MAX Red Line specifics:
Time from PDX to downtown: ~38 minutes
Fare: $1.60 each way. Make sure you purchase an All Zone ticket. That gives you 90 minutes of horsing around time on weekedays; two hours on weekends. The ticket is good for transfers to Tri-Met buses and the City of Portland's Streetcar. Of course, much of downtown and inner N.E. is a fareless zone, but if you want to explore NW Portland you will have to pay the fare to get there.
Frequency: ~Every 15 minutes. Downtown --> PDX service begins at 4:13 a.m., with the last train leaving downtown at 10:42 p.m. weekdays; slightly later weekends. Trains from PDX --> downtown begin running at 5 a.m., with the last train departing at 11:35 p.m.
Other notes: If you use MAX with any regularity consider purchasing a pack of 10 All Zone tickets from the machine, for which you'll get a slight discount (about 10%). They don't expire. Don't forget to validate these tickets (the validator is right next to the ticket vending machine).
I live downtown, in the fareless area, and cabs are running just a hair under $30 between my house and PDX. I haven't used one since last summer, though, since online check-in began, because now I can leave the house an hour and 15 minutes before my flight and get to PDX in plenty of time. MAX is really a snap to use and oh-so convenient.
In terms of MAX's proximity to the Westin, it's two blocks away from either the Pioneer Square North stop or the Galleria stop at 10th and Morrison.
[This message has been edited by essxjay (edited Jan 20, 2004).]