Weekend in Washington By Lake Washington and Tukwila

We recently went to South Seattle for a spring getaway weekend in Washington by Lake Washington and Tukwila. There are two awesome hotels that were right near a lot of things to do. We stayed the first night at the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington, which has a real destination resort feel. The second night we enjoyed the Hotel Interurban, which as it sounds is poised perfectly for those who want to shop, take their kids to a movie or bowling alley, or other fun activities.

Weekend in Washington – Lake Washington and Tukwila

Hyatt Regency Lake Washington

You might be forgiven for thinking that the header image above is a warm beach somewhere, since it looks so inviting. In fact, it is the view from our room at the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington. The hotel is right on the water, with great views of Lake Washington out of just about every window, and just a few minutes away from Sea-Tac International Airport, downtown Seattle and Bellevue, Mount Rainier National Park, Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park, and more.

And it’s dog friendly! It really feels like a destination lodge rather than a hotel. Our room was like a small apartment. It had a nice layout and views out of the bedroom and living room areas. It had everything to make it perfect, including two TVs. But when we awoke on Saturday morning, we were greeted by the sight of three bald eagles flying along the lakeshore. That quickly took our attention away from the television!

Food is served at the Water’s Table, which, again, has great views. We enjoyed our dinner and delicious glass of wine from Lachini Vineyards. The wine was so good we want to visit the vineyard now! We got the bone-in pork chop and a couple of appetizers and sides (brussels sprouts and bruschetta with salmon).

The pool was posh, and the gym was open 24 hours, which is nice. This hotel would be a perfect destination for a couple getaway, a wedding party, or a mother-daughter wine weekend. It’s got everything that families want too, since it has a nice pool and is so close to the lake.

Things to do near Lake Washington in Seattle

In summer, take a lake tour with a seaplane through Kenmore Seaplanes, or visit the nearby Museum of Flight. There’s also the Seattle Chocolate factory tour if your kids are like mine and are more interested in sweets than airplanes! (We actually took this tour on a separate visit to Washington and I’ll write about that in a future article!). You are just literally steps away from the Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park, which is 57 acres right along the lakeshore. If you need a place to walk your dog or go for your morning jog, there’s a trail right outside the hotel door that goes along the park and lake.

The Hyatt Regency Lake Washington has implemented some packages you can enjoy for a reasonable price. Pay the hotel’s destination fee of just $20 (January to April & October to December) or $35 (May to September) to get access to a Pacific Northwest seasonal beer and wine pour daily, usage of picnic basket (May to September), complimentary usage of tennis racquets/balls (May to September), complimentary access to Wellness Classes, and 15% off some retail items in the Market and all spa services. The main benefit to your kids is the daily S’mores experience. Between 6 and 8pm daily, the market barista will provide you with a complimentary S’mores kit. Take it to the patio and toast it up in a firepit. There are other inclusions with the destination fee too that make it really worthwhile if you’re traveling with a family or you and your partner want an adventure getaway. Get 10% discount on cabana rentals (May to September), 5-10% discount on kayaking and paddle boarding (May to September), 10% discount at Tra Tea (located nearby), 5-10% discount on seaplane tours, and discounts at Newcastle Golf Course, the Seattle Chocolate Factory, and the Museum of Flight.

We loved our stay there and wish we could have been there for longer!

Hotel Interurban in Tukwila

For a different, more urban experience, be sure to stay at the privately owned Hyatt Regency Lake Washington in Tukwila. This hotel is near the airport, and walking distance to the Westfield Southcenter mall, and Round1 with bowling and an arcade, and all the things you would expect to find in a huge mall like ice cream and name-brand shops. It’s also literally just a short walk to the aforementioned Seattle Chocolate factory tour if you want to do that! There’s a view of Mt. Rainier from here on sunny days. Built in 2018, it’s the tallest building in Tukwila and you get the views to match.

Our breakfast of avocado toast and an omelet was delicious. Rendition offers an elegant selection of Northwest-inspired dishes. It’s family friendly too, with fish and chips, steak frites, or fish or short rib tacos.

Kids and their parents love the indoor saline swimming pool. And when you all get hungry, the restaurant Rendition is right at hand. Dogs are welcome here too, which is nice, since we often travel with two puggles. A nice touch here for families is that they have a complimentary library of family-friendly board games like Jenga and Candy Land. Just ask at the front desk. I honestly never thought to ask this at other hotels, and I’ve never seen this in an amenity list that I’ve noticed. There have been a few trips our family has been on when we could really have used a board game in the hotel at the end of the night!

Kids Package at Hotel Interurban

Hotel Interurban has a new kid-focused package called Kids Takeover Interurban. This family time adventure lets kids escape to the indoor saline swimming pool and splash around with the Interurban Pool Pal which has pool toys and supplies. Packages include your room, daily breakfast for kids for the family at Rendition, and complimentary parking.

Hotel Interurban is near a lot of things, including the Fly Indoor Skydiving Center, the Tukwila Family Fun Center, the Sykart Indoor racing center, and lots more.

This hotel is more than just a good location . . . it’s also got solar panels that power most of the first floor operations of the hotel. We loved it here too and would be happy to come back.

You don’t have to go into Seattle proper to have a great experience in Washington, whether you want a lakeside getaway with all the comforts of a fine hotel, or an urban experience with easy access to shopping and dining. Avoid the city rush and still get the dining, shopping, views, fun memories, and pampering experiences you want in a hotel getaway.