We come to Portland at least a couple of times a year, and have stayed in several different hotels over the years. When planning this trip, I noticed the Paramount. It featured “no hidden resort fees,” which I appreciated after seeing these have been added at some other area hotels. It’s relatively large rooms also have a room safe, which we consider a close-to-necessary amenity. It is centrally located downtown, just a very short walk to the Max line to or from the airport, as well as the central transfer point at Pioneer Square. The Portland Streetcar stops a short block away. And, when I was booking, it was very reasonably priced compared to the competition.
Well, it has turned out to be better than I actually expected. The rooms are nicely done, there’s a spacious bathroom, heating and cooling worked well. Our room was very quiet. In addition to the small safe (plenty of room for a laptop and other valuables), there is a mini-refrigerator. We appreciated that it wasn’t full of high priced temptations, so that we had room for our own libations and leftovers. The staff are very friendly and helpful, the security at the front entrance seems good, there’s a convenient Starbucks immediately next door, and lots of restaurant choices nearby.
I can’t think of any reason not to stay here again, unless for some unusual reason we want to avoid the center city.
The restaurant and bar in the lobby (Swank and Swine) appear to be very popular, judging from the number of customers, although we didn’t drop in there during our visit.
If you have a car, valet parking is $43 per night, although I noticed their advertising says they can direct you to nearby self-parking buildings. Since the last time we visited, the nearby food trucks on Alder Street have been displaced by a large construction site, which we were sorry to see.
In any case, the Paramount is a Portland winner, in my view.
