Tom B.
Yelp
This place is really nice, and the prices aren't necessarily terrible if you keep your eyes open online for a special. They have done a great job building a brand-new hotel from the ground up, and if you're a business traveler, maybe it's worth a stay. But I hit Portland for fun, out of my own pocket, and won't return.
Pros
Central downtown location
Easy, prompt valet service
Nice design and construction
Super helpful valets and bellboys
Cons
Insanely hard mattress
Indifferent front desk staff
Incidentals cost
We had an easy check-in; the valet handed over a ticket with a phone number--just text your ticket number when you need your rig. Great system for sure! When we checked out, they beat their estimated 15-minute turnaround by half. Impressive.
They were happy to hold our bags for us since we arrived before check-in. We were all grateful for that. We got back late and got our keys no problem.
We hit the bar for a nightcap and here's where the costs started piling up. A vodka soda and a shot of scotch were $70. Yikes. Bottles of water in the room turned out to be....$20 for 8 ounces. Charged automatically to your card. Between valet, a nightcap, and water, our bill went up $182. That might be okay if work pays, but out of your own pocket, that gets old fast.
And next we see where the costs go from an annoying oversight on my own part to a failure to follow through on theirs. We paid for two king rooms for our group, and only got one room with a king. I sleep on a king every night, and this was definitely a queen--at least 18" narrower than what I sleep on at home. The mattress was super hard, which you get in hotels sometimes, and that's that. But a bed that's smaller than advertised is a serious hassle.
The construction of the rooms is nice--minimalist, mid-century modern. Lights tucked under benches, every single item or surface has a purpose. The reading lamps in bed are tiny and unobtrusive. No space wasted on clutter (and the rooms are good-sized). The bathrooms are clean and nice, with a rainhead shower nozzle. Pretty luxurious, without being too cushy about anything.
You would think the amenities would justify the price and offset the little hassles, but the lights and thermostat weren't working, and they had to send up a nice kid to mess with them until they were working. We had forgotten stuff in the truck, and they very nicely ran out and got that for us. Great service! Good thing, too, because we would have had no idea where to look for the truck or the keys.
When we went to check out, we let them know that we had been mis-assigned to a room with a smaller bed, and the clerk was completely indifferent to the comment. She said "that's a king." I patiently explained the room we were in and how I sleep on a king every night and this was clearly not the same size bed. She didn't even look up from the keyboard, and simply repeated "that room has a king in it." No comment on how they use a different measuring system, or they understand the confusion because sometimes people think the same thing, or any acknowledgement of the possibility that their guests actually know how big the room in their bed was compared to the bed in their room at home, where they sleep every other night. Nothing. Just a view of the top of her head while she hammered away at the keyboard.
This indifference was the most startling part, after seeing how nice the valets, bellboys, and bar staff all were. They should be making good cash, working at a place with these prices, so their upbeat demeanors make some sense. It was impossible to understand why the employee in the most visible customer-service position would be the least inclined to actually serve customers (I know that sounds mean, but you know--dealing with the public is the whole job at the front desk).
The bellboys nailed it again when I realized I had forgotten a small piece of luggage in the room...and had already left town. They set it aside for me and I picked it up on the way back through town on my way home. So many things went well here. I wish the desk staff and the bed could justify the cost of the place. I love the location and would happily come back--but the hotel competition in PDX is just way too intense to give these guys more money.