Hotel Recommendations - Tacoma WA

[Casey]

I'll be visiting lovely Seattle and Tacoma in the next few weeks to write the SE exam. The exam is located in the Tacoma Convention & Trade Center.

Can anyone recommend a hotel nearby that is modestly priced?

I'll be renting a car and parking at the convention center, so I don't mind a bit of a commute.

Also, recommendations on hotels and areas to stay away from would also be helpful.

Plus if anyone else has done exams there, can you tell me if there are any convenient restaurants/fast food joints near by I can grab lunch at during the exam? It being downtown I imagine there should be something... or would it be safer if I just packed a lunch?

Thanks!

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

My in-laws have friends that live in Tacoma, and I once stayed in a motel in Issiquah. That's about the extent of my knowledge of western WA.