Three stars for a pair of hotels that are among the least expensive in Seattle? Can it be true? Yes, I’m happy to report that it can be and is. I’m not awarding this coveted three-star rating because these hotels offer luxurious rooms and heated pools. I’m awarding them because of their surprising charm and personality. Both of them are managed as non-profits by Virginia Mason Hospital up on First Hill. That’s why they are so inexpensive. Both the Inn and the Baroness are often used by family members of patients in one of the area’s three hospitals (this area is called Pill hill for a reason). But there is nothing medicinal about a stay in either property—in fact, I can almost guarantee that you will end up telling your friends about what a great find they are. The guest rooms in both are actually former apartments, and because the Inn dates from 1928 and the Baroness from the 1930 Art Deco era, both of the buildings are loaded with period details that you simply will not find in any other Seattle hotels. At the Baroness, an Art Deco gem, rooms come complete with curving walls and untampered-with period details. A suite here comes with a separate kitchen, a bedroom, and a sitting area—decorated with tasteful traditional furniture and full of original details, like the former phone nook now used as a little library shelf. And, unbelievably, you can order room service at the Inn and get a meal delivered to your door for under $15. You can also dine on-site at the newly opened Rhododendron Café or walk downtown (downhill) and find plenty of spots for breakfast in the intriguing First Hill neighborhood. If there’s a drawback, it’s that some of the west-facing rooms get a white-noise hum from the ventilating system of the hospital next door.