Stayed here on two occasions before and after trip to Vancouver as flights from the East coast were cheaper Seattle then Vancouver direct.

goods: The building is historic and the coffee shop is charming.

bads: Had reservations for both stays; however, in both cases I was not expected. Had conversion on first stay about 2nd stay and was still not expected. No chamber maid on weekend to make rooms so don't expect much choice of fresh rooms on a sunday night. Seems the desk staff live at the hotel.

Kinda of nosy since it is near the train tracks.

Paid for best room, was supposed to have key to special ladies room. it was not available on Sunday nights. Once key was available, discovered the tub in the ladies filled more slower then my dentist's rinse water. Took a long time to get hot water so the both was tepid.

Got charge twice on my credit card for the second stay.

We walked out.
Long steep walkup to "front desk." Room had glue style rat traps out in the open on the floor of the room. The "hotel" has cats roaming around. I presume there is a reason for these two facts.

The shared bathroom on the floor was dirty.

The two other "guests" in the hotel seemed very world weary to put it nicely. I am not trying to be elitist, when I say "world weary" I mean very intoxicated.

I got the sense that many of the people who stay there are weekly customers not nightly.

When I walked out, the guy who mans the front desk (he also lives at the hotel) said "don't feel bad, my father wouldn't stay here either."

We were totally surprised to see this hotel reviewed favorably in our guidebook; the auther clearly didn't bother walking up the steep walkup to see a room!

The Panama Hotel is a historical Japanese hotel and really is about a place in time, but with lots of little details.
You really have to experience this hotel to get the flavor. The management gives you sandals and a Japanese bathrobe as you check in, and your room is decorated with furniture from the 1930-1940ish era that has been collected by the owner.
The hotel is really more like a B and B, as you can get your morning coffee (the best Italian of course)and doughnut in the Panama Tea and Coffeehouse right next door.
Bathrooms are European style, and there is no TV or room telephone. The hotel has some stairs to walk up so bear that in mind. Wireless is available in the hotel and teahouse.
The hotel owner has even picked me up at the airport, taken me on the tour of the historical bathouse, and generally does whatever she can to make a guest feel at home.
Not expensive, but very colorful with the guests.

I stayed for one night on Sept 14 and will never go back. The Panama puts pretty pictures on its website, but when you get there, you discover its a fleabag that caters to fisherman.

Since my stay, they have changed their website to be slightly more truthful, although nothing will prepare you for how scuzzy and brokendown most of the rooms truly are. There are no private baths anywhere; the shared baths are disgraceful -- swinging, saloon-type doors on the stalls that can't be latched. You'd be better off going to a nearby Starbucks to use the bathroom.

Creepy, creepy male attendant staffing the place at night. I'd made an online reservation weeks ahead of time, but instead of the picture postcard rooms, he took me to the fisherman rooms first. I'd never been so appalled in my life. I was about to leave and try to check into the Moore in Belltown, when the owner showed up and sweet-talked me into staying in one of the nicer rooms. (Which had a cigarette butt in the trash can!!) I ended up staying, since it was already so late at night, but then I had to endure the stares of her gray-haired male attendant, who said things like, "I hope you'll find this room more to your liking, Sir!" in a hateful tone of voice.

Absolutely the worst -- do not stay here. Charming it isn't.