Almost Five Starts
Almost five stars.
Recommended - we would definitely return.
Five stars for value, four stars overall. At ~ $200 per night all in with taxes and a free breakfast buffet, there are lots of things to like about this generally clean and modern property.
Cleanliness: Cleanliness is our number one priority in any hotel stay - a fresh, clean, crisp room. Especially the linens/towels. All is good here. Nothing to complain about with the quality of the cleanliness. Met our very high standards/expectations.
Room: The room size was generous. I think we were in one of the smaller rooms, but it was still much larger than an average hotel room. Ours was called a King Den room. Nice TV (with limited channels), nice desk, loveseat with two ottomans to relax before bedtime. The blackout curtains were nice. Microwave and a mini fridge that actually was cold enough to be a fridge (we have found that many hotel fridges are not so great - this one was exceptionally cold). There was an ice bucket and wine cork with two glasses. No minibar. Small coffee maker in the room. A luggage rack was provided. The small closet included an iron and an ironing board plus about ten hangers.
Bathroom: Large walk-in shower with good water pressure and hot water. Limited bath amenities. One sad bar of soap, plus the pumps in the shower (see pictures). Icky bath wastebasket still had the original plastic coating that had not been peeled off and looked a bit "icky" in our opinion (see picture).
On-site Amenities: Great bar, but expensive, but maybe worth it as Chris is a genius at crafting cocktails and knows a lot about the city. Plus, one night, there was a great singer in the bar. The bar also has a nice side living room area with a small fireplace. Sadly, we only saw it turned on once. There is an on-site guest laundry room. Plus, a small store in the lobby with snacks for sale. There is an indoor pool, a large workout facility, and the best amenity is a nice buffet breakfast with options that would cost $15-30 per person at other hotels - some items were better than others, but lots of choices, including free beverages - milk, juices (apple and orange), coffee, and tea.
Location: Sadly, Portland seems to be experiencing an overwhelming homelessness and mental health crisis that was almost third-world in scale (in our opinion). Worse than we have seen anywhere else in the USA. Very sad. That said, this small area this property is located - near the river seemed to be really safe and we did not see the level of homelessness in the few blocks that surrounded this property which was mainly residential. The property is just a block from the river and very close to a stretch of restaurants that are right on the water. We personally loved McCormick & Schmick's.
Parking: We saw many complaints about the parking offered directly at the hotel. So, we parked about 200 feet away from the hotel at a residential property called the Douglass for $24 a night, about half the rate at the hotel. Less than two blocks from the hotel - a two-three minute walk.
People: Amazing people working at this property. Kudos to Kye, Jodi (?), and Alexexus. And Chris at the bar. The people were exceptional.
Warnings/Opportunities for Growth: We are hotel "snobs" and have stayed at some of the finest hotels in the world. That said, we know the difference between a luxury hotel and a good, well-respected budget property. However, since Covid, maid service seems to have disappeared. On our five-night stay here, the towels were never replaced (we went to the front desk for two fresh towels mid-stay), and the trash was never emptied. We actually had to go to the laundry room to empty the trash twice. This is sad. Going to a hotel should be a small luxury and easier than being at home, not the same, or harder. We are an older couple (nearing 60) and remember meals on short airline flights. Times have changed. That said, we may travel less, or only travel first class as we really don't want to make trash runs on our vacation. We do that at home! I think hotel corporations are using Covid as a way to cut labor costs. We would prefer to have paid $10 a night more for clean towels and daily maid service. Lastly, time to paint the walls, replace some small chips in the furniture, and steam clean the hallway carpets. The property is getting a bit worn, but generally still feels clean and modern.
Overall: For what it is, it gets five stars. Not a five-star property with all the extras (that is why our overall score is 4), but for what it is, we would definitely return.
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