What's New

What's New and Different in Portland, Oregon — 2009

How to cover something new in Portland? Let us count the ways.

 

Hotels

Courtyard by Marriott Portland – City Center Scheduled to Open in May 2009
Portland’s newest hotel, the 256-room Courtyard by Marriott – Portland City Center, is slated to open in May 2009. The project, a renovation of an older downtown office structure, is designed to meet Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The building’s exterior received a complete facelift, and its window proportions were optimized to allow maximum daylighting and energy conservation, both important LEED considerations.

The hotel, which is entirely smoke-free, offers wireless Internet access, business services, complimentary lobby coffee, valet parking and The Original, an independent on-site restaurant dishing up diner-style comfort food in a chic but comfortable environment. The Original’s main entrance faces Southwest Sixth Avenue and Portland’s new MAX Green light rail train line (opening fall 2009).

The Courtyard’s meeting space includes the Sequoia Ballroom (2,048 square feet), the Alder Room (896 square feet), five smaller meeting rooms ranging in size from 546-644 square feet, and generous prefunction space (925 square feet). Courtyard by Marriott – Portland City Center is located at 550 S.W. Oak St., Portland, Ore. 97204; 503.505.5000; www.marriott.com/pdxpc.

Cheri Hanson, Director of Sales, Courtyard by Marriott Portland City Center, 503.505.5000, cheri.hanson@cymportland.com

 

McMenamins to Open Hotel in Downtown Portland in 2009
McMenamins Hotels, Pubs & Breweries – a Portland-based company with a penchant for rescuing, renovating and repurposing historic buildings – is working to transform a 1911 structure in downtown Portland into a full-service hotel. The new McMenamins’ property (as of yet unnamed) is scheduled to open in late 2009. Its triangular footprint will encompass 50 guest rooms, a restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and outdoor seating; a heated saltwater soaking pool; spa-like massage rooms; and the subterranean Cellar Bar, which will connect to McMenamins’ existing Ringlers Annex Pub next door. Through artwork and historic photographs, McMenamins will commemorate the property’s evolution from pioneer residence to tire shop to live jazz club to – most recently and significantly – part of Portland’s “gay triangle.”

In addition to adjoining Ringlers Annex, the new hotel is just one block from McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, a historic venue that has presented live national music/dance acts since the 1920s, ranging from Rudolph Valentino to the Grateful Dead to Modest Mouse. With its location in Portland’s Burnside Triangle/West End district, the whimsically designed hotel will be adjacent to the Pearl District and a five-minute walk from Portland’s downtown city center. For updates on the hotel’s progress, visit www.mcmenamins.com.

Renee Rank, Corporate Marketing Director, McMenamins Hotels, Pubs & Breweries, 503.492.5457, reneer@ed.mcmenamin.com

 

The Nines Hotel Opens
A 331-room Luxury Collection Hotel (Starwood Hotels & Resorts) opened in downtown Portland in October 2008. Known as “the Nines,” the hotel occupies the top nine floors of the historic Meier & Frank Building; a stylishly renovated Macy’s department store fills the building’s lower five levels. A key component of the $137 million project was converting the top floors of the former department store from a solid box to a hollow square. The creation of the resulting seven-story atrium gives all of the guestrooms access to a view and natural light. Interior rooms overlook the atrium, while the exterior rooms enjoy city views.

The hotel also has an atrium restaurant on the lobby level (Urban Farmer, featuring local foods and ingredients); a rooftop restaurant/lounge called Departure; a 7,200-square-foot ballroom; and 7,000 square feet of additional conference, meeting and banquet facilities. The Library at the Nines has a custom pool table and floor-to-ceiling books provided by Powell’s Books, the world’s largest independent bookstore. In addition, art consultant Paige Powell, longtime friend and confidante to Andy Warhol, commissioned local Portland artists to create 419 pieces of contemporary art, including sculptures, paintings and installations to grace the atrium. Each guestroom has original artworks created through a partnership between the Nines and the Pacific Northwest College of Art.

The project’s developer, Sage Hospitality, anticipates LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. To achieve this designation, Sage incorporated several conservation-focused building elements, including a plumbing system that will save more than 500,000 gallons of water each year. All products used in daily housekeeping are Green Seal certified, and the hotel’s energy comes from renewable sources such as wind power. Low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints and carpets were used during the renovation to secure optimum air quality. During the building process, 90 percent of the construction waste was diverted from landfills for reuse or recycling.

For decades after its opening, the Meier & Frank Department Store was one of the largest retail outlets west of the Mississippi. In 2005, Meier & Frank, whose original Portland store had opened in 1857, was acquired by Macy’s. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Meier & Frank Building is one of the earliest examples of a terra-cotta-type commercial palace. The Nines is located at 525 S.W. Morrison St., Portland, Ore. 97204; 503.222.9996; www.thenines.com.

Ashley Bleimes, P.R. Account Representative for the Nines, 212.255.6541, ashley@hawkpr.com

 

Portland’s Hotel Modera Now Open
Hotel Modera, an upscale boutique property, opened in downtown Portland in June 2008. The new hotel is actually the transformation of the old Portland Inn City Center, which underwent a massive multimillion-dollar renovation. Embracing the mid-century style of the original building, the hotel features a clean, retro-modern design complemented by warm earth tones and an expansive courtyard.

The five-story Hotel Modera has 174 rooms and suites and covers nearly a full city block. Its courtyard features fire pits, plenty of outdoor seating and a “living wall,” a wall planted with native vegetation in an unusual, vertical manner. The property borders TriMet’s new light rail line, which will open in September 2009. Dubbed the Green Line, this rail route will connect Portland’s historic Union Station (Amtrak) to Portland State University and beyond. TriMet has commissioned sculptor Michihiro Kosuge to install artwork along the transit line. This artwork will include three sculptures fronting the Modera’s courtyard.

In spring 2009, well-known local chef/restaurateur David Machado (owner of Lauro Kitchen and Vindalho) will open the Modera’s on-site restaurant. Called Nel Centro, the restaurant space overlooks both the Modera’s courtyard and the artwork-accented light rail line. The Hotel Modera is located at 515 S.W. Clay St., Portland, Ore. 97201; 503.484.1084; www.hotelmodera.com.

Joanne Bosworth, Director of Sales & Marketing, Hotel Modera, 503.484.1077, jbosworth@hotelmodera.com

 

Aloft Hotel Now Open
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., and its new lifestyle brand – aloft hotels (the brand is expressed entirely in lowercase letters) – has partnered with Pollin Hotels III to construct Oregon’s first aloft hotel. The 136-room property opened in September 2008 at Cascade Station, a mixed-use commercial development near the Portland International Airport (PDX). When completely built out, Cascade Station will include hotels, retail space, restaurants and offices. The area is already connected to both downtown Portland and PDX via the region’s MAX light rail system. Pollin Hotels currently owns the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel and the Hampton Inn Portland Airport, both located close to the Cascade Station development.

The $21 million Portland aloft project reflects a concept developed by the creators of the luxury W hotels. The hotel’s design features loft-like nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows, which create a bright, airy environment. Other amenities include ultra-comfortable signature beds, stylish bathrooms with oversized walk-in showers, and high-tech office/entertainment centers featuring wireless Internet, “plug-and-play” (a one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic devices), and 42-inch flat-panel high-definition television sets for optimal sound and viewing. The hotel also has a pool, a fleet of bikes that guests may use for free, and a 24-hour grab-and-go gourmet food station called “re-fuel.” The aloft is located at 9920 N.E. Cascades Parkway, Portland, Ore. 97220; 503.200.5678; www.alofthotels.com.

Lota LaMontagne, P.R. Account Representative for aloft, 503.827.6564, lota@ladcommunications.com
David P. Porter, General Manager, aloft Portland, 503.281.2500, dporter@aloftpdx.com

 

Total Makeover – Hotel Fifty Transforms Property
Hotel Fifty, an independent full-service boutique hotel, opened in downtown Portland last summer. The new property is actually the former Four Points by Sheraton Hotel Downtown Portland, which recently underwent a $7 million makeover. The project includes a redesign of elements of the hotel’s exterior, a total reconstruction of the restaurant and lounge (now called H50 Bistro & Bar), and a complete remodel of the guestrooms, bathrooms and common areas. The 140-room property, which is entirely nonsmoking, offers high-end accommodations for both business and leisure travelers.

Situated conveniently on the MAX light rail line in downtown Portland, Hotel Fifty is across the street from the Willamette River and Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park – a major venue for festivals and a popular walking/jogging locale. The hotel is located at 50 S.W. Morrison St., Portland, Ore. 97204; 503.221.0711. For more information, visit www.hotelfifty.com.

Sarah Biggerstaff, P.R. Account Representative for Hotel Fifty, 206.682.6979, ext. 117; sarahb@richmondpr.com

 

Technology

Portland Launches Nation’s First Twisitor Center
In January 2009, Portland, Ore., became the first U.S. city to launch an official “Twisitor Center.” This cyber-style cousin to the more traditional walk-in visitor information center relies on Twitter technology to connect travelers with those who can answer their questions and help plan their trips. (Twitter is a free social-networking service that allows subscribers to send and receive short, real-time updates, messages and questions.)

Although other cities are connecting with visitors through Twitter, Portland is the first to set up a virtual visitor center to which people can direct travel questions just by adding a simple tag to their tweets [messages]. Twitter-users seeking information on Portland can add #inpdx to their questions; tweets tagged with this code are sought out by Twisitor Center staff members who then send back suggestions. But the beauty of Twitter is that other users who aren’t affiliated with Travel Portland or the Twisitor Center can also chime in with additional tips.

Because Twitter is relatively new to many travelers, Travel Portland’s website features a Twitter page that explains the service and connects to Twitter in Plain English, a fun, two-minute video that covers the basics. The page also links to Travel Portland’s Twitter stream, so visitors can see what others are tweeting about and sign up to “follow” Travel Portland. For more information on Travel Portland’s Twisitor Center, go to www.travelportland.com. To follow Travel Portland on Twitter, visit twitter.com/travelportland.

Deborah Wakefield, Travel Portland, 503.275.9795, deborah@travelportland.com

 

Transportation

New MAX Light Rail Line under Construction
When it comes to sustainable mass transit systems, bigger is better. TriMet, the Portland area’s regional transit authority, is currently expanding its popular MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) light rail system. The existing 44-mile light rail network is already hugely popular with visitors: MAX’s Red Line connects Portland International Airport to downtown (a 38-minute ride on luggage-friendly low-floor trains); the Blue and Red lines link upper Washington Park (home to the Oregon Zoo, Portland Children’s Museum, the World Forestry Discovery Museum and Hoyt Arboretum) to the central city (12-minute ride); and the Yellow Line transports trade show attendees from the downtown Portland hotel core to the Portland Expo Center (34-minute ride).

The new line – the “Green Line” – will open in September 2009 and connect Portland’s historic Union Station (Amtrak) to the campus of Portland State University (PSU) before continuing to its terminus at the Clackamas Town Center shopping mall. This north-south route will travel through the central city, making it a breeze for arriving Amtrak passengers to access downtown hotels. Portland’s visitor information center, which is located at Pioneer Courthouse Square, will be one of the stops (approximately a five-minute ride from Union Station) on the line.

Construction of the future Green Line includes not just the laying of track along downtown Portland’s Fifth and Sixth avenues. It also encompasses significant street improvements: installation of public art, refurbished roadways and sidewalks, bike lanes, additional lighting and new shelters. In fall 2008, a year prior to the opening of the Green Line, TriMet introduced its fourth generation of MAX trains: Siemens S70/Avanto light rail vehicles. The new trains feature a sleek look, a smoother ride, and more seating than their predecessors.

Mary Fetsch, Director of Communications, TriMet, 503.962.6403, fetschm@trimet.org, www.portlandmall.org or www.trimet.org