The Nines Portland Hotel – A Review

We go up to Portland, Oregon quite a bit and have stayed in many of the main downtown hotels.  We planned a last minute trip for the President’s weekend and this time chose The Nines as it was $50/night cheaper than the other contenders (though this is not always the case).  We had stayed here several years ago when they had first opened, but for one reason or another had never gone back.  While all the downtown hotel’s are very well located for shopping and picking up the MAX light rail, The Nines definitely has the best location of them all. Located in the Meier and Frank building, you can just walk out of the lobby and the entrance to M & F is right there.  Just kitty-corner is the entrance to Pioneer Place and Nordstrom is just one block up past Pioneer Courthouse Square.  The MAX light rail runs right by the hotel, a stop is just 1/2 block away, or you can walk just a few blocks up to the streetcar stop and get to The Pearl or NW 23rd.

We stayed in a Standard double room which was a decent size room with a nice long settee along the windows which was the perfect place to keep your luggage so it was off the ground.

The bathroom was a nice size with a large walk-in shower, and I like the way they did the corner counter space – provided a lot of counter space in a smaller area.  The way the water came out of the faucet was a bit odd, and would have preferred more water pressure from the bathroom sink.

There was a good size flat screen tv and one little touch that we really appreciated was plugs in the lights on either side of the bed so we could both charge our phones next to the bed.

We have eaten at the main restaurant, Urban Farmer, for breakfast in the past but chose not to eat here this time  – so many great options in Portland.  We did stop at the Urban Farmer bar before our 5pm Timbers game and had some yummy oysters and simple cheese plate.  It was a nice afternoon snack.  The main lobby area behind the reception desk is quite nice with a lot of couches and chairs to sit on and the open skylighted ceiling makes for a light feel.  There is another restaurant, Departures, on the top floor that is Asian influenced.  We have not eaten there, but there are supposed to be nice outdoor decks as well, that would be great to sit out on when the weather is better.

Overall, we found the service very good.  We did have one negative incident but we understand that things happen and it is not always that they happen but how they are handled when they do.  My in-laws live in Portland and my father-in-law is in a wheelchair, and they had purchased a new mobility van that came from Phoenix, AZ.  Friends had driven it to us in Southern Oregon and we were driving it up to Portland to deliver to my in-laws.  We came in late Friday night and parked it overnight at the hotel.  The next day we received a call from the head valet that while moving the van they had run it over a small curb and damaged the bottom of the car (these mobility vans are very low to the grounds).  He said they had taken pictures and would take care of paying for all the damages.  Of course, the car was not ours so we delivered the car to my in-laws and passed on all the necessary names and numbers to all parties.  We trust that it will be resolved satisfactorily, and I will update this post on the outcome.  But so far The Nines has been forthcoming and willing to help and cover all expenses.

When we checked out I was hoping to see the overnight parking charges credited to my account, but they were not.  I explained to the lady at the front desk, that I was hoping we would not have to pay for the parking fee as there had been damage done to our car.  She apologized and said she did not have a note about it.  She asked for the details, which I explained to her and she put it in the computer and promptly refunded me the overnight parking charges.

Lastly, when I came home I realized that I had left my electric toothbrush in the room.  I called the hotel, and yes, they had my toothbrush and would send it to me.

All in all, we were very pleased with our stay.  Assuming the issue with the van is resolved to our satisfaction, and at this point I have no reason to believe it won’t, we would definitely return in the future.

Hotels/B&Bs, Oregon, Our Travels, PortlandOregon, Reviews, USA

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