My Experience at Portland’s Best Hotel

Background:

For my spring break trip with my family, we decided to head up to Portland for the first time! I remember quite a long while back in 2008 when the Nines first opened and it was on the front page of the SPG website for awhile. The Nines is part of the Luxury Collection. I told myself at the time that when I eventually visit Portland, that I wish to stay here, which was the Portland’s best hotel at the time. Nine years later, it came true! (Funny isn’t it? The hotel is called The Nines, and I stayed here nine years after it opened 🙂

Luckily for my trip, the Nines was a great price in comparison to its competitors. I booked the Nines through Hotwire’s Hot Rate for under $200 a night. The Hot Rate is where they don’t tell you the exact hotel until after booking but they give you the star rating and amenities. It’s quite easy to spot the Nines as it is (currently) the only listed five star hotel in Portland on Hotwire. The rate was $50 cheaper a night than the lowest rate direct, so I opted for the instant savings than earning SPG points.

Short Review With Scores (Out of 5, 5 Being the Best)

My Overall Score: 4.5

5: Excellent, Highly Recommend
4: Very Good, Solid Choice to Consider
3: Ok, Check Other Options Before Booking
2: Below Par, Try to Avoid
1: Terrible, Run Far Away

Rooms: 4.5/5
Service: 4/5
Location: 5/5
Amenities: 4.5/5
Cleanliness: 4.5/5
Sleep Quality: 4.5/5

Quick Summary: Is it really Portland’s best hotel? Well, this is the only hotel in Portland I’ve stayed in, but nonetheless The Nines is a great luxury hotel option. Although not quite a 5 star hotel as presented by most travel sites, the Nines excels in its boutique image featuring ultra-plush beds and rich furnishings.

Arrival:

The Nines is located in the Meier and Frank Building in Downtown Portland. Interestingly enough, in one of my GE classes about architecture, we learned about this exact building just a couple of week before I took this trip. The building was built in 1909, and was the headquarters for the department store company Meier and Frank (which was bought out by Macy’s). The Nines occupies the top nine floors (hence, the name) of this building, with the bottom floors being a Macy’s department store until last month when Macy’s decided to close the location. Plans currently are to create “creative office space” in these lower floors.

The ground entrance features a valet desk, and a small waiting area with the elevator landing. The actual hotel lobby is located on the 8th floor.

The lobby on the 8th floor is quite nice, and there is an atrium in this hotel. On the lobby level, there is plenty of seating, in a very interesting configuration with different furniture styles spread across the lobby. Very artsy and hip. The lobby is a great place to meet up with colleagues and friends as there is ample seating. I actually had a friend visiting Portland who happened to stay here as well, so we met up one night and brought back the famous VooDoo donuts to satisfy our dessert cravings.

Check-in was quick, and we were assigned to a room on the 10th floor, with a view of the atrium. I was a bit worried about the atrium noise, but it was not a problem as I did not hear much lobby noise even though we were right above the restaurant in the lobby.

The Room:

The room was nicely appointed, with blue accents, and even a chandelier with two seating chairs. The beds were very plush, and very comfortable. The comforter and sheets were very crisp, thick and of a high quality. Note: there was not a hot water maker, and there was a minibar already filled with goodies. A solid 4.5 star hotel.

The bathroom was decent sized, better than your average three piece bathroom with nice marble. Being Portland’s best hotel, I did wish for a five piece bathroom. (Okay I’m kidding, that’s expecting a bit much). The shower was quite comfortable and water pressure was good. The toiletries used were Bee Kind (personally, not my favorite) and they went the eco-friendly route by having pumps in the shower for the shampoo, conditioner and bath wash. A little pet peeve was that the toilet was quite small…

Service and Amenities:

The front desk and concierge were standard, nothing over the top. Housekeeping was friendly and did a nice job. There was turndown service, which was a nice touch.

There is a pretty big fitness center in the hotel, and an interesting piece of art called “Birdsong”. Birdsong plays recorded bird calls, and the sound trickles down long beams. It’s quite peaceful and cool to look at.

There are two restaurants in the hotel, one being Urban Farmer which is a farm to table steakhouse located on the lobby level. And at the 15th floor (top floor) is Departure, a hip asian-fusion restaurant.

Location:

The location is great, in Pioneer Square and across the street from the Pioneer Place Mall. Portland is known for having good public transport, and the MAX Red and Blue lines are right outside the door. In terms of parking, it is only valet at $47 a night (1/2 price if you have a hybrid). Alternatively, you could park at public parking structures. I had a car for one day, and parked at one of the public parking lots just around the corner and it was only $5 for sunday night! Not sure how much it would be for other nights, but I was expecting to pay $20 as that is what is posted online.

Verdict:

I would definitely stay at the Nines again if my travels bring me back to Portland! This was my first Luxury Collection brand hotel, and I’m excited to try out the others in the future.

Comment below if you’ve stayed here and think it deserves the title of Portland’s Best Hotel!

Cheers,

Ty