HotelChatter - Portland

Hotel Monaco Portland Puts A New Lab In The Lobby

MsRebecca — 2009-10-07T14:42:48-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/timmy_monaco.jpg" class="top">There are a lot of things we like about Kimpton Hotels, such as the "Forgot It? We Got It?" toiletry-supply service. We also love that the chain is so pet-friendly that <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Muse+-+A+Kimpton+Hotel/local/167">The Muse Hotel</a> in New York once <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/6/24/144441/974/hotels/Kimpton_Hotels_Will_Accept_Any_Type_of_Animal_Even_Sloths">hosted a sloth</a>. We'll settle for taking our dog, but even when we can't, Kimpton covers that too. Just like when you forget your toothpaste. Eight Kimpton properties have "Directors of Pet Relations" on the premisesdogs who essentially hang out in the lobby looking cute and rubbing up against guests in search of treats. The lineup includes a Bulldog, Bichon Frise, and pocket-pup Pomeranian. You can see their adorable mugs <a href="http://www.kimptonhotels.com/services/pet-directors.aspx">here</a>. This month, a new member joins

Portland's Ace Hotel Enters Fall With New Bikes And Artisan Booze

JetSetCD — 2009-10-05T16:41:04-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6193/AceSwoboBike.jpg" class="top"> Ah, fall in the Pacific Northwest; it just makes you long to be outside, wearing your favorite flannel shirt and dreaming of chai tea. Luckily, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Ace+Hotel+Portland/local/821">The Ace Hotel</a> in Portland, Oregon anticipated this and they've amped up their offerings for a refreshed and outdoorsy autumn. First up are their new, specially-outfitted-for-Portland Swobo bicycles. Now we've all heard about the classic cruisers availabe at New York hotels, but Portland requires something more rugged, more street and trail-ready, and they've found it in their new fleet of six Swobos, with the customizations done by six different Portland bike shops. If you're a hotel guest, then you can feel free to borrow them for the day for free, and

Green is the New Black at the Newly LEED-Certified Nines Hotel

Heidi Atwal — 2009-09-08T13:19:04-05:00

If there's one thing Portland is known for, it's being green—literally, of course, with all of those lush Weeping Sequoias dotting its landscape, but also in the environmental sense. Long before Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth made being eco-friendly chic, Portland was a city leading the green revolution, and its building practices have been a part of this wave.

Take The Nines hotel, for instance, which we raved about after paying it a visit upon its opening last fall. In addition to personal notes from maid service and free WiFi, we can add yet another point in its favor: The Nines recently earned LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The PDX Aloft Hotel Introduces New 'Bike and Fly' Program

globetrotting gourmet — 2009-08-12T08:57:26-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/aloftsignage.jpg" class="top"> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/city/portland>Portland</a> is a city thats all about driving less, biking more. With a bike network of more than 260 miles and nearly 40 miles of bike lanes, the city makes it easy for its biking community to pedal where they need to go. <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/9/30/151517/421/hotels/Six_Hip_Hotels_to_Hit_Up_in_Portland">Aloft Portland Airport at Cascade Station</a> is trying to make transportation even easier for PDX residents with the country's first ever Bike & Fly program. With the purchase of a one-night stay (starting at $130), guests departing Portland International Airport can stash their bikes in a secure bike parking storage area for up to 14 days. The citys MAX light rail line conveniently stops right in front of Aloft. This all

Digital Nomad Lobbies: Portland Harbor Hotel

markj — 2009-08-07T11:42:57-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3/portland_harbor_lobby.jpg"> There has been a lot of talk recently about the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nomads29-2009jul29,0,3204273.story">lifestyle of digital nomads</a> -- folks who work from wherever they might roam. HotelChatter has been covering hotel wifi since the beginning, but as we cited in our <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/special/Worst_WiFi_Hotels_2009">2009 annual hotel wifi report</a> times they are a changin'. The biggest change on the tech side is the growing popularity of the usb broadband card. As more and more people buy into these cards (and more and more GMs pray to the hotel gods they do) there are a growing number of digital nomads that no longer tap into a hotel WiFi network. Instead, these nomads are in search of killer hotel lobbies to comfortably