Paley's is wonderful, we like to dine on the front porch there, Wildwood is also very good, right across the street from Paley's Place. ***kim*** ((#))

Hmmm.... don't know that I've ever seen a solo diner at Paley's Place.

Be great if you could get a seat at the dining bar in Le Pigeon. A hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but well prepared, innovative dishes. You'd need to drive, though. If you'd rather not drive or futz with public transportation, consider Clyde Common.

I always liked the Sheraton Four Points, right by the river and Tom McCall Park (Naito Parkway X Morrison) when I visited Portland on my own. I see it has been transformed into "Hotel Fifty" since my last stay there (which was 2002).

It still might be worth a look---the location is great. With a 3-week advance purchase, the non-view rooms are $104---but they do charge $20 more for parking.

Patrick, I pulled hotels w/internet and free parking on expedia in downtown, got the following

Holiday Inn
Silver Cloud
Travelodge
Shilo Inn (Lloyd Ctr area)
Residence Inn - Marriott
Motel 6

hi beachbum,
you've referred me to some of the great restaurants in Portland. Le Pigeon is brilliant. I also loved Beast near Killingsworth. Have you tried it out yet?

I also like St. Honore for bakery and wonderful lunches.
If the weather is nice, it's fun to sit out on the patio in the Pearl district at Fenoil for lunch (the prices are better then).

I think you mentioned Clyde Common earlier. Looks wonderful-I plan to check that out this trip. My daughter wants to try out a restaurant called Lincoln because a friend of hers works there.

greetings nanabee,

i think i may have recommended Beast to you. been there only once; absolutely loved it. but my wife, who's less of a carnivore than i, wasn't crazy about it.

not as crazy about fenouil as we used to be, either. it had an ownership change a year or two ago, and ever since, it just doesn't feel the same. love st. honore, though. it's two doors down from one of our favorite wine shops, so we're in the neighbor fairly regularly... :-d never heard of lincoln. hmmm..... not too far from toro bravo. post back if you get there. i might have to check it out.

Yes, absolutely you recommended Beast! I'm glad you did. You're right it isn't a great spot if you're not into beef or other types of meat.
I didn't know that about Fenouil, thanks for the heads up. I liked my lunch at Bluehour, but was dissapointed last time we went there for dinner. I love Toro Bravo, and my daughter who can be a bit of a food snob - was skeptical at first but loved it! We went back a second time without reservations and the wait was too long with a 3 year old in tow.
Ah, the plane can't get me there soon enough. :)

Yeah, the Days Inn and Four Points Sheraton are now boutique hotels. There are no cheap chains downtown anymore. There are a lot of chain hotels around the convention center/rose quarter area which is on the EAST side of the Willamette River and technically not "downtown" - but there's a free MAX light rail train that takes you downtown in a jiffy. The Crowne Plaza is walkable to the Pearl District in about 10 minutes and to the MAX in about 5 minutes, so although the area around it is kind of dull (other than the Rose Garden) the location isn't awful.

The Silver Cloud and Holiday Inn Express in NW Portland aren't bad locations either but aren't likely to be cheap. The "new" Motel 6 at the Convention Center (a dumpy-looking motel that has changed hands a few times in recent years, a block from the convention center) might be your best deal. If it were me, I'd shoot for a 4-star downtown on Priceline and just park free on the street after 7pm Saturday night til 8am Monday morning. You may not find free parking directly at the hotel but if you can park a few blocks from the hotel shouldn't be a big deal. If you need to, you can plug the "parking machine" Monday morning for an hour or two until you depart.

Gee. I didn't think about street parking. Yea -- Sunday night and I'll be up and out early on Monday or feed it quarters if I walk to Mothers for breakfast. And it's a cheap rental car anyway. Thanks for that tip -- I'd been kind of aiming at the Priceline 4star idea anyway even with paid parking as nothing seems cheaper than that. But NO parking is better.

NeoPatrick - Please post back here with your experience at Mothers Bistro. I've heard very mixed reviews about the place and went for the first time this week for lunch. It wasn't bad but it wasn't any big deal, either. The interior is in need of a re-do, I think the shabby-chic has worn down to tattered-tired-chic. They seem to have plenty of business.

Well, I didn't see much to write home about two years ago in terms of the decor either. But oh that salmon hash with poached eggs -- and oh that marionberry cobbler (according to Lee). Not sure that I'd ever go for lunch or dinner.

pdx--We have been to Mother's many times. It is one of my favorites. Never a bad meal, and always good service. We tend to go for breakfast or lunch.

Important issueRe: Priceline--If you bid on a 3 star place you usually get near the convention Center--which is certainly NOT downtown...I always bid 4 stars and usually get the Benson..
$55 to $70 -depending on the season..
Remember June is Portlands Rose festival and things tend to fill up--especially weekends

traveler24: <i>Important issueRe: Priceline--If you bid on a 3 star place you usually get near the convention Center--which is certainly NOT downtown...I always bid 4 stars and usually get the Benson.</i>

This is no longer true since Priceline split off Lloyd/Convention Center into its own bidding zone. If you bid for a 3-star on Priceline now using only the downtown zone, you will not get a hotel on the east side of the Willamette.

However, if you bid downtown, you might get a hotel down at Riverplace (e.g. Residence Inn) which is good or bad depending on your perspective - you can take the streetcar (free) quickly up to downtown and into the Pearl, but it's a bit of a walk otherwise. I'd prefer the Hilton myself for a 3-star downtown. Of course, Priceline can always upgrade you to a 4-star automatically depending on what they have in their inventory at what price.

I can't say enough for Hotel Modera, stayed there last month.
Free internet, comp breakfast, friendly staff and neat decor. Don't know about parking.

Looks like $20/night for valet parking. But, the same on-street parking would be available after 7PM/all day Sunday, if you can find it.

Man, I can't keep track of all the new boutique hotels in downtown Portland now! It's a stark contrast to the growing number of vacant buildings popping up as more and more businesses and restaurants shut their doors...

Check out the TravelPortland web site...we stayed at the waterfront Marriott not long ago for $99 including parking and full breakfast. They have great specials.

Interesting about that TravelPortland website. I guess it's only good for "last minute specials"?? I just looked at it this weekend for my mid June stay, and every hotel price I checked there was higher than going to the hotels' own websites. Some as much as 50% higher than simple AAA or senior discount prices on the hotel websites. I know I specifically checked the above mentioned Modera website and it was considerably lower than the TravelPortland's prices.

I'm thinking I will soon start bidding on Priceline for a 4star downtown and if I get one for anything under $65 or $70, I'll be fine -- particularly with Sunday night free street parking.

Patrick--That is because you will be here during the Rose Festival. Prices are always higher then, and places book up.