If I were reviewing Valu Inn based solely on the staff's performance, I'd give it a solid five stars! Both clerks we dealt with were very accommodating- a welcome relief after a nightmare flight that stranded us overnight in Seattle without our luggage. Their shuttle service to and from the airport was reliable. Other reviewers that point out a $5 "return trip charge" are a little inaccurate: the $5 fee is the minimum amount imposed upon all hotels by the Port of Seattle who offer a shuttle, and other hotels unscrupulously tack on additional charges for their "free" transportation.

Our room was very clean and comfortable. This is an older, 'motor inn' style establishment that would probably appeal more to those intending to stay one or two nights. My only complaint was the high level of road noise, but our room was the closest one to the road, so it was expected. Travellers wishing to explore the immediate vicinity on foot will find a quiet, safe neighborhood with a handful of dining options (Thai, Mexican, 24-hour McDonald's) and provisions shopping (Walgreen's drug store). There's also a bus stop right in front of the hotel for an inexpensive option to get to downtown Seattle. The Wi-Fi signal was strong in our room, which was located directly above the manager's office and presumably above their wireless internet router. All in all, we enjoyed our stay and intend to return on our next visit to the Emerald City.

The proximity to the airport and setting in a down to earth area, made this a great place to stay. The very low prices in the nearby shops that the local use were a great surprise for we Aussie travellers. The people were so polite and friendly, we are looking forward to flying back to Oz from there.

The hotel has shuttle service, but it's only free if you travel from the hotel to the airport. A reverse trip costs $5. I was told by the receptionist that it was a fee charged by the airport for shuttles going into the airport.

I had to go downtown first, so I called the hotel to arrange for a pickup while I was approaching the airport. I was told I had to use the phone located either on island 1 or island 3 to call. There was only one staff person on duty at the time, so she came to pick me up after getting off the phone with me. Would have been nice if she had told me she was the one who would pick me up as opposed to only told me to look for the hotel van and not realize that the van would not be here until she arrives.

The check-in process was standard and simple. Even though I had reserved for a non-smoking room, the first room I got had strong smoke fume. The hotel switched me to a different room instantly and it was much better. The room came with very basic cable, a fridge or rather a freezer 'cause it froze my water. I didn't see any hair dryer, but I didn't need it anyway. The shower head was fairly low. I'm about 5' 5" and I had to tilt my head a bit when I washed my hair. Everything in the room, thought outdated, seemed clean. There was not a layer of dust anywhere I touched.

The downside was I could hear traffic noise in my room. It was not bad at night because there was less traffic plus the noise from the A/C kicking in on and off throughout the night blocked the traffic noise.

Nearby were Memo, 24 hour Mexican restaurant and McDonald's, which was also open 24 hours drive-in or dine-in. These are within 10 min walk. A decent Thai restaurant's next door and Walgreens(drug store) is about 15 min. walk.

The hotel doesn't have a computer for printing boarding passes, you just have to ask if they could print it out for you.

That was the first thing I thought upon entering the rooms. Our non smoking rooms reeked of tobacco fumes. The mattresses had broken springs and holes in them. The carpets were coming up. The parking was a nightmare to maneuver with the fence being so close to the parking spaces. The internet worked in one room, but not the other and was sluggish.

The service left a lot to be desired - the check in lady gave us keys to the wrong rooms, leaving me and 3 children out in the cold while we tried to get them to work.The manager said the best he could do about the smell smokey air in the room would be to bring an air freshener... We had requested 2 rooms, each with two beds, only one worked out that way and the best they could do was say "Sorry, things happen."

We were only there one night (off the plane and needed sleep before getting on the road to Friday Harbor), but I gotta say, I wish I had spent the money. The sleep wasn't restful, we didn't feel safe and we woke up stuffy due to the smokey room.

Never again.