Craving a few suites? Seattle inn has them

THE Inn at El Gaucho sits somewhere between cozy B&B; comfort and sleek resort luxury.

And that is a really good spot.

With only 18 rooms, all junior suites, the inn instantly achieves the vibe of a place where you’re already a regular. At the front door, Gary was unfazed that we’d parked on the wrong street. He swooped up our bags and whisked us inside while gently persuading a woman from parking enforcement not to write that ticket. We were home.

We were hardly past the door into our room before we cracked open the chilled bottle of Evian. And when I asked if we could have another room, one with a bathtub rather than shower, we were moved in minutes.

The inn grew out of the successful El Gaucho Steakhouse, manager Nicolas Kassis said later. That’s not the normal order of things -- hotels usually add a restaurant, not the other way around -- but the Mackay Restaurant Group was offered the space upstairs after a more modest B&B; closed. The renovated inn, which expands on the restaurant’s swanky retro style, opened in March.

Bunking down: With the possible exception of an orange carpet with plaid stripes, there’s not a hint of fussiness about the place. Sleek wood blinds, dark wood furnishings, leather upholstery and bold paint give the rooms a modern-yet-retro feel. One closet has been neatly turned into a spacious but hidden workspace, complete with Ethernet or WiFi. From high atop the queen bed, leaning back on the quilted leather headboard, I had a perfect view of “The Runaway Jury” on the plasma TV. It would have been perfect if it hadn’t been for an exceptionally hot Memorial Day weekend that made the overstuffed featherbeds too much even for the remote-controlled air-conditioning.

Hanging around: The lobby isn’t an overtly social space. But who cares when you have your own leather sofa and club chair in your room?

It’s worth going downstairs, however, to El Gaucho Steakhouse for some Wicked Shrimp or any variety of Big Meat. I had the signature steak with lobster medallions and was glad I had to roll myself up only one flight of stairs and into bed. I could have called room service and had anything on the menu delivered and saved myself the stairs.

Below the restaurant there’s the Pampas Room, a jazz club of long standing that has music, drinks and cigars until 1 a.m.

Going out: Seattle’s Belltown district sprinted out of the gentrification gates about 10 years ago and is still running strong. Many of Seattle’s best restaurants have congregated in this district, as have clubs, boutiques and design shops. There’s plenty to explore along 1st Avenue, but it’s also only seven blocks to popular Pike Place Market or the Seattle Center. It’s about a mile to the new Rem Koolhaas-designed Central Library.

Perks and peeves: Am I the only one who thinks the Bose Wave Radio is overrated? All I know is, I turned it way up and still couldn’t hear it from the bathtub. But each room comes with a CD of jazz recorded at the Pampas Room -- yours to keep as a souvenir.

The Inn at El Gaucho, 2505 1st Ave., Seattle; (866) 354-2824, inn.elgaucho.com. Suites $155-$345, depending on size, view.