Portland hotels

Located in a sleek skyscraper, the Ritz-Carlton is one of the best hotels in Portland and an ode to the Pacific Northwest. Tree trunks inspired the pillars and drapes in the grand lobby, while the curved lines of the spa mimic the shape of a delicate rose (Portland is known as the Rose City). The spa’s harmonic sleep lounger lulled me into the deepest state of relaxation during my stay. Meanwhile, floor-to-ceiling glass windows on every floor showcase the city’s beauty.

The guestrooms are misty mountain-hued havens with copper accents. In addition to the spa, the 19th-floor wellness sanctuary has a fitness centre and a mountain lake-like infinity pool enclosed in glass, with a panoramic view of downtown and the West Hills, further cementing the Ritz-Carlton’s status as one of the best hotels in Portland.

Thanks to its monied clientele, the hotel has brought new life to the West End, where luxury boutiques with a Portland twist have chosen to set up shop.

Oozing character inside and out, just like the city it calls home, the historic Hotel Lucia downtown is one of the best hotels in Portland. Located on Broadway Street, downtown’s main thoroughfare, the 1909 building finds itself on the National Register of Historic Places.

A museum-quality art and photography collection on display in the colourful lobby, which has gold and blue velvet furnishings, makes this one of the best hotels in Portland for art lovers.
Thanks to the long list of "Portland-style" amenities on offer here, there’s always something for guests to do. Travellers can grab a game from the board game library, hop on a complimentary bike or enjoy the nightly craft beer hour.

There’s even an onsite arcade with full-sized games. Business travellers love the fast, free Wi-Fi, writing desks in each room and 24-hour gym.

The Nines delivers the excellent service, amenities, and style that come with a five-star stay, making it one of the best hotels in Portland. While the entrance is unassuming, that changes once you take the elevator to the 8th floor.

There, you’ll enter a soaring, light-filled atrium with multiple seating areas, a swanky bar and a steakhouse serving grass-fed Oregon beef. The historic building, with its ornate terracotta façade, used to be a department store.

The Nines’ interior designers steered clear of safe, earth-toned décor in favour of bright colours and maximalist design. Guestrooms come with Tiffany blue couches and upholstered chairs that pop against the taupe and gold wall coverings.

I highly recommend visiting the rooftop restaurant Departures, which sports a space-age modern design and multiple outdoor decks with impressive views. It’s also one of the few places in Portland where you should get dressed up for drinks.

The Bidwell Marriott consistently ranks among the best hotels in Portland, offering everything modern travellers want in a prime location next to Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Pet-friendly guestrooms in soothing shades of blue and gray offer space to work and relax, while wellness warriors can use the cardio machines, free weights and stationary bikes in the fitness centre.
With its gear rental shop stocked with bikes, helmets, fishing rods and backpacks, the Bidwell makes enjoying Portland’s outdoorsy lifestyle easy (one free rental is included in your stay each day).

The restaurant and bar, High Horse, features locally crafted beer and fresh seafood. The official Hotel of the Portland Timbers and Thorns (it’s where visiting teams typically stay), the Bidwell is especially lively before and after soccer matches at nearby Providence Park.

One of the best hotels in Portland for sports enthusiasts, there’s even a soccer-themed suite.

While many of the best hotels in Portland are downtown, plenty of great properties are popping up across the river in the Central Eastside neighbourhood. Case in point, Hotel Grand Stark, which opened in the lively business district in 2021.

With its mansard roof, the 1906 corner building gives off European vibes that continue once you head inside, where the wood-floored, white lobby feels like a chic mid-century Parisian apartment.

Guestrooms showcase the Palisociety hotel group’s signature preppy style with a dose of Pacific Northwest. Plaid black and white pillows and upholstery complement pale blue accent walls and green velvet chairs.

While it’s an easy walk to the renowned Haitian restaurant Kann and upscale izakaya Afuri, there are great on-property dining options too. I love the hanger steak and wine selection at Italian restaurant Grand Amari, making this one of the top hotels in Portland for foodies.

Most Portland hotels favour a lighter, more modern aesthetic, but the Benson, Portland’s indisputable grande dame, embraces its ornate, historic interiors. I’ve been visiting this hotel for more than two decades and still love popping in to soak up the grandeur.

Founded over a century ago by lumber baron Simon Benson, the opulent lobby’s walls and pillars are finished in rare Circassian walnut imported from Russia. Meanwhile, Italian marble floors, a coffered ceiling and Austrian crystal chandeliers add early 20th-century drama.

The French Second Empire-style building has a glazed terracotta and brick exterior and arched windows, and the hotel’s original 12-story marble staircase doubles as a museum showcasing local history and art, including photographs dating back to 1847.

Guestrooms are traditional and generous in size, featuring desks with comfortable chairs and large televisions. One of the best hotels in Portland for location, you can easily walk to all of downtown’s main attractions, including the Pearl District, Pioneer Courthouse and Powell’s Books.

The Hoxton Hotel group is known for its stylish, affordable properties in the world’s capitals of cool, and the Portland Hoxton, one of the best hotels in Portland, delivers on all accounts.

Inspired by 1960s Northwest modernism, the 119 guestrooms have more panache than your average hotel room. Located off Burnside in Old Town, it’s easy to take public transportation to Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the US, or to the happening east side.

One of the best hotels in Portland for nightlife lovers, you should start your evening at the hotel’s rooftop Mexican restaurant Tope. I always enjoy the zippy margaritas and standout city views before heading to the karaoke bar Dante’s on Burnside.

The original Voodoo Donuts, which stays open until 3 am every night, is mere blocks away. Order the maple bacon bar! The Hoxton’s discreet basement speakeasy 2NW5 is the place to end the night.

Woodlark Hotel honors Portland’s past and cosmopolitan future. Located in two historic buildings – the 1908 French Renaissance-style Cornelius Hotel and the Woodlark Building, one of Portland’s earliest commercial skyscrapers – the 150-room hotel is elegant, understated and artsy.

Guestrooms feature colours inspired by the local landscape, such as mossy green velvet, natural wood tones and dark blue. Fitness fans will love the rock-climbing wall, spin bikes and interactive MIRROR workouts.

A wooden wrap-around check-in desk doubles as a coffee bar serving hot drinks and pastries by local favourite Good Coffee, while the adjacent Abigail Hall, with its floral wallpaper and tiled fireplace,is just as inviting for high tea as a glass of sauvignon blanc, which I’ve enjoyed often during shopping excursions downtown.

Many of the best hotels in Portland have buzzy restaurants, and the Bullard – a Texas-meets-Oregon hotspot serving wagyu carpaccio and cherrywood smoked chicken – checks all the boxes.

A few blocks from the Portland Art Museum and next door to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, one of my favourite places to see a concert in Portland and where the Oregon Symphony regularly performs, Heathman Hotel is a top choice for culture connoisseurs. A Portland fixture since 1927, it unveiled a major renovation in 2018 that cemented the property’s reputation as one of the best hotels in Portland. The revamp included lighter and brighter guestrooms, a gray and sea blue color scheme, kitted-out bar carts and refreshed public spaces.

The two-story Heathman Library is a dreamy space for literature lovers, with a collection of 2,700 volumes featuring the signed works of several Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners and US Poet Laureates. Grab whatever takes your fancy before decamping to the blue velvet sofas by the roaring fireplace in the lounge.

The KEX brand may have been founded in Iceland, but it’s at home in Portland, where residents, like Icelanders, pride themselves on living sustainably and reusing historic structures.
The restored 1912 building is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the designer decorated it with furniture and objects from the 1920s to the 1970s. The hotel has shared rooms with bunkbeds catering to families, groups and solo travellers.

Meanwhile, private rooms in muted pastels and earth tones feature headboards made from refurbished fireplace mantels.

KEX guests can use the 12-person sauna made from local Western red cedar before heading to the seasonal rooftop bar serving cocktails and light snacks.

My favourite seats are at the lobby bar Pacific Standard, where I love to meet friends for oysters and stone fruit sours.