Portland is only an hour’s flight away from Vancouver so it’s a perfect weekend getaway! This is my third time in Portland in about 5 years and I spent a wonderful night’s stay in the beautiful Heathman Hotel. I have explored the Pearl District a lot so I wanted to find a location further south in Downtown closer to restaurants and trendy shops. I’ve also really been loving boutique design hotels (Nima Local House, Hotel Indigo LES for example) so the Heathman is the perfect fit!
Rooms
This is Studio Suite which has a living room area and 2 bathrooms! The standard room type comes with 2 doubles, a queen or a King bed. The decor in all the rooms are very similar. For rooms on the higher floors, you can find the Premier King and Corner King room types.
The King size bed was very comfy and the sheets felt fresh! There is a pillow menu for those who have preferences but I used what was already on the bed. I thought the two pieces of art above the headboard was really complimentary and unique to Portland. The decor is quite minimalist but very modern and unique. I love that the two side tables go well together but are completely different pieces.
This TV doesn’t look so big in photos but in real life, it was huge! It also easily swiveled around so you can watch it from the bed or on the sofa. During my stay, Skate America (figure skating) was on, and I really enjoyed watching the live competition from this huge screen!
I’ve never stayed in a hotel suite with two bathrooms before and it was such a treat! The decor in the bathroom is actually quite generic but I do like the renovated sliding door shower.
Another thing that I loved about this room is the walk in closet! It’s not huge but just saying walk in closet makes me feel pampered! Overall the studio suite had plenty of room to lounge around but it’s still cozy enough to feel you’re in a hotel and not in an apartment. The furnishing was done just right and everything was updated and fresh!
Location
The Heathman Hotel is located on Boradway and Salmon in downtown Portland. I’ve always stayed in the Pearl District so I wanted to experience something more towards the south. The location is really convenient for getting to and from the airport as it’s just a 3 minute walk from the MAX station! Of course, you can hop on the MAX to go to other parts of Portland too. It is also really close to the streetcar stop (5 minute walk) which is perfect for exploring Nob Hill. It’s very safe, lots of restaurants and shops, and very pedestrian friendly.
A couple places I’d definitely recommend for you to check out are: Heart Coffee, Lardo, Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen, Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack, Pioneer Courthouse Square, and Madehere PDX.
Heathman Library & Mezzanine
The really stunning part about the Heathman Hotel is the Heathman Library. Located just to the side of the lobby, this area is open to all guests throughout the day. The books are all signed by the authors and on there’s no library card required for you to pull one off the shelves. This area is also where the Russian Tea service is held every Saturday.
Above the library is a mezzanine area that looks like this! There are lots of comfy chairs and would be the perfect spot to relax after you check out or if your room is not yet ready! I can’t believe there is so much effort put into decorating the common area. If your flight time doesn’t quite line up with check in/check out times, this would be a fantastic place to relax.
Other Amenities
The Heathman Hotel has a suite load of other fun amenities too but unfortunately because I was on such a tight schedule, I did not experience it. I went downstairs to check out the gym area and was shocked there was a climbing wall and also lots of cross fit equipment. There was the usual treadmill, elliptical as well, but I loved the other unique fitness options! Seriously, I almost went climbing on this wall in my dress and camera. If you’d rather work out in your room, you can ask for a Well + Fit kit which includes yoga mat, barre bands, weights, and an iPad with preloaded videos!
In the lobby, there was always lemon water available as well as 3 choices of teas. These teas were actually delicious and from Portland based Steven Smith Teamakers. There are cups and lids available so you can grab one in the morning on your way out. I always have coffee or tea in the morning, so this definitely saves some time and money for me! To explore the city, Heathman Hotel has complimentary bikes you can borrow although we ended up walking everywhere. Lastly, one amenity I really wanted to try was getting Salt & Straw pints delivered to your room! Unfortunately I didn’t have time for this but I did get to visit Salt & Straw TWICE in two days so that made up for it. (If you have not tried Salt & Straw ice-cream, this needs to be your first stop in Portland)
Service
I did not ask for anything extra during our stay so I’m not sure how the service is. But the check in process was very smooth and the front desk staff was all friendly and efficient at their jobs. One fun thing is that there is a Beefeater at the door that does valet and will open the doors. You can’t miss him in his red uniform!
Overall I had a lovely stay at the Heathman Hotel. The decor and freshly renovated room was so refreshing after a day out exploring. The location is perfect for filling my stomach with good food and craft beers. I wish I had more time to experience more of their amenities like the Shinola bikes, rock climbing wall, and the Heathman library. But hopefully I’ll be back soon with more time to spare!
I enjoyed a complimentary stay for review purposes. Thanks Heathman Hotel!