Portland, OR: Hotel & Motel Planning Guide

When to Visit Portland, OR

The best time to visit Portland is between June and August, when the city enjoys clear weather and warm temperatures. The outdoor markets are in full swing, the gardens are in bloom, and the weather is ideal for exploring the outdoors. However, because summer is the best time to visit, it's also the hardest time to get a good deal on a hotel room. Rates are higher and hotels tend to fill up quickly, so it's a good idea to make your reservations early to ensure you get the best deal possible.If you want to get out and explore the city, but you also want a good deal on a room, try to plan your visit to Portland between March and May or September and November. While spring in Portland brings warmer temperatures, it also brings scattered rain showers. You'll find some good deals since you won't have to battle summer crowds, but it's a good idea to pack layers since you never know what the weather will bring.In the fall, summer tourist business tends to drop, and so do the hotel rates. Yet, with September temperatures in the mid-70s, it's still an enjoyable time to see the city.If you're a winter sports enthusiast, take some time between December and February to travel to Portland. Nearby Mount Hood gets plenty of snow during these months, and it's a popular spot for skiers and snowboarders. Since the weather is typically cold and rainy in the city, the tourists tend to stay away, so you can score a good deal on a hotel room.

Best Discounts in Portland, OR

If you know where to stay, you can save even more money during your Portland trip by taking advantage of discounts. The downtown Westin Portland offers a AAA discount where members can save up to 15 percent. This luxury hotel offers benefits such as wireless and wired high-speed Internet access, a 42-inch LCD HDTV, and custom furnishings in each room. This pet-friendly hotel also welcomes each furry friend with a doggie treat, a food bowl and mat, and a Heavenly Dog Bed.Another hotel where AAA members can save five percent or more is Embassy Suites Portland Airport. This hotel is conveniently located less than two miles from the Portland International Airport, and it offers a free airport shuttle. You can stay in shape at the fitness center and indoor pool, or take a break and relax in the hot tub. Enjoy in-room amenities such as two 37-inch HDTVs and an MP3 alarm clock.If you're in the military, be sure to take advantage of the military discount offered at the Red Lion Hotel on the River – Jantzen Beach. This waterfront accommodation is just seven miles from downtown Portland. Enjoy views of the mountains and Columbia River right from your room. The on-site restaurant, Jantzen Beach Bar & Grill, offers fresh Pacific Northwest cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Best Value Options in Portland, OR

Portland has many mid-range hotels that offer plenty of value for your money. Park Lane Suites & Inn offers a modern design and conveniences such as free wireless Internet and flat-screen televisions. The suites also come with a welcome breakfast package and a kitchen with a microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher, stovetop, toaster, cookware, and dishware. The hotel is just a short walk away from Washington Park, which includes a rose garden, Japanese garden, zoo, children's museum, amphitheatre, soccer field, tennis courts, playgrounds, and miles of hiking trails.For a value hotel near the airport, consider the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Portland Airport. Since the hotel is just two miles from the airport, you can take advantage of the free airport shuttle. Once you're there, use the mall shuttle to travel to the restaurants and shops of the Cascade Station shopping center, which is just one mile away from the hotel. Wake up in the mornings and enjoy the breakfast buffet. Then take advantage of other on-site resources, like their indoor pool and a fitness center.

Top Portland, OR Destinations

Wherever you're considering staying in Portland, you'll be near many of the city's top destinations. For trips when you're staying just outside the city, make sure you take some time to explore Forest Park. With 5,157 acres, this is the largest wooded urban park in the country. There are over 70 miles of hiking and walking trails, the longest of which is 27-mile-long Wildwood Trail.No matter where you stay in Portland, you'll see why the city is famous for its top-quality microbreweries. There are over 30 breweries operating here, which is more than any other city in the world. Take a pub tour that includes popular spots such as MacTarnahan's Tap Room, BridgePort Brew Pub, or McMenamins. Or, if you're looking to try something unique and different, head to Distillery Row in Southeast Portland, where many entrepreneurs try their hands at microdistilling.Exploring everything Portland has to offer is a tall order, but no matter what your itinerary includes, you'll find a diverse city full of good food and drink, fun entertainment, and beautiful scenery. Whether you're looking for a luxury hotel in the heart of downtown Portland, or want a budget-friendly hotel close to the airport, you can find the perfect hotel that meets your needs and your budget.

Portland, OR in a nutshell

Portland has been a city filled with art and science for years, and it is not going to stop anytime soon. Besides, art and science does not necessarily mean only art galleries and boring museums. No, in Portland, everything also has style. One of the things Portland is proud of is its extensive art collection held at the Portland Art Museum, known to be one of the largest in Oregon. Though the said museum is quite impressive, it is not the only gallery in the city as guests can also visit the Alberta Arts District and Pearl District for displays. Visitors can also enjoy a scenic walk around the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, which is this authentic depiction of China's Suzhou walled gardens. If guests visit Portland in June, they have a chance to be a part of the Portland Rose Festival, which boasts of having parades, carnival rides, and dragon races to boot. Enjoying Portland isn't really rocket science since all you have to do is let the city do what it does best. If that does not do the trick, then perhaps the Oregon Brewers Festival held every July will!

'What you can and cannot achieve is none of anybody else's business. You need to tell that to yourself first. Get over the social dependence for your dreams and until you don't, stop even dreaming. Dreams are meant for those who can actually achieve them. Otherwise call them simple reveries!

Steve Jobs, the man and the personality behind Apple, was a tough motivator and perhaps the best entrepreneur the world has ever seen. Throughout the world, his words of wisdom still float “ years after his demise “ and that, perhaps, is his biggest contribution to the global society “ even bigger than his iPhones, iPods and iPads. The words quoted above were said by Steve while addressing a group of graduating students in a university in New York. 

Steve Jobs was born, however, in Portland, Oregon “ and that fact defined much of life. Despite having all the wealth in the world, his simple ways of leading an ordinary life “ from his famed turtleneck to his ordinary cars “ are much talked about. But a lot of its credit should go to Portland, the home city that taught him lessons in simplicity the hard way. 

The biggest ˜beef' that locals have with their home city is a rather adorable one “ the name itself. Because of the very fact that ˜Portland' has become such a generic name in the United States that pretty much every other state has a town or a city named the same, further diminishing the unique-stock of Portland, Oregon. 

But apart from that, this is a city that really enrich you with its beauty and serenity as any other city in the world. Located off the Pacific North West Coast of the country, it is the second largest American city in the region, next only to Seattle. From exquisitely snow-capped mountains to national parks and woods that can still be quite difficult to penetrate, Portland has got it all. 

Budget Hotels and Affordable Inns in Portland

Despite being the capital of Oregon, tourists might have to struggle a little bit in order to find a perfect blend of cheap hotels and decent enough lodges in Portland.   

Whatever is available in the name of cheap hotels is either too good to be true (which often is the case) or just simply avoidable. But getting rid of those shady options from our discussion, allow us to focus on the job at hand “ finding the best affordable Portland hotels. 

Our research that included intense scrutiny of the hospitality scene in the city as well as the word of mouth generated by tourists who have actually been to Portland has yielded some fantastic results. The Mark Spencer is our favorite pick among all of these, as it gives you the best you can have in Portland on two important counts “ convenience and affordability. 

Up next, we have a slightly different candidate. Oxford Suites Inn is a curious mix between luxury suites of a good resort and low prices of a highway inn. Its location is good enough to allow you to access all that Portland has to offer quite easily. 

Seeking Luxury in Portland: Not a Bad Idea 

Staying in a magical and majestic city like Portland is good as it is. You can, however, top that experience off by staying at a truly luxury hotel that will transform your stay in Portland from a mere ˜good' to more emphasized and more pronounced ˜excellent'.

We would be the first ones to agree with the fact that staying at luxury hotels in Portland has all the potential to imbalance one's budget easily. If that's the case with you, you can always consider chopping and changing your hotel plans in order to optimize the whole deal. The point to be made here is that, while you are visiting Portland, make sure that you spend at least one weekend at any luxury resort! 

The Nines (A Luxury Collection Hotel) is by and large the best there is, not only in Portland, but in the whole state of Oregon. It is a truly lavish property that you can stay at for a nightly price of $299 or higher! 

Hilton operates its flagship range of Embassy Suites in the business district of the city. That makes this pick a popular one among business travelers and students. 

Must Do Activities and Must See Sights in Portland

Portland is quite big on natural beauty. So, the top-most thing you should be undertaking while in Portland is to explore all this beauty. There are various mountain ranges just beyond city limits and a number of adventure activities can be accessed there in summer. 

The Frontier days of Portland can be lived through and experienced in the Old Town of Portland, where the dusty boardwalks and corner salons still exists. A number of national parks, zoos and other similar attractions are present in Portland. While it will be impossible to see and experience all of them in one go, it's a good idea to maintain a healthy mix of natural sightseeing and historical sightseeing. 

Hollywood Theater and many similar media and art establishments make for a great sightseeing tour, as well. 

Hotels Near the Airport in Portland

There is only one airport that Portland is serviced by “ Portland International Airport. 

It is situated just outside the city limits, at about a 10 minutes ride away from the city center. While there are not too many hotels in Portland that can be deemed to be in the vicinity of the airport, a few notable exceptions like the Clarion Hotel and Hyatt Palace Airport can be made. 

Weather in Portland: What You Need to Know 

Weather in Portland is typically North Western. A good deal of rainfall can be observed throughout the year. June, July and August are three months that are marked with long hours of sunshine and balmy temperatures (that, of course, lead to Portland hotels going higher on the price-ladder). 

Winter months can bring severe snow in Portland, thereby attracting tourists who are interested in various snow-sports.