I stayed there on last year's CNTU mattress run. Typical HGI, fairly new and clean etc. Got breakfast coupon as Gold...Where are you finding the $42 rate ? - are you sure it attracts miles and points?

Edit ~ I see, thats the 21 day advance rate on the HH web site.

[This message has been edited by RDY3238 (edited 08-10-2003).]

Thanks. looks good.

Actually, the AAA rate for Saturday (and presumably Friday) nights. Should be $47. Not bad for a cancellable reservation.

I like the new Executive Tower downtown. It has a great indoor waveless pool

As a PDXer, I can vouch for the ES and the Hilton Towers. You have the added advantage of being right off the airport MAX train line. Same with the DT at Lloyd Center. Avoid the dowtown DT at all costs! It's a hideous property.

The Jantzen Beach DT is not easy to get to by public transport, if that's an issue.

I stayed at the Hilton (not the Towers portion) in late July and was not that impressed.

True, the location is excellent.

But I was pretty disappointed at the treatment I got as a Diamond (compared to other Hiltons I've stayed at recently).

First of all, I had to ASK for my breakfast coupons. They were not handed out automatically. They are for $8.00 (IIRC) toward the price of a breakfast in either of the ground floor restaurants (the Hilton or the Towers). They cover a continental breakfast but are $5.95 shy of the full buffet. Since I like to get a good dose of protein at breakfast, I paid the extra for the full buffet. The buffet was pretty skimpy compared to other Hiltons, though adequate. There was NO egg station where you could get cooked-to-order eggs etc. The buffet at the Towers (Italian restaurant) was just slightly better; they had a frittata instead of plain old scrambled eggs, and a polenta (AKA soft yellow cornmeal mush) with various fruity inclusions, which was not bad.

The room, though on an HHonors floor, was pretty small and lacked a minibar or safe. (There was a bank of nine safes -- on wheels, no less! -- available in the lobby, like anyone would want to be observed keying in their combination! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif ) Very ordinary amenities. Adequate room, but undistinguished.

And when I asked for a late checkout (the night before I was scheduled to check out), I was flatly refused, supposedly due to a convention checking in. The lady treated me like an idiot as well (well, that's what I get for having the nerve to ask for a published benefit, I guess).

Overall, it was just OK. Next time, I will try to snag a deal at the Embassy Suites instead of the Hilton. Didn't manage to do so this time because I didn't book far enough in advance!


Kathy

P.S.: Another annoyance that I forgot to mention: I had booked the three-day stay as two separate stays online (owing to a rate change, which HHonors website doesn't always seem to be able to handle when doing a single booking). I put notes in both reservations indicating they should be "linked." Nevertheless, I was told I would have to come down to the front desk to have my key reprogrammed after the first two day "stay" and to collect my third breakfast coupon.

After the first two days I returned to my room in the afternoon to find that the maid had rifled some of my stuff without bothering to check whether I had actually checked out! Of course my clothes, luggage, and things were STILL in the room -- seems like she could have LOOKED before starting to pillage what I had "left behind!" Some fruit and things were gathered up to take, and the contents of the desk drawer had been gone through. (Later that night I discovered my complete transit schedule booklet was missing -- guess she found that useful.) I called and complained to the front desk. The maid came in a little while later, looking somewhat embarrassed. Although I usually leave a tip for the housekeeping staff, I certainly DIDN'T leave any tip after that incident! Leaves a bad taste in one's mouth when the staff's priority seems to be rifling rather than doing their jobs.


[This message has been edited by KathyWdrf (edited 08-15-2003).]

This reminds me of a two day stay at the Embassy Suites in lower Manhattan, a few months after they first opened. I returned to my room on the afternoon of the second day only to discover that the maid had opened all of the drawers and thrown out all of the contents, including some very important papers and an unread copy of the Sunday Times. I never leave any of my belongings out in the open when I am not in my room and this has never happened before (or since).

The front desk staff simply shrugged but I managed to track down the maid who was unable to offer a satisfactory explanation. In any case, I managed to retrieve most of the items that she had thrown out, after mining through garbage for 20 minutes. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Yeah, come to think of it, a similar thing happened on one of my stays at the Embassy Suites in downtown Philly. I had a late checkout and the maid, not realizing this, tossed out some stuff I planned to keep. Luckily, nothing too terribly important. IIRC, she realized her error and wrote a note of apology.

And I've learned from experience, even on days when you're NOT scheduled to check out, ALWAYS to put newspapers (and most other stuff) away in drawers. Newspapers are especially vulnerable to being tossed if they are left in plain sight. Very annoying if you hadn't actually finished reading it!


Kathy

I wish I saw this thread earlier. Had to do a last minute trip to PDX this weekend, and staying at the Airport HGI. Got a good rate, staff friendly, and recieved coupons for continental breakfast (restaurant not open on weekends).

I've never had a problem with housekeeping rifiling through my stuff. The desk usually has a mountain of "stuff," including read and unread newspapers, empty water bottles, papers, reciepts, change, etc. Nobody ever touches it. The only way anything gets tossed is if I put it in a trash can.

Which HHonors hotel in Portland, OR for a weekend stay?
 

My fiancée and I will be flying into Portland, OR on the weekend of 11/1-11/2 meet up with some old friends for dinner. Neither one of us have been to Portland before and I'm looking for suggestions or recommendations for HHonors hotels. A quick search on the archives seem to indicate that the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower located at 921 SW Sixth Avenue is an excellent choice.

- We're arriving into PDX at 10:24 am on 11/1 and flying off on 11/2 at 6:45 am. We're planning to take mass-transit (I've heard that there is a train or that goes into the city for less than $3?) but would the trains/buses be running at those hours, especially on Sunday?

- Is the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower convenient and accessible to the mass transit station (eg. walking is fine)?

- Any recommendations on other HHonors hotel? A quick check on HHonors.com shows that the Portland & Executive Tower can be booked for $84 for 1-king bed or $97 for 1-king bed Executive Tower. If I book $84 room and am a HHonors Gold, will they upgrade me to the Executive Tower?

Lastly, if you have any suggestions of must see sights or attractions in downtown Portland, I'm all ears! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Thanks,
David

The streetcar takes some 45 minutes to get between PDX and downtown IIRC so you'll have to leave awfully early if taking a flight at 0645 the next morning. Might be better just to stay at/near the airport if you don't want to spring for a cab.

Here is Portland's mass transit web page: http://www.trimet.org/index.shtml

You want to take the MAX Red Line, which is the light rail that runs to and from the airport.

The Hilton Portland is a big, mediocre convention hotel.

As a Diamond I was treated rather poorly. I'd be interested to know how you are treated as a Gold.

Have you checked rates at the Embassy Suites?


Kathy

The Red Line lets you out one block from the Hilton Executive Towers. The property is in a good location and walking distance from most of the nightspots.
I have always been treated well at the Towers. I am a Diamond and have always been given a bigger corner room.
Not sure what time the train starts in the morning for your early AM flight. You may want to "cab" the return trip.

45 minutes? Wow, I thought it was only 10-15 minutes away. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Any ideas what a cab fare from downtown to PDX is, early in the morning?

Kathy,

The cheapest for the ES-Downtown at 319 Pine Street is $129 (for a either a King-Basic or the SCOOBY SUITE RETREAT/SCOOBY DOO FALL PROMO. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif) The lowest for the Hilton-Portland & Exec. Tower is $84 from their "NET DIRECT RATES PROMO." How about the Doubletree Downtown at 310 SW Lincoln? Their "NET DIRECT RATES" is $99.95.

All these prices are from hhonors.com.

Regards,
David

[This message has been edited by tayd (edited 10-02-2003).]