My wife and I stayed at the GT in one of their queen size bunk beds. We LOVED it!

Our room was roomy, the bathrooms are the best I've seen in a hostel, and we got to sleep next to each other in their extra large beds.

The facility was great and high energy, lots going on and the staff helped me find a cool dive to go see a band and get drinks @ night.

We walked everywhere from this place! The baseball game, the Sound, Pike's Place, restaurants. Superb! Breakfast was provided, and it was fun to cook your own with all the folks staying there.

cannot wait to go back.

Location, location, Location! Situated directly opposite Pike Place and close to all the action. Easy to get here from Greyhound depot, just 15 minutes walk. The staff here are friendly and informative. The rooms and bathrooms are extremely clean and well maintained. They have the best bunks; with privacy curtains, reading light, backpack size lockers, power sockets and a personal electric fan. The free breakfast, evening meals and coffee are a great plus. There is also free WiFi and computers.

First and foremost, it does seem like a legit place and well deserving of the high reviews. Location can't really be beat - literally across the street from Pike's and pretty central to other things like museums, the monorail, the Columbia center, ferries, etc. The bathrooms had to have been the best set up I have seen (keep in mind it was a slow period when I went). Where I was at, there were four individual bathroom/shower rooms per maybe 10-12 rooms. You could tell they were recently updated and kept very clean.
Like others have stated - being able to make your own breakfast seemed cool and gives you the opportunity to socialize. Other than that though, the common area was pretty average.
I didn't go on any of the events so I can't comment.

Here is the but part. The room I was in (2 bunk beds, four people total) was in an extremely small room. It would have been small but probably avg for hostel standards for two grown men. But for four? Man was it stuffy (although it was like 30 degrees outside) with the small space just really contributed to the uncomfortable smelly environment that smelly traveling men create.

When I went last year, they had just done some renos and painting. Great place to stay, very helpful staff. Large dining area and kitchen area to do your own grub. AND right across from Pike's Place Market so you can get fresh everything to cook with. Also nice restaurants nearby. If stairs are an issue, I wouldn't go if I were you as it's located upstairs. Just a great atmosphere.