Portland hotel recommendation
 

My family will be in Portland for four days in June. We are not planning to do much downtown. We will go to Columbia river gorge and will hike somewhere and will see a friend in SE Portland. Where does it make sense to stay? Still downtown for restaurants? Any other good options?

Thank you for your help!

Check out cut the Edgefield in Troutdale- it's at the beginning of the Gorge. It is a fun place to stay, there are a couple of restaurants, a movie theatre, a brewpub and winery all on site. Sometimes live music. It used to be poor house, then a nursing home and now transformed to a hotel filled with whimsical art.
Easy drive to airport, sights along the Gorge.

I agree, the Edgefield. It is fun for all ages and is a good location for the gorge and east side.

If you want to stay downtown, check on the Mark Spencer hotel. It is an art deco hotel across the street from Ken & Zukes Deli which is about 2 blocks south of Powell's bookstore.
Why not spend 1 night in Hood River and then return to the city?
Portland has a good public transportation system(TriMet) that uses buses, light rail and streetcars. The fare for unlimited one day use is $5. The Red line end is right outside baggage claim at PDX.

Hi alisa23,

If you want a fun city vibe (with plenty of greenery and charming-looking homes to boot!) and are trying to save $$, I liked the Portland International Guesthouse. In the Alphabet District, I could walk to downtown attractions, the International Rose Test Garden and the Japanese Garden within 15-20 minutes. There's a lively street scene nearby 21st and Glisan, and the Pearl District is not too far away. The inn has a more homey ambiance than a hotel if that appeals to you.

Best wishes Daniel

Thank you everybody for the suggestions. Our budget is pretty flexible so we would prefer something more upscale. My worry with downtown is not the price but easiness of getting in and out plus the hassle (and price to some extent) of valet parking. Is downtown easy to get in and out of? What is there for us to do besides restaurants?

I would prefer to stay in one location. We have to relatively small boys and it is easier for us to figure out our sleeping arrangements once :)

I will check out everything that was suggested, thank you. If anything more upscale comes to mind, please share!

It is a little dependent on when your flight gets into PDX whether you want to rent the car there to go out to see the waterfalls and the Columbia Gorge. The weather may be a factor in this as well.
If you decide to go into the city first, take the Light Rail (red line) to a stop near your hotel.
Only rent a car for one day and then return it to avoid any parking charges. You can rent a car either downtown (cheaper) or at the airport (more convenient to go to the gorge).
If you are looking for a nice hotel close to the airport, I like the Embassy Suites. There is also an Embassy Suites in the Rose Quarter which is east of the Willamette River.

We were planning to have a car at all times. We would be there in the beginning of June.

While I have not stayed at any of <i>these</i> hotels, I love staying at Kimpton properties. Join their [free] In Touch loyalty program for free wi-fi and other perks. They also have happy wine hour every night.

https://www.kimptonhotels.com/hotels...-portland.aspx

They also have specials a lot of times and they will match lower prices if found on other websites.

Kimpton hotels are all downtown.

I agree about the Edgefield. Though we never got to stay there, as it was fully booked, we did eat there twice, and would choose it if we ever get back to Portland.

You can get a bus into the city centre from right by it too. Much easier than taking a car in.

The traffic getting in and out of downtown area can be pretty congested depending on time of day. If your main activities are going to be in the Gorge, I would still recommend the Edgefield for a location- especially if your family includes children.

However, if you are looking for high end, check out the Columbia River Gorge Hotel in Hood River.

You can also check out the Travel Portland website where you can search available hotels and most come with a free breakfast and parking and some coupons for shopping and dining

Thank you.
Would two adults and two children be able to sleep in a suite at Edgefield? I doubt it somehow.

The Nines right downtown PDX. Off Pioneer square, middle of everything, valet parking, great restaurants. Also on public transit by max line, streetcar and buses. Depending on where you live, traffic in Portland is pretty easy compared to most cities. I'm not an Edgefield fan unless you are there to party or for a concert. McMenamins owns Edgefield and while the concept is great,the food is not. I also like the idea of a night or two in Hood River, really cute kid friendly town, though you'd have to pack up.

Thank you. Maybe we will do one night by the airport and two nights in Hood River after all. Will have to think about it.

The only place that currently appeals to me downtown is Riverplace. Would we have any restaurant options besides the hotel's restaurant if we stayed there?

If you stay at Riverplace there are a lot of restaurants within walking distance- or a short drive

I have never stayed there so cannot comment on that.

Another place to check out in Hood River area is the Resort at the Mountain

http://www.theresort.com

Thank you for all the suggestions. Everything is making more sense now :)

I think I have to change my initial plan and either plan a mostly car-free vacation staying downtown or just go to Hood River.

If we stay downtown and won't have a car, will we be able to do any type of hikes in the forest? Or will it be too difficult to get to places with trails?

Portland has Forest Hills Park with many trails, none that compare to the Columbia River Gorge- they are just trails in the woods. You can get there by public transportation.

I personally think it would be a mistake to hang around downtown Portland and miss the Gorge.

How old are the children- guess a lot would depend on their interests.

The children will be 6 and almost 8 in June. They don't particularly need kid-type of entertainment. And they do hike with us all the time. At the same time they would be entertained by public transportation and other things they are not exposed to in Southern California.

How reliable is the weather in June? I am assuming it could easily be raining?

I think my main problem is that I only have three nights in the area :)

Hike up the paved path/steps to the top of Multnomah Falls.
The view of the Columbia Gorge is great from up there.
If you stay in Hood River when you leave go south on Rt. 35 on the east side of Mt. Hood. You can take a mountain hike from the parking lot of the Timberline Lodge. Come back into Sandy on US 26 Through Zigzag.

Weather in June could be rainy- seems like we can't count on Sun until after the 4 th of Jul.

3 nights is not enough to do all you want to do- but the Gorge is much more impressive than downtown Portland.

A few kid things to do downtown if its rainy is OMSI- lots of hands on things for the kids.
You could take a jet boat ride up the Willamette River- I think it takes you up to a waterfall

I disagree that Edgefield is only worth staying at if you want to party or go to a concert- it may not be high end or serve gourmet food but it is a fun place to stay.

When I went to Portland last June, it was mostly drizzling and cloudy with occasional breaks of no rain. Visiting without a car, I went to the Columbia River Gorge by Gray Line tour ($49.99/adult for a four hour tour if I remember correctly, don't know about kids). The tour guide was excellent, the group was small, and despite the drizzle, I totally loved the views from Vista House, Multnomah and other falls as well as the Bonneville Dam.

We were there late June last summer and it was unseasonably HOT! We were shocked. Our room at Edgefield was not air conditioned, and we were miserable. We had to leave after one night. You just never know about weather.

Edgefield won't work for us. I am sure about that. My other option is to rent a house or an apartment in SE Portland but I don't feel like going through the trouble.

Lets assume we will be downtown. I have three options -- Monaco, Embassy Suites and Riverplace. Is Riverplace much more inconvenient in terms of location? Will it be a pain to get to MAX, restaurants and to a car rental place?

Why not stay at the Embassy Suites next to the airport? There you have a nice hotel, the light rail to go downtown and the rental cars from the airport. The airport has easy access to I-205 and I-84 to see the gorge and waterfalls.

Staying at the airport sounds depressing somehow :)

Of the three hotels you mention that might work, I have only stayed at the Monaco- which is nice and the rooms are more like a suite so the kids could sleep on the pull out and adults would have a separate bedroom.
I think the parking there is expensive so I found another place to park that was much less - its a dog friendly hotel so you will see lots of them around and there is a nice wine tasting in the evening.
Its close all downtown things

Riverplace is a nice location, there are several restaurants close by. I don't think it would be a big pain to get to other restaurants, Max etc- not sure about car rentals but your hotel concierge could probably help with that.
There is an urban hike you can do from your hotel- there is a paved walk way that goes along both sides of the river- you can cross over the bridge, walk along the path til you get to the next bridge, cross over that and back to the hotel. You can also rent bikes and bike it.

Did you check out the Inn at the Mountain I suggested- I think they have villas

Even though we live here, we stay overnight in downtown on occasion and our goto place is the Monaco. Location is great, very nice hotel, and most rooms are suites so very spacious. They often have specials that include parking and breakfast as well. Of the 3 hotels you list, the Monaco would be at the top of my list.

As for Multnomah Falls, a large rock fell onto the pedestrian bridge there, damaging it so much that the bridge is closed. They are hoping to have it repaired by Memorial Day, but for now you cannot get as close to the falls.

sunbum1944, the inn can't accommodate us for some reason. Either the dates are not available or they don't allow two kids and two patents in the same room.

I think we will be totally fine at BW in Hood River -- they have suites. I am just not convinced we should stay In Hood River and not downtown considering a short trip and beginning of June

I have stayed at the BW in Hood River but a few years ago so can't comment on what it is like now. Was fine back then. Hood River is a fun little town I think.

Either choice would work I think- the drive between is not that bad. Even the suggestion of the airport area hotel would work- and some of them are pretty nice hotels. You aren't going to be in the room that much. You can take a train from airport area to downtown very easily.

We stayed at Residence Inn Riverplace for a couple of nights. The location is a little out of the main action, but there is a trolley line right there and a big parking garage. Seems like a good place for families, with the kitchenette, sleeper sofa and really great free breakfast included. It is not far from the aerial tram if you are interested in doing that with the kids.

I'm a little unclear about your car situation and if you have kids. If you don't have a car and money's no option, I'd pick the Monaco. It's a breeze from the MAX (2 block walk) and excellent surrounding restaurants. If you're renting a car, parking and crossing bridges can be frustrating as a newcomer (your GPS will cop out right when you need it). You might consider the east side up and coming Jupiter hotel for easier rental car parking. None of these issues would matter to a single 30 something but if you've got diaper bags and strollers they become relevant. As for restaurants, SE Division has plenty to compete with downtown if you want to stay on the east side.

Sorry alisa, just now seeing the kids are 6 and 8. Public transportation is definitely riveting to young kids and worth considering a car free stay. I'd vote Monaco for superb service and location. Your 6-8 kid range best bets are OMSI (east side), Lan Super Chinese Gardens, the roof top garden at the public library, and getting to pick your own lunch from food carts downtown, and riding the indoor ski lift thing at the forestry center in Washington Park. All available by MAX or streetcar.

Thank you, everybody! It will be Embassy Suites in downtown for now. They have huge suites for reasonable amount of money.

Thank you to everybody who helped. We ended up staying at Monaco. It was good.