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Hotel Monaco Portland Puts A New Lab In The Lobby

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 506 S.W. Washington [map], Portland, OR, United States, 97204
October 7, 2009 at 2:42 PM | by MsRebecca | 1 Comment

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 The Muse Hotel in New York once hosted a sloth. 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 premises—dogs 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 here.

This month, a new member joins the pack: yellow Labrador retriever Timmy will join the staff of the Hotel Monaco Portland with a red-carpet debut on Thursday, October 22. Local celebrities on two and four legs will be on hand to welcome Timmy to the hotel, with funds from the party going to Guide Dogs for the Blind.

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

October 5, 2009 at 4:41 PM | by JetSetCD | 0 Comments

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, The Ace Hotel 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 take in the fall foliage under your own power.

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Kimpton Hotels to the Eco-Rescue

September 22, 2009 at 10:06 AM | by Heidi Atwal | 0 Comments

A selection of Kimpton's eco-friendly products

Cue the swelling superhero theme music. There are comic book heroes and there are eco-warriors, and as of this month, Kimpton Hotels can count themselves in the latter category. For a commitment to sustainability that has spanned 28 years, they've recently been honored with a "World Saver" award by Condé Nast Traveler magazine.

The awards, which were held last night in New York City, are decided upon by a panel of 21 "academics, CEOs, and philanthropists" who recognize companies in the categories of Education, Poverty Alleviation, Wildlife Conservation, Cultural and Environmental Preservation, and Health. This year the panel noted that sustainable travel has been a sweeping trend, which is where Kimpton Group comes into the picture.

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

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 525 SW Morrison [map], Portland, OR, United States, 97204
September 8, 2009 at 1:19 PM | by Heidi Atwal | 0 Comments

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.

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

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 9920 NE Cascades Parkway [map], Portland, OR, United States, 97220
August 12, 2009 at 8:57 AM | by globetrotting gourmet | 4 Comments

Aloft Portland Airport at Cascade Station 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 city’s MAX light rail line conveniently stops right in front of Aloft.

This all sounds good and green, but we’re having a hard time wrapping our head around why anyone in the Portland area would want to plunk down $130 to store their bike and what instances would require an overnight stay on an outbound itinerary? Wouldn’t it be more economical (and easy) to simply take MAX light rail line straight to the airport, suffer through TSA and call it a day?

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Digital Nomad Lobbies: Portland Harbor Hotel

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 468 Fore Street [map], Portland, ME, United States, 04101
August 7, 2009 at 11:42 AM | by markj | 0 Comments

There has been a lot of talk recently about the lifestyle of digital nomads -- folks who work from wherever they might roam. HotelChatter has been covering hotel wifi since the beginning, but as we cited in our 2009 annual hotel wifi report 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 work in. That's right, digital nomads have no problem coming in, kicking back on hotel lobby couches and doing an hours worth of work. So once again hotels have a choice -- welcome these folks, pay no mind to them, or actively try to kick them out.

With this in mind, we figured it was time for us to start rating hotel lobbies on their digital nomad quotient. First up, the Portland Harbor Hotel.

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Bringing Sexy (Books) Back at The Heathman Hotel Portland

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1001 SW Broadway [map], Portland, OR, United States, 97205
June 15, 2009 at 5:11 PM | by globetrotting gourmet | 0 Comments

Flipping pages in bed isn’t exactly our idea of foreplay, but for solo travelers and super geeks, The Heathman Hotel offers a “Books By Your Bedside” package. Home to one of the country’s few catalogued hotel guest-lending libraries, this package includes accommodations for two, a tour of the hotel’s library, a hardcover edition of a book written by the hotel’s most recent guest author and other goodies.

Authors Anthony Bourdain and David Sedaris both made appearances at the hotel within the past two months. Thomas L. Friedman, a popular environmental writer, as well as Annie Leibowitz, the famed celebrity photographer, were at The Heathman back in April. Michael Pollan graced Portland with his politically-correct presence in January, along with Calvin Trillin.

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Five PDX Hotels for Less Than a Benjamin

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Portland, Oregon
May 19, 2009 at 4:22 PM | by globetrotting gourmet | 0 Comments

Wah! You want a getaway, but your wallet says no. Skip the guilt trip and take a mini-vacay to Portland, Oregon, where plenty of hotel rates are caught in a budget-friendly fiscal time warp.

Here are five of our fave Portland hotels for under $100 a night.

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The Nines Hotel's Departure Restaurant Drops Anchor in Portland

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 525 SW Morrison [map], Portland, OR, United States, 97204-1403
April 8, 2009 at 11:30 AM | by KatieK | 0 Comments

Hot on the heels of the NYT’s gush-fest, the Nines Hotel in Portland has opened Departure Restaurant + Lounge for dinner and happy hour. Roosting from the 15th floor, the rooftop spot proffers a bird’s-eye panorama of Portland's bridges and mountain peaks beyond. Chef Bryan Emperor, a transplant by way of NYC and Virginia, serves a "modern Asian menu" with a "casual dining experience akin to a neighborhood pub." (Translation: Southeast Asia fare, Japanese-style Izakaya.)

Conceived by the Denver-based Sage Restaurant Group, the restaurant's name and aesthetic is a nod to the days when Portlanders took the monorail in the Meier & Frank Building (where the hotel is housed) and "when an 'around the world' ocean voyage was de rigueur for the modern traveler." That means worldly accents like marine teak decking, sailcloth panels, nautical map murals, ship portals in the corridor leading to the restrooms, and a teak-clad "smokestack" that floats above the bar.

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NYT Also Wowed to the Nines by the Nines Hotel

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 525 SW Morrison [map], Portland, OR, United States, 97204-1403
April 6, 2009 at 9:26 AM | by KatieK | 0 Comments

There are very few things a hotel geek loves more than a chic hotel that lives up to all of its own hype. Throw in an eco-friendly sensibility, free Wi-Fi, and a leathery library, and we're positively smitten — and it seems the New York Times is on the same page.

This past weekend, a Times-er checked in to the Nines Hotel in Portland and, like us, gushed about the "fanciful" hotel's location, design, service, and amenities.

For the uninitiated, the Nines Hotel occupies the top nine floors of downtown Portland's historic Meier & Frank Building, with Macy's taking up the first five levels. The Nines is seeking LEED Silver certification, which translates to green touches like dual-flush toilets. The NYT particularly spotlights the hotel’s arty side ("a 419-piece collection by artists with local ties," "striking" art like a 30-foot chandelier by Melody Owen) and design (including a light-flooded atrium complete with "sheer-draped glass gazebos").

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The Avalon Still 'Green' When It Comes to Service

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 455 SW Hamilton Court [map], Portland, OR, United States, 97239
February 5, 2009 at 2:12 PM | by jennm | 0 Comments

What's a hotel got to do to stand out these days? Certainly being a green hotel—even if you are the tenth LEED-certified hotel in the United States—isn't much of a cache anymore; at least that's how it seems to be when we check in with Portland's Avalon Hotel and Spa.

Because environmentally-friendliness aside, it's service that matters, and judging from certain reviews on TripAdvisor, it appears not much has changed from our stay at the Avalon a little over a year ago.

Then, we found it to be "relaxing, romantic…though their maid service needs to improve," a sentiment echoed in more recent reviews. "It's really quite nice…[but] service leaves a bit to be desired," says one. "Service was reasonably efficient…I might stay there again if the price is right or place improves," reads another.

So while it's great to be tuned into the green movement--and have a relatively affordable rate of $155--you might want to also check in with your customers every once in a while.

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Scientology Book Available On Demand At Hotel Lucia

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 400 SW Broadway [map], Portland, OR, United States, 97205
January 21, 2009 at 9:44 AM | by Jenna | 0 Comments

Portland's Hotel Lucia likes to include everyone. They've got a packages that invite chocolate lovers (no, really, lovers) that includes an edible chocolate tattoo kit and chocolate whipped cream, and they've got a package called "He/He She/She Whatevah" that offers romantic amenities to all couples.

And as far as religion goes, well, chances are they've got you covered there, too. We were cruising around Flickr when we happened upon user Bryan Veloso's shot from a recent stay at the Lucia. He writes:

Hotel Lucia in Portland had a lot of great amenities despite their $14 internet. This was one of them, press the "Get it Now" button and have a spiritual book of your choice delivered to your room.

Okay, let's ignore the $14 connectivity charge for now and echo the photographer's sentiments here: what? The Book of Mormon to Scientology?

Well, we suppose if we're interested and don't want to pay $14 to Google it, we may as well be happy that we can at least read up on it the old-fashioned way.

[Photo: Brian Veloso]