Located on the edge of the University of Washington campus in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, Talaris is an unlikely oasis for travelers. We had called over a dozen hotels with no vacancy, and finally stumbled onto Talaris as a last resort. Upon arrival, we were surprised to find lovely grounds and a very well-appointed room. We found the luxuries (including down quilts, high-quality beds, and toiletries imported from the esteemed British perfumery Penhaligon) an impressive surprise, considering that Talaris is technically not a hotel at all, but a conference center attached to a midwifery school.
Talaris is a convenient five-minute drive from the center of Wallingford, where there are bars, stores, numerous restaurants frequented by students, and a small indie movie theatre. It’s about 10-15 minutes to get to the Fremont area and l5-20 to Ballard. It was a bit of a trek to get to downtown Seattle (Pike Place, Belltown, etc.) but no more than 30-40 minutes, which seems like a small price to pay for a quiet place to sleep and relax.
Talaris was quite reasonable for the caliber of lodging—we paid in the vicinity of $150 per night for a room with two double beds, although you may want to check rates at http://www.talarisconferencecenter.com. We happened upon this undiscovered gem and liked it so much that we stayed for two extra nights! When I make my next trip to Seattle, I definitely plan to stay here again.