stay-Hotels.d553248635974544843-aaExtendedStayHotels.Travel-Guide-Accommodation
• Hotels with kitchens in First Hill, Expedia: https://www.expedia.com/First-Hill-Seattle-Hotels-Hotels-With-Kitchens.0-n6004996-0-tHotelswithKitchens.Travel-Guide-Filter-Hotels
• Kitchen-equipped stays, Expedia: https://www.expedia.com/cn/International-District-Seattle-Hotels-Apartment-Hotel.0-n6004998-0-tApartmentHotel.Travel-Guide-Filter-Hotels
• Capitol Hill, Visit Seattle: https://visitseattle.org/neighborhoods/capitol-hill/
• Seattle's Most Charming Neighborhood, Islands: https://www.islands.com/1832305/seattles-most-charming-neighborhood-capitol-hill-diverse-progressive-walkable-scene-with-boutiques-brunch-spots
• Groceries, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog: https://capitolhillseattle.com/tag/groceries
• Whole Foods in Capitol Hill closing, GeekWire: https://www.geekwire.com/2025/whole-foods-grocery-store-in-seattles-capitol-hill-neighborhood-closing-this-week/