Mar 5, 2018, 7:51 pm
Last edit by: hhoope01
This thread refers to the various Marriott brands within a specific geographic area. Marriott Bonvoy hotels in XX usually have posts asking which property is better, etc. Trip reports are usually better suited in the property specific threads.
Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Portland, OR
Jul 29, 2021, 6:16 pm
#272
Company Representative, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 690
I am sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience during this stay. If you would like us to follow up with the management team of this property, please Private Message with your full name, Marriott Bonvoy number, the confirmation number, details of your concerns, and your contact email.
Jul 30, 2021, 9:29 pm
#273
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: TPA
Programs: AA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 62
We live 2 hours away and would often go to Portland for some "big city" fun...until last year. Ever since May 2020 when the riots (oops, I mean "protests") began and continued and continued and continued ad nauseum we won't go near the place again, probably ever. I mean much, much longer nightly protests than any other city in the country. We had a couple of nasty, frightening encounters on the streets BEFORE this, but we are also seniors and this was our personal experience, YMMV.
Yikes. That's actually really sad. I hope it improves. I was actually talking to a contact yesterday and he and his wife wanted to go to Seattle but ended up going to Portland (this was really recent) because she had never been and always wanted to see it. They were to be there five days. They left early
He has been many times so I think was disappointed she never saw it when it was in good shape. We really need to do work to revitalize these downtown areas.
Before this we had stayed at a great many hotels, went to dozens of restaurants, shows at every theater, but no more. If you do go, The Nines mentioned above was really unique and one of our favorites.
Yikes. That's actually really sad. I hope it improves. I was actually talking to a contact yesterday and he and his wife wanted to go to Seattle but ended up going to Portland (this was really recent) because she had never been and always wanted to see it. They were to be there five days. They left early
He has been many times so I think was disappointed she never saw it when it was in good shape. We really need to do work to revitalize these downtown areas.Before this we had stayed at a great many hotels, went to dozens of restaurants, shows at every theater, but no more. If you do go, The Nines mentioned above was really unique and one of our favorites.
I stayed at the Hi-Lo and it was exceptional. We got breakfast although that meant a muffin or a burger from their breakfast menu and a juice / fruit. We also had a welcome drink as we were celebrating a special occasion. Had a nice upgrade to the corner room/suite with a bathtub and the entry to the hotel is by keyboard access only. Although it's a little small and there wasn't much opened when I was there the, the hotel is nicely positioned with food trucks across from it in the evening for some cheap bites.
I’m temporarily living in Portland at the moment but I don’t venture downtown because I prefer other parts of the city. I did stay at the Duniway (Hilton) back in March and thought it was fine, but the Pearl District (adjacent to downtown) was definitely a bit of a ghost town back then with lots of boarded up shops, closed restaurants, etc. It may still make sense to stay downtown/in the Pearl so you can be centrally located and stay at a property a little more interesting than your usual airport hotel, but if you will have a car (sounds like you will), I’m not sure I would pay an exorbitant parking fee for the privilege.
Are there other areas of Portland that are walkable (you are saying you like other areas) than just downtown?
I’ll actually be staying at The Nines this weekend for a special occasion—I’ll try to remember to report back.
Are there other areas of Portland that are walkable (you are saying you like other areas) than just downtown?
I’ll actually be staying at The Nines this weekend for a special occasion—I’ll try to remember to report back.
Aug 7, 2021, 1:44 am
#274
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 340
As mentioned, I stayed at The Nines this past weekend. In terms of location, the immediate surrounding area still felt a little desolate even on a bright Sunday afternoon—there were certainly people (including tourists) walking around, but it didn't feel nearly as bustling as it did just north of Burnside Ave./Slabtown/Nob Hill. If you're comfortable walking around the downtown cores of cities like SF, Seattle, and LA (as opposed to, say, New York or Boston), then I think you'll be fine. I'll note that the valet is expensive ($57) but I believe it runs 24 hours and you have unlimited in/out privileges.
As for the stay itself, the room was nice, but the service was a little uneven. We were celebrating a special occasion, so I applied an SNA to guarantee an upgrade to a 1-bedroom suite (the app actually reflected the upgrade while the SNA was still pending and I thought about removing the SNA, but I didn't want to make things too complicated). The day before check-in, I asked if a hospitality or club-level suite was available, as I had booked through Amex FHR and am also a Platinum Elite (the club is still closed, but I thought maybe the rooms on the club floor might be a bit nicer). The representative told me they would note my request but couldn't promise anything (no biggie, I recognize I wasn't necessarily entitled to anything).
The next day, I saw that the app had changed my check-in time from 3pm to 12pm—presumably because of Amex FHR—which was great because we wanted to check in early. When I arrived at around 1:15pm, I asked again about the hospitality suite. At that point, there was apparently some miscommunication—I thought the person checking me in was telling me I could have the suite but needed to wait until 3 or 4, as the previous occupant had just checked out, while they later claimed that they had said that the suite was booked and that my regular 1-bedroom suite was the room that needed to be cleaned. (If the hospitality suite had in fact been booked, it would have been nice for the representative I chatted with the night before to have let me know that.)
In any event, I agreed to the later check-in with the understanding that we would in fact be getting the hospitality suite, and so I was a little surprised when I saw the room they had assigned. I spoke to the person who had checked me in again, learned about the apparent misunderstanding, and asked if there was anything they might be able to do to address the miscommunication and ensuing later-than-promised check-in. She looked into it for a bit and offered to move us to an exterior facing suite (our initial suite was interior facing) on a higher floor with a better layout. I agreed to this as I didn't want to press the issue further, but I'm a little confused why I wasn't just assigned this exterior facing suite in the first place.
The front desk did put a bottle of prosecco in our new room, which I appreciated. And like I said, the room itself was quite nice. Also, room service (from the Urban Farmer) is pretty good and actually reasonably priced.
I guess that's all a long way of saying that if you don't mind spending the extra money to stay downtown (and potentially pay for parking), and are comfortable with all of the caveats noted above, I wouldn't shy away from booking here. Just temper your expectations—I still think it's hard to expect 100% normal anywhere these days.
As for the stay itself, the room was nice, but the service was a little uneven. We were celebrating a special occasion, so I applied an SNA to guarantee an upgrade to a 1-bedroom suite (the app actually reflected the upgrade while the SNA was still pending and I thought about removing the SNA, but I didn't want to make things too complicated). The day before check-in, I asked if a hospitality or club-level suite was available, as I had booked through Amex FHR and am also a Platinum Elite (the club is still closed, but I thought maybe the rooms on the club floor might be a bit nicer). The representative told me they would note my request but couldn't promise anything (no biggie, I recognize I wasn't necessarily entitled to anything).
The next day, I saw that the app had changed my check-in time from 3pm to 12pm—presumably because of Amex FHR—which was great because we wanted to check in early. When I arrived at around 1:15pm, I asked again about the hospitality suite. At that point, there was apparently some miscommunication—I thought the person checking me in was telling me I could have the suite but needed to wait until 3 or 4, as the previous occupant had just checked out, while they later claimed that they had said that the suite was booked and that my regular 1-bedroom suite was the room that needed to be cleaned. (If the hospitality suite had in fact been booked, it would have been nice for the representative I chatted with the night before to have let me know that.)
In any event, I agreed to the later check-in with the understanding that we would in fact be getting the hospitality suite, and so I was a little surprised when I saw the room they had assigned. I spoke to the person who had checked me in again, learned about the apparent misunderstanding, and asked if there was anything they might be able to do to address the miscommunication and ensuing later-than-promised check-in. She looked into it for a bit and offered to move us to an exterior facing suite (our initial suite was interior facing) on a higher floor with a better layout. I agreed to this as I didn't want to press the issue further, but I'm a little confused why I wasn't just assigned this exterior facing suite in the first place.
The front desk did put a bottle of prosecco in our new room, which I appreciated. And like I said, the room itself was quite nice. Also, room service (from the Urban Farmer) is pretty good and actually reasonably priced.
I guess that's all a long way of saying that if you don't mind spending the extra money to stay downtown (and potentially pay for parking), and are comfortable with all of the caveats noted above, I wouldn't shy away from booking here. Just temper your expectations—I still think it's hard to expect 100% normal anywhere these days.
Last edited by KE81; Aug 7, 2021 at 1:50 am
Oct 25, 2021, 2:18 pm
#277
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
The way KE81 describes the downtown core is still pretty accurate, if that's what you mean...
But nothing was going on in the world then.
If *anything* politically controversial happens, you can bet they'll be back at it again. It's going to be on our avoid list for a long, long time.
Nov 8, 2021, 7:24 pm
#278
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: DCA - PDX - LAX
Programs: AA Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, AS 75k
Posts: 767
to respond about the current situation, I go to Portland about once a month and usually stay downtown. I am in the process of staying at each of the Bonvoy family properties with hotel Vance next. I have found it to be extremely safe, but I am usually back home by 9:30pm. The restaurants are mostly open, but some closed permanently. Traffic is light, which is a plus.
Nov 10, 2021, 9:30 am
#280
formerly wchinchen
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Honolulu
Programs: AA CK, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,298
Nov 10, 2021, 9:33 am
#281
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: DCA - PDX - LAX
Programs: AA Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, AS 75k
Posts: 767
Nov 22, 2021, 2:45 pm
#283
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: DCA - PDX - LAX
Programs: AA Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, AS 75k
Posts: 767
FYI, i had a chance to stay at the Hi-Lo and Tribute/Vance recently. Both were good stays in their own way (I did not like the food at the Vance). However, the decor and service at the Hi-Lo was great. The area was not as "nice," but it was closer to the "hip" places, and where I needed to be. Upgrade was easy and nice. So far I would say the Hi-Lo may be my favorite hotel in the city. My bathroom even had radiant floor heating!
Nov 22, 2021, 3:47 pm
#284
Join Date: Jun 2018
Programs: Alaska, Bonvoy, HH
Posts: 482
I have to say I've only had good experiences at the convention center courtyard. If I'm primarily spending time NE, it works a little better than things downtown, and when I'm feeling stubborn about paying to get to PDX, the red line proximity is nice. Their bar and (I assume) restaurant are back in operation now.
Mar 3, 2022, 7:59 am
#285
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AS MVPG, DL KM, Bee Six, Bonvoy Plat, Avis PC, Natl Exec, Greyhound Road Rewards Z"L
Posts: 16,710
Looking for recommendations: Courtyard City Center or Hotel Vance? I could also do the Residence Inn Riverplace but it is kind of far (about a mile from where I need to be), and I could also do the Moxy but am not particularly keen on staying there. The CY is a block from where I need to be, and the Vance is about a 15-minute walk.
-J.
-J.