The Ballard Loft | Marina View | Steps to Shops & Dining

Came in for a business trip with a colleague. I used to live in Ballard so I wanted to show them my old home. The place is very well situated at the beginning of the Burke Gillman trail which we used to skateboard and bike as a commute in to the city.Huge place that would be great for four people. Overkill for the two of us but still cheaper than two hotel rooms for a week. I read some of the other reviews:Did it used to be an office building: yes probably. Does it have a urinal and what used to be M/F bathrooms: yes.Does any of this matter: No, shutup, this place is cool as hell.

The location was perfect, the communication was great, the kitchen was nicely done and well stocked. Definitely not as fine and finished as the pictures make it look though. The bathrooms are extremely basic (think college dormitory), lots of exposed wiring and such in the open beam ceiling (open beams can be a cool look, but came off kind of junky). Heat system wasn’t even throughout the unit (bedrooms were saunas by the time the living area got tolerable). That said, there are very few options for 4br places to rent in Ballard and this worked for us. Just expected something a bit nicer for the price.

Location and amenities were perfect for our group

The positives were a very responsive management company, close proximity to the Sunday market, comfortable beds, and spacious kitchen. This was one of our most expensive and disappointing of many VRBO stays though. The unit isn’t quite ready for vacation stays. You can tell it was an old office space, and aside from the updated kitchen, it feels very much like staying in an office. The bedroom and bathroom doors are all heavy fire doors, but the open ceilings don’t provide any noise barriers between bedrooms, so you can hear even quiet conversations between bedrooms. On the weekend, there was loud music from the bar across the street until 2AM, and we could make out actual conversations from the gallery below until late at night. The bathrooms haven’t been updated from their commercial use, and there are no towel bars. The kitchen is updated and nice, but it’s missing a lot of cooking utensils that are common in most rentals. We wanted to stay in Ballard, but this particular location wasn’t picturesque and the area didn’t feel safe. My teenager and I rented scooters to see the area, but had to abandon the idea really quickly after we got into terrible traffic and a bad area just two blocks away. Parking was also a nightmare. The street right outside is always full and had some campers parked permanently outside, and all the nearby lots are paid but without come and go privileges. We would have been much better off staying in a hotel.

Wonderful location in a vibrant neighboorhood full of interesting bars, shops and restaurants; all within walking distance. As city stays go, parking is limited and there can be some street/business noise in the evenings. The loft was clean and well appointed. The communication was great from booking to checkout and we even had a quick opportunity to meet the owners upon checkin who were a lovely couple and very helpful. We would stay again!