506 SW Washington, Portland, OR 97204, 888-207-2201,
Rates: start at $189 for a standard room, $230 for a suite. Overnight parking (valet) is $33 per night and Wi-Fi is $10 per day.
Stay here if you: are looking for a calm, professionally run hotel that knows how to treat guests like adults, which is who mostly seems to be staying here.
It’s close to: the river, five blocks away, which makes for a great morning run or bike ride. The hotel sits smack in the middle of Portland’s business district, and Pioneer Square and Portland State University are within walking distance, as are dozens of great restaurants.
The rooms are: just darling. Striped wallpaper and patterned bedspreads and polka dots and complementary browns and yellows and lavenders — it’s just all pleasing to the eye and very relaxing and nice to look at. Not to mention sink-into-them beds covered with plenty of squishy pillows and cozy chairs you actually want to sit in. And with a $41 difference between having a whole extra room to spread out in and not, if you’re waffling between “deluxe” and the suite, I say go for it — the suite has a couch and two plasma TVs, tons of walking space next to the desk and a coffee table, as well as sliding doors so people can get away from each other if need be. Nice.
They put all of the money into: everything. The hotel is sparkling clean and well-maintained, there’s a free wine/beer happy hour daily from 5 to 6 p.m., you get a pet goldfish in your room to keep you company if you’d like, and the staff seems to be happy to be there and takes care of things (and they will quickly and eagerly share their favorite eateries and things to do if asked). Bikes and helmets are available for free so you can tool around the city.
The bottom line: I have long been a fan of the Kimpton brand, and will often pick a Hotel Monaco over another when given the chance. I love the very, very friendly, knowledgable and outgoing staffs — some of the doormen here would outdo most concierges in terms of city knowledge and restaurant expertise — and I love the goldfish program and pet friendliness. Not a dog fan? You won’t even know there are any here if you don’t want to — I didn’t hear so much as a whimper over a four-day visit, and dog-toting people were careful to keep their animals away from obviously wary guests. I am a dog fan, though, and could have spent whole days visiting with Timmy, their ambassador, who tucks himself away at the concierge desk until someone shows the slightest interest, and then becomes your new best friend. He is undoubtedly the sweetest dog I’ve ever met. Also note that if you’re a member of the Kimpton InTouch Guest Loyalty Program (which is free), you get free WiFi and two free items from the minibar (up to $10) every time you stay. Love that.
