need hotel recommendation in Portland, Or
 

Hi,
I'll be in Portland next week and am trying to decide between a few hotels and am looking for insight. Please help!

Hotel Monaco
Westin
Hotel Vintage Plaza

Also open to other suggestions. I'm staying there for business but would like to have a good safe hotel with excellent dining. Thank you so much for any feedback.

Even though we live here, we have stayed at the Monaco several times. I have not stayed at the other two, but locations for all 3 are good. The Westin has the Daily Grill as their restaurant which is ok, but I don't think it compares at all to the Red Star Tavern which is at the Monaco. The Red Star is very good for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a nice bar area. I have had many meals there and never been disappointed, and it draws a lot of people that are not staying at the hotel, which is usually a good sign:)

The Monaco and Vintage Plaza are sister properties (Kimpton Group) and are both very good. My friend worked front desk at the Vintage Plaza years ago and I used to hang out there with her while she was at work sometimes (when it was slow) - and I heard a lot of stories...but I never stayed there.

No experience at the Westin - but of the three, it's the only non-boutique hotel...whatever that means. (The Kimpton properties are obviously part of a chain but I'd guess much smaller and more unique than the properties in the huge Starwood chain that owns the Westin.)

But I think all three hotels are very centrally located and in safe areas (violent crime is fairly low in Portland all over). Portland is a very compact city and friendly for walking. There are decent restaurants close to all those hotels either via walking or public transit.

Does anyone know anything about Hotel 50? Two Portland acquaintances gave it good reviews but admitted they had never stayed, only eaten there.

I spent a single night at the Westin in July as I "won" it on Priceline. I've previously stayed at Fifth Avenue Suites which is now the Monaco. The Westin was great. The room wasn't huge, but had that GREAT bed and luxurious furnishings and style, and the bathroom was immense with a great walk in marble shower in addition to the tub. I really liked it.

I only had a drink at the Daily Grill, but there are so many good dining options within a very short stroll of any of these places. I'd much rather head to Mother's than eat breakfast in any of the hotel dining options.

Hi, we loved Pazzo at the Hotel Vintage Plaza, we went there for dinner when we stayed at The Benson across the street. The Benson is very nice, we have stayed there twice now. The London Grill is at The Benson, they do an excellent Sunday Brunch there. Enjoy Portland! ***kim*** ((#))

Thanks so so much everybody! I will have an afternoon free and am looking for suggestions of the best single thing to do from 2:20p on. I love gardens, book shops, being outside weather permitting, hiking and shopping. Thanks for any response I'll be there next Monday afternoon.

If it's raining, go to Powell's books.

If it's overcast but not raining, consider a walk down NW 23rd Avenue. You can take the Portland Streetcar there from downtown, get off on 23rd, and walk around. You can also get off and on in the Pearl District and do the same thing. Powell's is on the streetcar line too.

If you get really nice weather, go up to the International Rose Test Garden (free) up in Washington Park. The Japanese Garden (not free but really nice) is right next door. The Classical Chinese Garden (much smaller than the Japanese Garden: one city block) is down near the Pearl District, in Old Town/China Town, if you want to see something closer in to downtown.

Easy city walk: around the waterfront in downtown, in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, along the Willamette River. You can cross most easily via the Steel Bridge (northern part of downtown) and the Hawthorne Bridge (southern part of downtown) and do a loop around the river. If you want to do a walking tour of Portland, get a free walking map at Powell's - which is open til 11PM every night FYI, if you want to pop over after hours one evening.

Andrew has great suggestions. Adding to those, if you want to hike, head up to Forest Park. There are loads of trails! REI has great trail maps to purchase, or the parks website has them, but I prefer the REI ones. A really nice trail is from near the zoo up to Pittock Mansion...nice hike and then the bonus of seeing the mansion and the amazing views from there.

It's been 5-6 years, but my recollection of the Westin matches NeoPatrick's above - I remember being especially pleased with the quality and size of the bathroom. The Westin remains my first choice in Portland, though I sometimes stay elsewhere if it's cheaper.

But I also agree that Red Star is a very good hotel-attached restaurant.

If I am not too late with my input ...
We stayed a total of 30 + nights at the Hotel Monaco .. with and without our dog. We never had one bad moment in that hotel, we have nothing but good things to say. From location, to the Red Starr and its staff, to the service there.. Pup also gives them 2 paws up for the doggie bowls and treats that they gave him... which he still has : - )
The Vintage Plaza is the same hotel chain but the rooms and decor are more "hotel" room basic in my opinion, and I cannot tell you how bad the food was at Pazzo the last couple of times we gave them "one more try" ... But next door at the Lucia Hotel is Typhoon, the Best Thai place.. which is where we also brought take out to the Monaco when we were "living " there ... ( we moved to Portland and there was a week of having an apt, but no furniture, so we lived at the Monaco)
The Westin has good rooms , good views on the higher floors but none of these compare to the Monaco imo.
I enjoyed lunch at the Daily Cafe also .. we always saw celebrities at lunch there :- )
About 3-4 blocks from the Monaco is Mothers Bistro, which is really good for brunch or dinner.. we always just walked up to SW 10th and hopped on the Streetcar and went into the Pearl for everything.. then we moved to the Pearl .. you cannot fail to find good eats in that town !
The Chinese Gardens are right in town , if time is short, they are easy to visit.. and quite beautiful.
You will be frustrated by all the things you want to see and do and won't have time, so you will have to go back lol...
Please post back and tell us what you did , where you stayed etc?
I still have moments of extreme (Portland) homesickness :)

You guys really, really won't like hearing this but back when the Vintage Plaza really WAS vintage, I stayed there in 1968 for $5. I think the one next door which is now what, Hotel Lucia, was then $7 per night. I think it was then the Imperial and all the eastern Oregon cattlemen stayed there. OK, I confess: first place I ever had a Manhattan.

Let me guess. The Manhattan cost a nickel?

LOL, Neo ...
hopingtotravel, that is ok... I remember when it didn't cost much at all to fly from LA to NY ..