where to stay

Hi,

We will be spending three nights in Portland mid-July, and will have a rental car. We want to get around and see as much as we can, and love walking. I am wondering whether it makes more sense to stay downtown, where accommodation seems to be quite expensive, or to spend a bit less and stay a bit farther out. Is it easy to drive into the downtown and find parking? How accessible and quick is public transit?

Any advice would be appreciated, as well as suggested hotels/motels/B and B%26#39;s from which downtown is easily accessible, even if not right there.

Thanks for your help.

where to stay

I would stay downtown and use mass transit and walking for most sightseeing. Parking is sometimes hard to find and expensive. There are several downtown hotels that offer good rates with easy access to public transit. Call to get best rates.

If you are planning to drive about in the region rent for the time you will use.

where to stay

Some people swear by Priceline. I%26#39;ve not used it, but have read of some great deals gotten on nice downtown hotels. Which is where I think you should stay. If you%26#39;re not comfortable bidding on Priceline, pick something like Inn at Northrup Station, which is at the edge of the downtown core, but on the streetcar line, for easy and quick access around the city. I don%26#39;t think there%26#39;s a fee to park there.

As for the rental car, depending upon what you%26#39;re planning, you may not even need it. But, I%26#39;m guessing you thinking about the Columbia River Gorge, Mt.(s) Hood and/or St. Helens, or maybe the coast?

Yes, it makes more sense to stay downtown , there are many hotels, there might be something just right for you and your budget.

It is easy to drive in town but parking can be a pain in the neck and it is such a walkable town, with a great Streetcar to get you around, park the car in a SmartPark and forget about it while you are in town.

Public transit is great in Portland.

www.pova.com is a good site to look for specials and to see what is going on in town when you are there.

This is my hotel list.. you can check the websites and see if there are any specials.. Look at the Inn at Northrup Station

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

Also, not on my list but worth looking into ....

There is the Ace

http://www.acehotel.com/

the Modera

www.hotelmodera.com

Hotel Fifty

http://www.hotelfifty.com/

I found B%26amp;Bs in Portland to be as expensive or more than a lot of the big hotels.. and not in the most convenient locations.. for a short stay.

Hope this helps :)

Another vote for Priceline here. We have stayed at the Benson and Westin (bid 4 star) for between 75 and 90 dollars per night on several occasions. Save a few dollars on parking by avoiding the hotel valet and finding a Smart Park. Or, as we did on our last visit, get your car serviced at the dealership and avoid a day%26#39;s parking fees! Walk and take public transportation. Absolutely the most pleasant, stress-free way to experience the city.

Have a great visit. We love our travels to Portland.

We have stayed at the Benson and The Heathman in downtown Portland, both places were very nice. At the Benson we had a Junior Suite which was very spacious, they have beautiful lobbys at both hotels. Enjoy your time in Portland! :)

As many posters here know, I%26#39;m not a ';downtown

person, so I will ask A) what your budget is? and B) do you plan to drive around outside the city much?

When you leave Portland, are you flying somewhere else, or driving your rental car elsewhere, such as to the coast?

How you answer may determine where you stay. It also depends on what type of city experience you want to have. There is very good public transportation in the city, and a light rail line (MAX) which goes to several outlying areas.

Several visitors have posted positive comments about their stays at Park Lane Suites. They are pretty reasonable and have *free* parking. Parking at some downtown hotels may be as much as $30/night.

http://www.parklanesuites.com/

Mid-July bids on 4* hotels on priceline are typically accepted at the $120 range, but if you can live with the 3* Hilton or the Marriot (both great properties), you can get away with $60 per night. Utilize a SmartPark garage and priceline for your hotel and you%26#39;ll be looking at less than $80 per night for hotel and parking. More money for beer!

Thanks to all. We actually will be driving to Portland at the end of our trip (flying into San Francisco and out of Portland) so we will likely be coming from either the coast or the Columbia River Gorge. Hence, the fact that we will have a rental car. Might it make sense to return our car to the airport before going into the city, (save rental and parking fees)? How easy/time consuming is it to get from the airport to downtown (and back to the airport when we fly home)?

I have never used Priceline. As someone who isn%26#39;t particularly savvy bidding online, is it fairly simple to do?

We%26#39;d be perfectly happy with a three star property. (Anyone know anything about the Silver Cloud Inn? It seemed to have some good rates.)

Using MAX, it takes about 35-40 minutes between the airport and downtown, and cost is about $2.50 each, one way. It sounds as if it might be handier for you to drop the rental car off then go downtown, as long as you didn%26#39;t need it to drive the gorge or other outlying areas.

Bidding for a three-star on priceline is a whole different animal from bidding for a four-star. The FAQ at biddingfortravel dot com explains it pretty well. If you want the Hilton or the Marriot (3*), then follow these instructions:

1) After you%26#39;ve selected the city and your dates, click on the ';name your own price'; thingie.

2) Select the ';downtown portland'; box.

3) Select the ';3 star upscale'; box.

4) In the ';name your own price'; box put in $60.

If your bid isn%26#39;t accepted, you%26#39;re allowed to try again in 24 hours--at $60 again or if you%26#39;d like you can try $65. Since you%26#39;re not leaving until july, it may be too early for hotels to accept any priceline bids so don%26#39;t be surprised if it doesn%26#39;t work until May or June.

Bidding on a 3.5* or a 4* is a lot more fun, so let me know if you%26#39;d like instructions on how to do that efficiently.