Courtyard Portland City Center

February 29, 2020

Portland Sign!

My best-friend was getting married in Palm Springs and I was playing the role of best-man. Instead of flying down as I usually do I thought it might be fun to take a road trip down stopping in some spots along the way that I had not visited in awhile or in some cases at all and it was easier to bring the dog this way and a lots of items for the wedding and for a month long journey. Leaving Seattle on a Saturday I made my way the easy three hour drive down to Portland Oregon.

       Typically I stay at the Nines, one of my favorite city hotels in the United States, but this time I opted for the Courtyard Portland City Center. With a good central location with easy access to the water, downtown and the Pearl and right next to the main food truck area, the hotel's proximity to most of the spots I would be seeing during my 16 hour stopover was perfect.

      The hotel is very functional and no frills. There was a very low rate which included valet parking but unfortunately every other guest arriving at 3:00pm on a rainy day in Portland had the same idea, so it took almost twenty minutes to get the car valeted as their is no driveway, just one spot to pull over in. On a weekend it was not too difficult to wait as the traffic was light but I could see this being an issue during heavier traffic times.

      Once inside the lobby in simple but updated nicely. There is the small eating area where upon check in I was offered points or a $10 food and beverage credit. Since Portland is one of America's best foodie cities I opted for the points. The room was basic with a large desk and an interesting sofa in the sitting area, also nicely updated with plenty of outlets and USB plugs and the new 2020 Marriott large soap dispensers in the bathroom, only the hand lotion remained in a small plastic container. No water bottles any longer either. The view was of just a building and street scene so not much there unfortunately. As I had a dog I was relegated to the low second floor and it was evident that the room, though clean, had been used by a dog previously as there was still substantial white hair from a shedding dog on the floor. The pet fee was $50 but I figured that was a wash with the parking having been thrown in with such a low rate.

     After dropping the bags and setting up my dog Oliver's travel crate we headed out on a walking tour of the city for two hours walking along the river, through downtown and through the Pearl.

     Overall the hotel is well located and extremely functional for a quick weekend trip or a business stay. It definitely lacks some of the other amenities or ambience at the Marriott on the waterfront with amazing views or the Nines with a wonderful historic setting, great Club Lounge and views over the Atrium or Pioneer Square.