Staying at HP Portland tonight, opening night. Really nice job, everything new, built from the ground up. And much better location than the Hilton Garden Inn I was staying in - this place is right in the heart of the Old Port area, so many restaurants, bars, and shops right at the hotel's doorstep. Never saw so many valets waiting to park cars - there were around 6 guys out there, all in uniform. Everyone so friendly and exciting (as one would expect on opening night). Very fun night, so glad this hotel has opened.
Happy with the room so far, great tv, direct tv service with tons of channels, easy hook-ups for other devices. Internet speed is good - 5mps down, 3mps up. Bathroom large (though not the largest countertop), wiht a nice walk-in shower. Room is on high floor, with very nice harbor views.
Fitness facilities nice, 3 treadmills, plus other machines. Indoor pool with a few tables/loungers around it.
Parking: Valet parking $18/night, unlimited in/out. The valet ticket has a personalized code to text in order to retrieve your car (or you can call them if you prefer).
My only complaint so far is the noise from the hall (and other rooms). As I walked to my room, I could hear a baby crying from another room. After I was in my room, unfortunately I could still hear the crying baby. Wish there was more soundproofing all around.
Otherwise, great stay so far. Attaching a few pictures from my room.
MORNING UPDATE: A few more comments after spending the night:
NOISE: The noise outside the hotel is intolerable. I originally saw the location (being right in the middle of everything in the Old Port area) as a major plus. I didn't realize how noisy the area is, due to all the bars and nightclubs, with their blasting music and loud crowds. This continued until 1 AM (when the bars closed), and at that point, all the crowds must have moved out into the streets, because the noise continued (though without the music). I was kept awake until almost 1:30 AM, which is not acceptable in my books. I spoke with the General Manager this morning, asking if this was still a work in process, would there be more window glazing (or other sound-proofing solution). He said no, unfortunately. I can only image this issue getting worse as the summer approaches and the tourists arrive.
BREAKFAST: I guess the 'skillet' choices are standard fare. They looked nice, but I didn't try any. Instead I look forward to a nice bowl of oatmeal every morning (I am on the road 4 nights per week, 40-45 weeks per year). No oatmeal. All the fixings were there, but no oatmeal. The GM talked to the kitchen, said I would have some in 6 minutes, but in the end it took 25 minutes to arrive, and didn't look very good. I attribute this to opening-day issues, I'm sure this will be worked out.
CONCLUSION: I have decided to NOT move my project team to this hotel, solely because of the overnight noise issue. Instead we will continue to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn, slightly outside the center district (about a 5-7 minute walk away), but it is so peaceful and quiet there, something I didn't fully appreciate until last night.
