Seattle hotel workers on strike launch website for Hilton guests

Unionized employees at Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square have elevated their strike efforts by offering an online platform for hotel guests to share their experiences during the picketing.

The website lets guests of the hotel write reviews about their stays during the strike, according to an announcement Tuesday.

Workers who are part of Unite Here! Local 8, the union that represents around 7,000 people in Washington and Oregon's hospitality industries, have been on strike since June 18.

They're pressing both Embassy Suites and Visit Seattle, the region's destination marketing organization, to inform customers about the ongoing picket line.

"Visit Seattle does not comment on ongoing negotiations or specific collective bargaining agreements," a spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. "Though, we are hopeful the two sides will soon reach an agreement."

Hilton, which owns Embassy Suites, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

The union began picketing at the height of the FIFA Men's World Cup over faltering contract negotiations. The hotel at 255 S. King St. is only a five-minute walk to Lumen Field.

The protest kicked off the day before the second match in Seattle and persisted through the rest of the tournament. Though the final Seattle-based game took place Monday, the strike will continue.

The hotel's union members are pushing their employer for a new contract with raises, year-round healthcare coverage, a return to higher staffing levels from the prepandemic era and protections from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The website features 17 reviews, as of Wednesday morning. It pulls posts from Expedia, Tripadvisor, Yelp and Google as well. The majority of the reviews are negative.

One user, Saba Saberi, rated the hotel one star out of five, referring to their stay as an "absolute nightmare."

"Every single day, from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, the hotel staff were on strike right outside the main entrance. They were blasting sirens, beating drums, shouting, and banging on objects continuously," Saberi wrote on June 28. "We traveled to Seattle specifically for the World Cup, and this situation completely ruined our experience."

The union said negotiations on June 29 didn't "produce meaningful progress," per a news release Tuesday.

"Guests should know what's happening at Embassy Suites Pioneer Square. There's a strike going on all day, all night," Teresa Joseph, a hotel restaurant worker, said in a statement Tuesday. "Visit Seattle and Embassy Suites need to give people information before they spend their hard-earned money by booking at the Embassy Suites."

However, other websites like Google reviews show mixed opinions, with a few recent high ratings despite the picket line.

The cost of a suite at the hotel varies by day. For Saturday, July 18, the lowest-priced room currently sits at $816 for a one-night stay, before taxes and fees.

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 4:56 PM.