Hotel deLuxe--Good choice for girls' weekend?

My two best friends and I are planning a trip to Portland this month--sort of a girls%26#39; getaway. We%26#39;re planning on shopping (Saturday Market, Powell%26#39;s) and checking out the Pearl.

We were thinking about booking the Hotel deLuxe, but the reviews here don%26#39;t really mention whether this hotel is in a good location (e.g., within walking distance to good shopping, or at least withing public transportation distance). We haven%26#39;t decided whether we%26#39;ll rent a car, so it would be nice to have the option of forgoing it in favor of public transportation. Also, it%26#39;s unclear whether the restaurant (Gracie%26#39;s?) is open. We%26#39;ve considered 5th Ave Suites and the usual suspects, but like the funky look of the deLuxe.

I%26#39;d appreciate any comments on the above, or other recommendations.

Hotel deLuxe--Good choice for girls' weekend?

What%26#39;s your budget? You may want to book under the POVA website, they include complimentary breakfast and parking which is nice. We recently stayed at the Heathman Hotel, it was great. I could answer specific questions for you if you%26#39;re interested. They have an outstanding restaurant right at the hotel which was very convenient for us for dinner and brunch the next morning.

Have a great time in Portland, we have also enjoyed several very nice stays at the Riverplace Hotel, a Larkspur property right on the waterfront. Also, very very nice! :)

Hotel deLuxe--Good choice for girls' weekend?

Well, since you ask about the DeLuxe and not the Heathman, I can tell you that it is close to very good shopping, within transportation and is a very nice hotel.

I have not heard about Gracies opening yet, apparently the chef was given all the time he needed to get it the way he wanted before opening.

The 5th Avenue Suites is where we always stayed when we came to Portland ( we live here now) and I still like the way they do things..they are a Kimpton Hotel , so if you are a Kimpton member, you can get good discounts..

Our occasional visitor, syrahgirl, has apparently not been here since the highway in front of the Riverplace Hotel was dug up, making it a noisy, dusty mess with plenty of traffic since the highway is closed for the summer. I would suggest any hotel in town over that area.

Also be warned that the Paramount which is a lovely hotel, is also experiencing a noise/construction problem, the entire block in front of the hotel is being demolished and a new park with underground parking is going in..a long process believe.

Here is a GoList of mine, with some choices, you can just ignore the two I have mentioned :)

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i892-Sleeping_i鈥?/a>

Thanks to you both!

Syrah: we%26#39;re willing to spend some money on this trip, so I%26#39;m not too worried about cost (I think $400 would be our max--we may share rooms). I%26#39;ll look into the Heathman--that sounds nice.

Scarlett: Thanks for the tips! I will check out the list. I%26#39;ve stayed Kimpton before (Hotel Monaco in Seattle, Hotel Solamar in San Diego [where I%26#39;m from]) and think they%26#39;re an awesome company. I guess I was just thinking I%26#39;d like something different; but then again, at least at Kimpton I can expect quality :) I%26#39;m glad to hear the deLuxe is within distance to some shopping--it really appeals to me for some reason. If we book it, I%26#39;ll be sure to post a review.

Yes, Gracie%26#39;s is open. Haven%26#39;t been there yet, but plan to when we spend a night in the hotel next month. We walked through the Hotel de Luxe a month or two ago on the way back to our friends%26#39; home from dinner in the Pearl. (Scarlett is right; easy walking distance to most of what you%26#39;re planning, and the hotel is right on a MAX line.) Gracie%26#39;s hadn%26#39;t yet opened for dinner then, so its head chef asked if we%26#39;d like to tour the hotel and a couple rooms.

To connect the dots, it was the graciousness of the head chef, knowing that he came from Lucy%26#39;s Table, and the hotel%26#39;s rooms, both guest and public, that prompted my wife into saying, ';We HAVE to plan a night here';. I would describe the place as more %26#39;40%26#39;s - %26#39;50%26#39;s Hollywood retro than funky, though. Whichever, I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll love it.

By the way, we had just come from dinner at Fenouil before touring Hotel de Luxe. I%26#39;m sure Scarlett would agree with me in recommending you include that in your plans too.

You%26#39;re welcome! I have a review with photos of our Heathman stay posted here, also. :)

Oh definitely, check out Fenouil (IMO-better than the Heathman) .. if not dinner, a nice lunch .. with views of the waterfall in Jamison Park, right on the streetcar line..

Then there is Carlyle which beats out the Heathman big time lol..

The DeLuxe had an article in our paper not long ago, I will see if I can find it online for you..

If you want funky %26amp; different, look at the Inn@Northrup Station too..cute..not with the ';glamour'; that the DeLuxe has though..The Heathman re-did some rooms and overhauled the dining room/kitchens..if you are not interested in dinner there, you can enjoy drinks and the bar menu .. hopping and busy most evenings..which can be fun.

Powells (which I can see from my apt) is about ( 4-5 blocks to the DeLuxe ( which I can see from my apt..) That is also where you can hop on the streetcar and go just about anywhere you want to, in town.

Anything you need to know, feel free to ask :)

It%26#39;s pretty obvious that you have to stay at the DeLuxe. If for no other reason, then stay there for the ';Make It So'; button next to the bed in each room. Press it. Let me know what happens. Reminds me of when I was working room service at the Governor about a decade ago and Patrick Stewart stayed at the hotel. He called down to order a bucket of ice and we had to draw straws to see who would win the privilege of taking it up to him. He was shorter than on television, but still commanded respect. I really wanted him to call me ';number one,'; but I settled for saying ';aye sir'; to him after giving him his ice.

Anyway, that%26#39;s my little nerdy star trek reference for the day. Long live and prosper.

oregone, you are too much...(said with love) :O)

If you%26#39;re up for it, you can walk almost everywhere in dowtown Portland. From city center to the waterfront to The Pearl. So staying at the deLuxe should not hamper your style at all.

I also like The Benson for a very central location and old school feel.

For wonderful food try The Carlyle, Giorgios, Andina or Fenouil for diinner. Pizza Italia is great for lunch.

Have a wonderful time and let us all know if you need more info.

You guys are the best!! Thanks for all the recommendations and the advice--we%26#39;ll definitely include Fenouil in the meal rotation, it sounds great.

And I will be sure to press the ';make it so'; button at least once :)