Inexperienced rider - double chainring? I'm a fairly inexperienced (and out of shape) rider who has recently moved to Seattle, a very hilly area. I used to ride a Fuji Traverse (hybrid) in my original hometown, Tallahassee (which also has some hills). The Traverse had a triple chainring, and I found myself using the granny gear a lot on hills. In fact, I'd even sometimes switch down to the big climbing ring in the rear on steeper hills. (Edit: Checking my Strava, it looks like these grades were 7-8% on average.)

I'm buying a new bike now that I'm here in Seattle, as I didn't bring the original with me. I'm looking at entry-level road bikes, but these bikes tend to have double-chainrings. I am aware that triple chainrings usually have gear ratios allowing for an easier time with hills.

Should an inexperienced rider facing hilly terrain buy a bike with a double chainring, or should they always stick with a triple?
I went to college in Seattle and love the town. Very bicycle friendly town.  It does have ups and downs but the bike paths are pretty flat. If you you live on one of the hills then yes you may have a short steep section.  

As cassettes have gotten bigger (9+) you can get a pretty big range so triple is less common.  Get a compact up front so you can use a 34T for the smaller. The 8 speed cassette bike you are looking at is 32T so you are pretty close to 1:1 which is a strong climber.  With a 9 speed you can get a 34 with the same spacing for a 1:1.  But a 9 speed will be a jump in price.

As an inexperienced rider with stop and go type traffic of a big city a hybrid or city type bike might be a better choice over a pure road bike.