StarwoodGuy: A Weekend in Portland Oregon at the Nines

     I recently took a trip down to Portland for Pride weekend down there. I had previously stayed at the Westin in town which is a great hotel and very much what you expect from the brand. The Nines falling under the Luxury Collection Brand was something I was excited to see. Unfortunately, upon check in our suite was not ready so we opted for a quick walk around the city. The hotel's location is perfect, right in the heart of town and close to the river, shopping, restaurants and nightlife. After a few hours out we came back and waited thirty minutes in a long line at the front desk to final be given our room keys. We were told our bags had been dropped off in the room, but when we went in there were no bags there. The hotel was not sure where they had gone, but after forty minutes they tracked them down to a wrong room. The bag issue aside, the suite was beautiful with a large living room, bathroom and bedroom. The furnishings are luxurious and the view from the suite was wonderful. The Club Lounge had a collection of smaller snacks which were very good and the wine and beer were served, it was not an open bar.
After a quick shower we tried to go to the rooftop for dinner and drinks at Departure Restaurant and Bar, the city's only rooftop lounge. Unfortunately many in the city apparently also have this idea on Saturday nights. The rooftop was packed. The number of people trying to get up to the rooftop also caused large problems for other hotel guests since the elevators were all full meaning you had to wait for a full elevator and squeeze in or take the stairs. We opted for the wonderful Urban Farmer Restaurant off of the hotel's lobby instead. That ight we went out and met up with friends for drinks.
   The next morning I went for a long run along the river which was great as Portland is a beautiful city. We had breakfast in the Club Lounge which was quite good and then headed out to the Pride Parade and then lunch at one of my favorite Portland restaurants Paragon in the nearby modern and trendy Pearl District. The Max Light Rail stop is right outside the hotel making transport easy, but be warned about the Valet parking, the attendants have to go to another building to get the cars so it can take fifteen minutes on average to retrieve your vehicle. I looked in at the good gym but skipped a workout there since I had gone for a run.
   Overall the Nines is a beautiful property and the Club Lounge was quite good as was the staff there, however, the front desk needs some extra help during busy times and something needs to be worked out with the busy rooftop restaurant so hotel guests can still access their floors. The crowd that went to the restaurant was also quite vocal in the later hours so it is not the best spot for children on weekends. A good and trendy hotel but definitely less predictable then the Westin.