Portland, Oregon Hotel Recommendations

[gavingould]

When I went it was Hotel Monaco.

[sjbraun]

Where was this thread when we were lookingfor a place to stay? We've booked a night at the Jupiter, in the "chill" section, which means it's furthest from the bar.
I hope it's far enough.

[flyhippy]

The Nines is pretty solid as well.

[robin3mj]

Modera is nice, and not super pricey.
The Nines is very nice and a bit more $$$.

If the Ace is anything like the one in Palm Springs, I would avoid staying there but may be OK to drop by for food/drink.

[dpk501]

The nines for sure.

[raygunner]

It's not a hotel...not a hostel...but it's the BEST deal in Portland & the have the nicest people running the place:

http://www.pdxguesthouse.com/

[brando]

The Nines is like stepping out of Portland and into the Vegas strip but more boring.

[v531xc]

the Monaco is a nice hotel part of the Kimpton chain. very accessible to the rest of the city at Washington and 5th ave in SW

[ORMojo]

Yes to the Lucia, the Monaco, and the Heathman. The Heathman restaurant has been my father's favorite can't-miss restaurant for a couple of decades now, and I've never had a bad meal there.

If you happen to really be into wine, consider the Vintage Plaza. Very much a wine-oriented experience (if you choose it to be), and they have a couple of pretty unique very nice room options for downtown.

The Starlight Rooms have conservatory windows:


The Garden Spa rooms have a balcony with your own private hot tub overlooking downtown streets (these are very fun).


The Townhouse and Luxury suites are 2 stories with 2-person Fuji tubs, the Luxury has a spiral staircase.

The Paramount has always been good to us and friends, and has a very good location.

The Sentinel (used to be the Governor) has a complete overhaul going for it (very fresh and nice), a good location, and history.

Don't bother with the Nines, the Benson, Rivers Edge, Park Lane, Ace, Modera, or Mark Spencer. Just my opinion.

Northrup station does have a lot going for it, and is much quieter than downtown locations, but is becoming a bit dated (again, IMO).

I'm guessing by the "boutiquey" request that there won't be any kids involved (because "family" choices would add a few recommendations)?

Now, after having said all of the above . . . The RiverPlace Hotel is my first choice by far when recommending the nicest places to out of town guests. Especially the Suites. Look into it - you won't be disappointed. I'll just leave it at that.

If you want a hotel for the amenities or other reasons, those are my recommendations. I'll also offer, though, that VRBO (and other on-line sources) has a number of very nice private condo options in the downtown, Pearl, and South Waterfront districts. Many of the condos include private reserved parking, swimming pools, concierge service, and other building amenities in the rental.

We have put friends up in this unit (but she usually has a long minimum stay requirement, unless you are filling in open slots on her calendar): http://www.vrbo.com/324634

Finally . . . if you don't have to be downtown, let me know. The options really open up if you are willing to consider being just outside Portland in the wine country (The Allison, and others).

[justinrchan]

How is the Embassy Suites in downtown? I want a hotel where there is a seperate living area. Kids can go to bed early while the wife and i can hang out in the living room.

[Brewstocker]

Is Air BnB not an option? I've used it a few times to stay in Portland and have been really happy with the prices and locations we were able to stay at.

-edit- Ehhh, staying at someone else's house probably isn't "boutiquey".

[zzy]

I also recommend AirBnB. I found a really fun place off NE Alberta for less than a hotel. I also strongly recommend getting/bringing a bike. It's amazing how well drivers treat cyclists there (I was shocked when a motorist stopped to yield to me). Plus there's so much great stuff all over it makes it easy to see. I really miss: Pine Street Biscuits, The Deschutes Brewery bar, Waffle Window, Cafe Vita, Hopworks, Pok Pok, and more. Really great city!

[ORMojo]

Originally Posted by justinrchan

How is the Embassy Suites in downtown? I want a hotel where there is a seperate living area. Kids can go to bed early while the wife and i can hang out in the living room.

It is OK. The "suites" are nothing special, but good enough. The building itself is historic and the lobby is very cool, the breakfast/lounge area and the pool area are different than most due to the nature of the building, although the pool is in the basement - not even any windows - with murals and columns to make it look like a faux Italian villa pool (see below). The nightly manager's reception is worth free beers, wine, and mixed drinks for the adults, but sort of depressing - in the basement again . . . and why aren't these people somewhere other than this hotel's basement? The included breakfast is better than most with fresh made-to-order omelets. The biggest drawback for a younger family is the location - it is on the edge of the mission district of downtown, and there will be homeless hanging around. It is also surrounded by a number of popular bars and nightspots. None of that bothers me when I'm on my own, but I don't stay there with my younger kids.

When overnighting in Portland with the little ones, we much prefer the Marriott Residence Inn RiverPlace. Much more family friendly - heck, the entire fifth floor of the hotel is set aside as the local Ronald McDonald House for families of kids being treated at the nearby OHSU medical complex. Better family pool area, many more families & kids around (compared to almost none at the Embassy), and a much more family-friendly location with the streetcar right outside the front door, as well as riverfront walks right there also. Better suites - much better kitchenettes than the Embassy; some suites with small balconies.

The brand new Marriott Residence Inn Pearl District is pretty nice for that line of hotels, and in great shape being a brand new construction only open a couple of months now. Very, very nice, and huge, outdoor patio/lounging/fire pit area, good pool (but no hot tub), nice bathrooms in the suites, nice kitchenettes again. Parking is valet-only, and thus expensive, when you can self-park in the same garage structure across the street for half the price. More business oriented, but I'd choose it over the Embassy with or without the kids.

And as I've said before, consider a VRBO condo...

[justinrchan]

Awesome advice - thanks! Looking to do a long weekend next month and hoping to make a stop at Vanilla while there.

Originally Posted by ORMojo

It is OK. The "suites" are nothing special, but good enough. The building itself is historic and the lobby is very cool, the breakfast/lounge area and the pool area are different than most due to the nature of the building, although the pool is in the basement - not even any windows - with murals and columns to make it look like a faux Italian villa pool (see below). The nightly manager's reception is worth free beers, wine, and mixed drinks for the adults, but sort of depressing - in the basement again . . . and why aren't these people somewhere other than this hotel's basement? The included breakfast is better than most with fresh made-to-order omelets. The biggest drawback for a younger family is the location - it is on the edge of the mission district of downtown, and there will be homeless hanging around. It is also surrounded by a number of popular bars and nightspots. None of that bothers me when I'm on my own, but I don't stay there with my younger kids.

When overnighting in Portland with the little ones, we much prefer the Marriott Residence Inn RiverPlace. Much more family friendly - heck, the entire fifth floor of the hotel is set aside as the local Ronald McDonald House for families of kids being treated at the nearby OHSU medical complex. Better family pool area, many more families & kids around (compared to almost none at the Embassy), and a much more family-friendly location with the streetcar right outside the front door, as well as riverfront walks right there also. Better suites - better kitchenettes, some suites with small balconies.

The brand new Marriott Residence Inn Pearl District is pretty nice for that line of hotels, and in great shape being a brand new construction only open a couple of months now. Very, very nice, and huge, outdoor patio/lounging/fire pit area, good pool (but no hot tub), nice bathrooms in the suites. Parking is valet-only, and thus expensive, when you can self-park in the same garage structure across the street for half the price. More business oriented, but I'd choose it over the Embassy with or without the kids.

And as I've said before, consider a VRBO condo...

[bart998]

I've stayed in Portland several times and my favorite is The Orenco Hotel in Hillsboro (west side of Portland). Nice boutique hotel in a quaint neighborhood smack dab in great riding territory.

http://theorenco.com/