Update:

The Ridpath Hotel has been sold to owners to say they want to return it to its former glory.

Background:

My brother and I where traveling to Spokane for a trip that no one wants to make: to put our mother in a nursing home because she was no longer able to care for herself.

We decided not to make hotel reservations since we didn’t know the details of what was going to happen in Spokane so we waited until we got there.

I checked several websites before leaving Salt Lake City so I had a rough idea of what we would find. After getting together with my brother I told him about one possibility on Hotwire and we both agreed to go for it. When you book on Hotwire you do not know the name of the hotel until you have paid but knowing the area having lived in Spokane for many years I knew it description meant it either was the Downtown Doubletree or the Ridpath Hotel and it turned out to be the latter.

Location:

The Hotel is located on Sprague Avenue in downtown Spokane. The hotel is only a couple of blocks from the heart of downtown including Riverfront Park, the Davenport Arts District, the Transit Center, the Intermodal Depot, plus many restaurants.

The Hotel:

515 W. Sprague Avenue
Spokane, WA 99201
Tel: 509-838-2711
Fax: 509-747-6970

Services:

High Speed Internet
Airport Transportation
Business Center
Fitness Center
Business Center
Valet/Laundry Service
Pets Allowed
Morning Newspaper

There is also a small convenience store located on the second level up the stairs from the lobby.

The Ridpath for came into existence in the early 1900’s. The current hotel and tower was built in 1951. The hotel has 12 main floors with 265 rooms. There is also a 13th floor where Ankeny’s Restaurant and Lounge are located but they are currently closed.

Check In:

As mentioned, the hotel is located on Sprague Avenue which is a one-way street going westbound. The easiest way to get there from the airport or driving in is to take Interstate 90 to the Division exit. Travel northbound on Division to Sprague and turn left (you cant miss the intersection as the BNSF railroad passes overhead-also Sprague is two ways at this point). After turning onto Sprague you travel five blocks and the Ridpath is on the left hand side of the street.

You can either pull into the driveway where the valet parking is located or pull along the curb. In front of the hotel there is ten minute parking but longer term (up to 2 hours) is located just a few spaces farther down the street.

As you enter the hotel, the front desk is on the left side with the elevators straight ahead. To the right are the Silver Grille Cafe and Lounge but both are closed however, the continental breakfast is served in the Silver Grille area. There is also some nice couches in the lobby are but overall the front lobby is pretty small. Next to the elevator there is a stairway going to the second level, which has large sitting areas and restrooms along with some conference rooms.

Check in was fast and easy however, the front desk clerk Mike seemed like he was having a bad day and was not overly friendly.

The Room:

If your looking for a room like at The Wynn or something like that you will be disappointed. The rooms at the hotel have not been enlarged since built, so many of them are small by today’s standards but will still provide very comfortable accommodations.

As you walked into the room there was a closet on the left, which is good, sized and also has an ironing board and iron inside; and the bathroom was on the right. The bathroom had a sink, followed by a very industrial looking toilet, and a full size bathtub. The bathroom was stocked with a good supply of shampoos, soaps, washcloths and towels.

As you entered the main part of the room, there was an armoire on the left that contained the 27” television, followed by a writing desk and chair. There was a coffee pot and cups sitting on the writing desk to make coffee if you wanted it. To the right was the queen bed and between the bed and the wall was a recliner. There was also a nightstand and lamps on each side of the bed.

All of the furniture was in a deep cherry wood that gave the place a very classic feel. The cherry wood that gave the room a very elegant feeling and something special covered even the A/C and heat vent unit below the window.

The only downside to my room was the view. I got a nice view of a wall just a few feet away although if I looked to the right I could see South Hill. I also could see the parking garage that was across the street (this isn’t a normal parking garage but a classic historical parking art deco parking structure).

However, my brother’s room that was only a few doors down did have a better view.

The bed was on the firm side, which was nice because it felt good to my bad back but may be too stiff for some people. The pillows on the other hand seemed like they had nothing inside which made sleeping with them a pain. However, the pillows in my brother’s room where better so we switched since it didn’t bother him.

The Restaurants:

The Ridpath has two fine restaurants, Ankeny’s, which is on the top floor, and the Silver Grill, which is located across from the front desk. In addition there is a lounge by each of them. There is only one problem: they where shut down a couple of weeks before our stay even thought they where advertised as still being open.

The Pool and Fitness Center:

The Ridpath used to have a pool in the motel section of the complex however, that section of the complex has been sold in order to turn it into condos. Therefore despite that they still advertise they have a pool there isn’t one and the skywalk that went over to that section of the complex is gated shut.

The fitness center is still open and is a nice sized one although I didn’t get a chance to use it. Because it is located right next to the entrance to the skywalk over to the other section of the complex, it was once well traveled but now is very quit with little traffic in the area.

Breakfast:

They currently have a continental breakfast in what was the Silver Grill Café. They feature the standard fare of pastries; bread, toast, juice, milk plus you can make your own waffles.

While the food was ordinary the service was not. For most of our stay a lady named Belinda was running the breakfast bar and she was extremely outgoing, friendly, and was very helpful in trying to make your meal and your stay a pleasant one.

Parking:

With the other section of the motel being closed, the only parking offered by the motel is valet parking. Parking cost $10.00 per day, which doesn’t sound like much if you’re from a bigger city but it is high for Spokane.

If you don’t want to drive in Spokane, the Spokane Transit Authority offers excellent bus service and with the main hub only a block from the Hotel, you can reach most of the major areas of the city and valley easily and quickly.

Nearby Attractions:

Riverfront Park 3 Blocks
Convention Center 3 Blocks
Davenport Hotel Arts District 2 Blocks
Transit Hub 1 Block
Intermodal Hub (Amtrak, Greyhound, Northwest Trailways) 2 Blocks
Riverpark Square Mall 4 Blocks
Gonzaga University ¾ Mile
Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (MAC) 2 Miles
Manito Park 3 Miles
Spokane International Airport 10 Miles
Mount Spokane 30 Miles
Coeur D’ Alene 36 Miles
Silverwood Theme Park 50 Miles

Check Out:

Check out was fast and easy, and Mike who seemed a little grumpy when I checked in was friendly when I checked out.

Conclusion:

The Ridpath is a nice place to stay if you get a good rate. However on many websites they do not show the changes that have taken place including the closing of the restaurants and the fact that the hotel no longer has a pool.

The current owners of the hotel seem content to run it into the ground in order to boost their other properties. It is still a nice place to stay but they are trying to charge the same rates as when the hotel was full service. Today, the place is little more than a fancy motel with limited services. However, if you get a good rate the Ridpath is comfortable and close to all the action in Spokane.

The hotel is up for sale (anyone have a few extra millions laying around?) so hopefully it will be sold soon to someone who will bring it back up to its old glory.

Other Spokane Hotels I Have Reviewed:

Howard Johnson Spokane
Rodeway Inn Spokane
Budget Inn (now a Quality Inn)






Recommended: Yes