where to stay for a GREAT night or two prior to our move?!?

Greetings, TA Friends!

First off, THANK YOU for all of the support for relocating and suggestions about househunting. I checked Craigslist and a couple of rental agencies and it looks like we%26#39;ll have no problem renting a nice home in SW Portland for much less than we%26#39;d pay down here.

Here%26#39;s something fun: I will be flown up to Portland later this month for meetings and again at the beginning of next month with my fiance for househunting, all expenses paid! It%26#39;ll be a first for me to choose a hotel based on something other than needing to find a bargain. I%26#39;m so excited!

Then we%26#39;ll move to PORTLAND before Halloween!

So where should I stay when it%26#39;s just me? Something luxurious and/or FUN, please.

And what about for a romantic stay with my fiance? (We NEVER get to have nights without our 9yo, so this is a first, too.)

THANKS AGAIN!!!!

-Celle

where to stay for a GREAT night or two prior to our move?!?

My choice would be the 5th Avenue Suites.

Don%26#39;t go to the Paramount, huge pit being dug in front of the hotel for parking garage/park, so a very noisy construction site.

Riverplace also is away from downtown and has construction in front of it..although I never thought it was so great to be down there anyway.

There is a room at the top of the Vintage Plaza that is supposed to be nice...but the rest of the rooms are, from what I hear, just nice hotel rooms, nothing special.

The 5th Ave Suites has a fireplace in the lobby, wine tasting each night, suites..and it is in a good spot in town.

You won%26#39;t be far from me :)

where to stay for a GREAT night or two prior to our move?!?

Thanks, Scarlett, I%26#39;ll see if the 5th Ave Suites has vacancies.

One more thing: I remember reading someone%26#39;s post about a ';Dateline'; story describing significant social service cuts in Multnomah County. (I can%26#39;t find the posting right now.) I%26#39;m in child mental health, not to mention having a 9yo child myself, so I am concerned. Do you know where I can learn more, please?

Thanks again,

Celle

I just found that posting. It was by SparkleFufu.

Maybe I%26#39;ll start a new topic to learn what Portlanders think about it, and whether you all are worried...

Everywhere you look in Portland, you will see signs of the lack of funding for mental health facilities etc. It is sad and very frustrating as well as always making a person a bit wary of street people.

It seems to be concentrated in the downtown area, I never see people begging or just homeless types in the NW Hills area or the suburbs.

I don%26#39;t know about the Eastside.

Sparkle is very active, I think, in town issues, so she does seem to be one of the people on here who can tell you about that aspect of living in Portland..

Thank you, Scarlett!

I agree with Scarlett, the 5th Avenue Suites is great! Great hotel, and great location. Nice restaurant too.

If they are full, you might ask Mistletoe about the Hotel Deluxe as he just stayed there.

Even though you didn%26#39;t ask, Celle....... :-) As Mtngrl wrote, my wife and I spent a night at Hotel DeLuxe last weekend. Hotel DeLuxe is the new version of the old Mallory Hotel, a long time Portland institution. The remodel is generally themed after Hollywood of the 1940%26#39;s - 50%26#39;s, from decor to furniture to photos of movie stars of the era lining the hallways. There%26#39;s even a ';screening room'; off the lobby where they occasionally show films.

We very much enjoyed our stay. BUT, we were upgraded to one of the best rooms (821, top floor corner) at check-in, so even if we%26#39;d had a reason, we couldn%26#39;t complain. I wrote a review with a couple photos, but am not sure it%26#39;s been posted yet. Anyway, I don%26#39;t know if it meets your definition of luxurious, but it definitely is fun.

And since I%26#39;m here, regarding your other question..... There was an article in the local paper last Sat. about Nordstrom%26#39;s planned remodel of their downtown store. The subplot to the article was a discussion of the need for continued downtown investment by large retailers so as to attract shoppers and other businesses. I remember one line in particular that said something about Pioneer Square is now at times held ';siege'; by street kids and homeless. Truth is, Portland has more liberal drug laws than most of the rest of the country, so we do attract those elements. But, as Scarlett says, living where you plan to live, you%26#39;ll be insulated from most of that.

Good luck on the house-hunting, and have a great stay, wherever you decide.

We have enjoyed several GREAT stays at the Riverplace Hotel. It is true luxury, down by the water. It is now a Larkspur property. We love the gorgeous rooms, comfy beds, the private spa with a dry sauna and nice double jacuzzi and access to the Riverplace Athletic Club.

The concierge is very good there and the restaurant Three Degrees is perfect for breakfast with beautiful views of the river.

The Heathman was very nice this past summer for our family, we had our daughter with us. We stayed in the Symphony Suite which was nice and roomy. The lobby is absolutely gorgeous where we relaxed in the evening after a great dinner at the hotel restaurant. Sunday Brunch was Crabcakes and Poached Eggs with lots of fresh fruit. The staff was friendly and it is in a nice location, where we strolled the streets window shopping the morning.

Have fun and enjoy Portland! :)

Mistletoe--Your review shows up:) Nice pics, btw.

syrahgirl--Have you SEEN the construction near the Riverplace? Probably not since you have not been here in quite a while. But it is not a place I would recommend right now.

syrahgirl remembers the Riverplace of long ago. These days it is still a nice hotel ( a matter of taste) but with the 4 lane Naito highway that runs in front of the hotel, cutting it off from the rest of downtown, being torn up and being re-built, it is a mess.

syrahgirl, perhaps you should visit Portland some day and update your very old recommendations.

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