The Nines, Starwood Luxury Collection, Portland, Oregon

The Nines in Portland, Oregon is a recent addition to Starwood’s Luxury Collection brand.

Staircase between The Nines 8th Floor lobby and 6th Floor conference rooms 

The Luxury Collection brand of Starwood Hotels is a small collection of about 70 unique hotels, many existing as renovated historical buildings.  Europe has several Luxury Collection properties on the Condé Nast 2008 Readers Choice Awards list.  The United States has seen several of the latest hotel openings for the global Luxury Collection including the Joule in Dallas, the Equinox in Vermont, and the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills.

The Nines is located in central downtown Portland across from Pioneer Courthouse Square.  The Square was designated as one of the 10 Great Public Spaces in the USA by the American Planning Association.  With over 300 events annually on Pioneer Square Courthouse, the likelihood of something happening right outside the hotel during your hotel stay at the Nines is fairly good. 

Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland, Oregon

The Nines Hotel:

The Meier and Frank building is a historic property originally designed as a major department store in downtown Portland.  Architect A.E. Doyle’s terra cotta design building was the largest department store west of the Mississippi in 1932 at the time it was completed, 75 years after the first Aaron Meier store opened in Portland, Oregon in 1857.  May Company purchased Meier and Frank in 1966, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and in 2005 the May Company became Macy’s. The bottom floors of the building with the Nines Hotel comprise Portland’s flagship Macy’s store.

Historic Meier and Frank Department Store Building is The Nines Hotel

Meier and Frank was known as “the Store for Service and Accommodation”, a legacy the Nines seems to emulate.  I overheard the concierges at the Nines 12^th floor hotel Club Lounge assisting several guests with dining and activity plans in Portland and then following up with guests the next day.

The Nines Urban Farmer Restaurant in lobby

The remodeled hotel opened at the end of October 2008 with 311 rooms, including two Presidential suites, a hospitality suite, and ten junior suites.  I stayed in Room 1128 and while the room seemed small at first with a bedroom space of only 12’ x 13’, I felt the room contained everything I needed for a comfortable and luxurious stay.

A guest enters the building at ground level and takes an elevator to the 8^th floor lobby check-in.  The 8^th floor is mostly a large open-space atrium containing the Urban Farmer Restaurant and a variety of public spaces for seating.  The Library is a quieter place on the 8th floor with a pool table and books from the local Powell’s Bookstore in Portland. 

The Nines, 8th Floor lobby and Urban Farmer restaurant, Portland, Oregon

The rooms are wrapped around a square of hallways and the interior of the building is the large central atrium extending from the 8^th to 15^th floors.  Rooms facing the interior atrium have large windows and some have sliding glass doors.  The volume from the diners and guests in the hotel atrium was substantial during the evening of my stay and I imagine the noise from the dining area could make these rooms inconvenient at times with the window open. 

Interior atrium facing rooms at the Nines, Portland, Oregon

The Room:

My exterior-facing city view room, 1128, on the 11^th floor faced north with a northeast view through the small 30-inch wide window in the corner.  The lack of natural light was compensated by the wonderful hanging chandelier light reflecting crystal patterns on the wall paper. 

Room 1128, The Nines, Portland, Oregon

The 42” Phillips TV provided lots of light in the small room and even some HDTV stations, however, the delay between channel changes on the TV was quite annoying and I kept the channel card within reach to travel directly between channels I wanted to view. 

The Nines, Portland TV and desk

The four lamps in the room were all art pieces. 

The Nines Desk Lamp

These are the kind of electronic features I desire for my home. 

The bed was the most heavenly bed I have slept in for some time with the full array of bedding amenities one would expect in a luxury hotel.  

The Nines bed

A comfortable 7-foot sofa provided a nice seating option for the room.

The Nines, sofa, Portland, Oregon

The Boston Electronics clock/radio was turned on by the maid service while I was lounging in the 12^thfloor club lounge drinking a large glass of wine (concierge filled a water glass liberally with a Kendall Jackson 2004 Meritage which took me the good part of an hour to drink).  A couple of tasty chocolates along with the bathrobe were placed on the bed for the turndown service.

The Nines turndown service, Portland, Oregon

The marble tiled bathroom only had a shower, no tub.   Bath amenities are “Gilchrist and Soames” brand soaps and shampoos.  Toiletries included bath soap, face soap, hair conditioner, body wash, mouth rinse, body lotion, and a couple of bath amenity packs. 

The Nines Bathroom

The bath towels are absolutely heavenly.  The 72”x36” plush towels are a delight to wrap around your body after stepping out of the shower.  Dual flush toilets are a green feature of the hotel rooms. 

Dual Flush ‘green’ toilet at the Nines

Free wireless internet and local/toll-free calls make the Nines in Portland a delight for the Starwood traveler.  The telephone clock was one hour ahead on both room phones which had me confused on the actual time when I returned from the Club lounge.  The phone did not work for outgoing calls at first and I called the desk twice before the phone functioned.  My primary complaint for the hotel was a rude awakening with a 12:31am phone call to find nobody on the line.  The hotel operator said there was no way to know who had called. 

The mini-bar was electronically locked and I called the desk soon after arriving in the room, but I didn’t really want an engineering visit just to see what was inside.  My London honeymoon hotel bill in 1989 cured me of mini-bar escapades.

The hotel has a variety of local artists’ pieces.  I overheard a couple of guests questioning the appropriateness of the mannequin display at the lobby entrance to the hotel atrium.

Art adjacent to 8th floor Reception Desk, The Nines, Portland, Oregon

The hotel has a classic feel of a luxury environment in an urban setting.  The guest room ceiling at 9.5’  is the type of space you tend to only find in older buildings in the USA.  The guest room floors have doorways on the elevator side and the opposite side of the atrium where guests can view over the railing down into the atrium (if you do not already have an interior atrium facing room).

The elevators require a key card for any floor besides the 8^th floor reception area and restaurants.  You have to be quick with your key card.  I found myself heading to the ground floor a couple of times when fumbling around my pocket for the card.

The 7th floor has a workout room and business center.  The 15th floor will be the rooftop Departure Restaurant and is scheduled to open in Spring 2009.

The Nines Workout Room is large with a variety of equipment

The 12th floor Club Lounge has several food presentations a day.  There were gourmet appetizers and complimentary wine and beer for the evening hours and desserts are brought out at 8pm.  The lounge can accommodate about 40 people, but the setting has only a couple of regular size tables for eating and the overall lighting is fairly dark.  There were only two small tables of regular dining height.  Couches and chairs are set up around coffee tables and at least five seating areas around smaller tables made the room a nice social setting.  Newspapers, a large screen Sony computer station, and a large screen TV in cabinet were available for guests.

Club Lounge at the Nines serves food several times a day

Two to three staff members kept service levels high every time I visited the lounge.  The young staff are quite sociable and pleasant and each concierge took the time to greet every guest entering the lounge.  In the evening there were just three to five guests in the lounge at any one time between 5:30 and 7:00pm and in the morning I saw a maximum of six guests at 7:00am to 7:30 when the lounge opened.

Breakfast spread included salmon, sliced meats, cheeses, pastries, cereals, small trays of sliced fruit, coffee, juices, and sodas.

The latest Starwood special offer has rooms for $199, however, Club access rates are $449 – a significant rate premium. SPG Platinum members receive complimentary Club Floor access.

The Nines lobby

All in all, the Nines is a fine addition to the Portland lodging sector.

The drive across Oregon on Interstate 5 yesterday was miserable.  Passing truck after truck through white-out conditions from the road water spray was simply a pedal to the metal dash to get in front of another truck for improved road visibility.  

The cold rain dampened sightseeing adventures.  The last twenty miles to the Portland Airport on Interstate 205 at 6:00pm was bumper to bumper traffic.  Portland has grown quite a bit since I last drove the area in 1992.  

Airport travelers don’t need to be concerned with the traffic.  The aloft Portland has a shuttle and light rail access from the airport or city. 

The hotel

The bright lights outside the hotel entryway and an array of glass windows in the lobby seemed like “a vision of W Hotels”.

aloft Portland Airport at Cascade Station

Terminals at the entrance can be used for self-check-in.  I used the desk and redeemed my SPG American Express annual certificate for 50% off to cut the rate from the lowest published internet rate of $139 per night down to $79.50 based on a $159 rack rate.  An SPG member could also lower the rate using 1,000 Starpoints for a 50% off award. 

The receptionist did not ask me about a platinum amenity at check-in.  I asked her on a trip back through the lobby and I was told I’d receive 250 points.  I guess there are no alternative choices and I hadn’t realized aloft hotels are second-tier amenity class with only 250 points like Four Points.  I’ll have to check if the new Element brand is the same at 250 instead of 500 points.

Mac computers and pool table in aloft Portland lobby

The Lobby

The lobby is set up for socializing or work.  A pool table is a prominent feature.  A computer cubby contains two Macs with large screens, complimentary internet access and the major MS Office applications. 

There are a variety of board games around the room, seating for dozens, and a long counter adjacent to the pool table with outlets for working on your own computer.

A variety of books from Rock Encyclopedia to Zodiac astrology, large screen TVs, magazines, and loads of board games can keep you busy for the night and day.  The w xyz bar was not happening on a Wednesday night.  Thursday is the happening night with a “diva dj”.  At checkout I learned that Missy Higgins had played in the aloft lobby Monday night.  I am so bummed to have been two days late for that show.

aloft Portland, w xyz bar in lobby

Two elevators for the five floor hotel.  The hotel is so green you can grow roots waiting for the elevator.  Seriously, I have been in very few hotels in the past twenty years with a slower elevator.  Good thing the hotel does not have twenty floors. 

aloft Portland lobby

The indoor pool is separated from the lobby by an interior open-air courtyard.  The rain kept people out of the courtyard.

aloft Portland courtyard between indoor pool and lobby

The pool faces the road and the window design of the hotel means pedestrians on the street can gaze in.  On the other hand, swimmers can gaze out to the mall across the street.  Driving by the new mall I wondered if the lack of shoppers is due to the economy or the location.

aloft Portland indoor pool

The pool room was unused in the numerous times I passed by or viewed it while waiting for the elevator.  The pool room was quite comfortable with plenty of lounge chairs, tables, a shower, toilets, and a lovely temperature.  All the glass allows you to look from the pool across the courtyard into the lobby.

The hotel strikes me as a great place to socialize or entertain yourself with the games, magazines, books, and gadgets.

The Room

The first thing you see when walking in the room is the bathroom area and small closet space.

The coffee maker, safe, and magazines are across from the sink in the aloft room.

From other reviews I have read and photos I have seen there is a uniformity to the room design in aloft hotels around the country.  You would be hard pressed to tell which hotel location you are seeing when looking at photos of the lobby and rooms.  Unlike W Hotels which all have unique character, the aloft brand is a formula hotel and if you like the formula you can count on a consistent feel at other locations. 

Bathroom sink is located next to room doorway and empty refrigerator is beneath sink.

The toilet is located between sink and shower. 

aloft doesn’t have little toiletry bottles of Bliss products to take home.  Refillable jars are on the shower wall.

aloft bed sits in center of room and looks onto a wall with large screen TV.

The TV is the only wall feature in the room.  The barren walls would drive my wife crazy.

The desk area is where I spent most of my aloft stay working away on the computer and making phone calls.  Complimentary wireless internet, local calls, and toll-free calls saved me some money.  I paid $12.95 last month at the W Hotel Silicon Valley to access the internet for 90 minutes.

One complaint I have about the room design was the cold room could quickly be heated with the room thermostat, but the warm air did not circulate under the desk where I was working on the opposite side of the room in front of the window.  Putting on shoes solved that issue.

Iron and Board are tucked away in a nook on the side of the bed.  Lucky I even saw them.

Which leads me to another complaint regarding no hotel directory in the room.  There is a laundry room in aloft hotels and I only knew this from reading a Hotel Chatter review and seeing the photo of the “Clean” room.  The Portland aloft laundry room is on the 5th floor.

The aloha staff are helpful if you ask questions.  A laundry room is something I would be more likely to read about in a hotel room directory rather than asking.  Since the aloft hotels are so uniform a room and hotel map would be a simple feature to provide to indicate things like the location of the iron and laundry room and the other features of the hotel.

I like the functionality of the aloft space.  From the games and recreational activities, to the lobby bar and food court, to the 42 inch TV on the bedroom wall and basic room clock the objective is to provide the basic amenities a traveler is most likely to need.

The room is great for a single.  Two people will likely be fine for a night.  A family may find the room a little sparse and cramped.  There was only the desk chair and the bench directly under the TV for seating. 

As an airport hotel these aloft hotel designs are a good option for the traveler.   

I am at a Holiday Inn Express in Ashland, Oregon and Obama won the Presidential election. 

I frequently comment about the great value of Priority Club PointBreaks and last night was a good value for me.  Portland, Oregon is over 700 miles from my home in Monterey and I needed a stopover hotel.  The latest PointBreaks list has three hotels within 50 miles of each other in Medford and Ashland, Oregon, and another hotel in Yreka, California and any of these hotels made for a good break in the long drive across California and Oregon.  The rate for this hotel stay in Ashland, Oregon was reduced from $135.25 to $62.50 by just buying points from Priority Club and booking the room using 5,000 points. 

As I drove north yesterday, up the Big Valley of California on Interstate 5, I was blown away by the number of Holiday Inn Express hotels off the freeway exits. 

Holiday Inn Express, Ashland, Oregon

Searching for hotels by route on the Holiday Inn Express website this morning, I see there are 40 Holiday Inn Express hotels between Los Angeles Airport and Seattle Airport within 5 miles of Interstate 5, most directly visible just off the Interstate.  And there are probably at least half as many Hilton Hotels’ Hampton Inn & Suites locations near the HI Express hotels.  There are an incredible number of good quality freeway exit hotels for those of us making the 1,000+ miles drive along the western states north-south I-5 corridor.

Yesterday, I rushed to register my vote and get to AAA for maps before heading out of town.   I vote absentee ballot, but I like to drop it off at the polling station just to get a feel for the social activity of voting.  And I get to fast-track the line and just drop off my ballot.

Monterey Votel Polling Station at Lake El Estero Park

I hit the road at 1pm, a good four hours behind schedule.  So much for sightseeing on the first day of the drive.  I took some photos at 70mph.

View of California Aqueduct (state’s water transport system) next to Interstate 5, near Stockton, CA

By the time I reached Sacramento at 3:30pm I had the desire to go cruise around the State Capitol building and see if there was any activity, but the remaining hours of driving to Oregon kept me freeway bound.

Sacramento, City of Trees

I had the number 411 miles in my head to reach Ashland, OR as I drove from Monterey, past Sacramento, and north to Redding.  I figured gas would be less in Oregon, although $2.47 along I-5 was 40 cents per gallon less than I paid in Monterey on the way out of town.

I realized 411 miles was not the correct number for the distance to Ashland as I passed Redding, California and headed into the rural hills on a dark night with little traffic.  Amazing how the election had people off the road yesterday evening.  I had another 135 miles to drive to Ashland.  Unfortunately, my decision to wait until reaching Oregon for gas was no longer a viable option and I had to pay $2.87 in Weed, California to make the remaining miles to Ashland, Oregon.  Stepping out of my car in shorts and a t-shirt to fill the gas tank was a wake-up call at 7:30pm and a temperature of 36 degrees.  The temperature dropped from 64 in Redding to the 30s within thirty minutes of driving.  Ashland, OR was 33 degrees and I went from the cold to a too warm hotel room at the Holiday Inn Express.

·          

Holiday Inn Express, Ashland, OR

I value function over form in most decisions.  Holiday Inn Express is a functional lodging option.  I have to admit that I don’t even recall having stayed in a Holiday Inn Express hotel before now.  The room had a comfortable king-size bed and good pillows and a traditional white comforter.  Room furnishings consisted of a cushy chair, a desk with two chairs, an empty refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, iron and board, and the most comprehensive TV selection I have seen in a hotel room in a long time.  The hotel had the regular cable package and I could flip from station to station for all the election coverage last night. I loved it.

Holiday Inn Express bed in room, Ashland, Oregon

The bathroom had the simple amenities that make the difference to me.  The shower had a curved curtain rod.  I get wigged when the plastic curtain liner touches me.  It is amazing I can stay in hotels with my microbiology background, but my love of travel is greater than my germophobia.

I chuckled over the plastic sign on the bathroom countertop,

“Items in this room are inventoried daily to ensure your comfort.  Please be considerate of the next guest and leave all items.  If we find items missing, we will assume you chose to purchase them and will charge your account accordingly.”

Breakfast is served 6:30am-9:30am and although a little carbohydrate heavy for everyday consumption, I enjoyed the rare treat of biscuits and gravy this morning.

Express Start breakfast at Holiday Inn Express

An indoor swimming pool and small fitness center offer exercise options.

Indoor pool at Holiday Inn Express, Ashland, Oregon

The Holiday Inn Express Ashland is a pet-friendly hotel evidenced by several dogs passing through the lobby this morning.  Pet-friendly hotels are a feature I appreciate, although others may find that bothersome.  I remember past experiences of having to sneak our pets into hotel rooms. Pet-friendly hotels are vital to some road travelers.

And best of all is the free wireless internet allowing me to work this morning.

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We all have travel biases.  My bias is a focus on air travel and international locations.  My hotel choices reflect an inclination towards big city upscale hotels.  The great value of hotel loyalty programs to me as a traveler is the ability to stay in the heart of a major city at an affordable price. 

I’ve done the hotel stays by the airport to save $75 to $100 per night on a hotel room and commute into the city.  I definitely advise against this when visiting a great city like New York, Paris, or London. 

I grew up as a camper and commuter when my family traveled around Europe during the years my father was stationed on U.S. military bases in Germany.  My teenage dream was to actually stay in a hotel on the beach or in the city rather than spending two hours each day commuting from the sleep location to the tourist location when we visited London, Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and other great cities of the world my parents took us to see, but not stay.

Starwood Hotels and Hyatt Hotels work well for most major cities.  Road travelers need more options and this is where the value of Hilton, InterContinental Hotels Group (Holiday Inn), and Marriott exceeds the smaller hotel chains.  These major chains have large numbers of properties, particularly in the USA and more uniform standards than found with Choice, Best Western, and Wyndham Hotels Group.

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I have made long road trips before.  I drove my last car from Eureka, California all the way to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – a distance over 4,000 miles one-way.  Not on one trip though.  I had a stopover for two years of graduate school in Massachusetts.  Eventually I drove that Isuzu Trooper SUV back to California where it survived another ten years after four years driving in the freezing temperatures of New England.  As a person who has mostly lived in coastal California, the sounds a frozen car makes when initially driven on a sub-zero morning are rather alarming.

I hope it doesn’t snow on this trip.  There is snow on the mountains around Ashland this morning.

 Ashland, Oregon view across Interstate 5 from Holiday Inn Express

I have some laminated newspapers I feel have great historic significance.  I told the desk clerk at the hotel this morning that today’s paper is a keeper.

USA Today November 5, 2008 Obama Wins

“Do you remember the 5th of November?”

  John Lennon “Remember”

Long before I knew the historical significance of this John Lennon line (Guy Fawkes day in Britain), I always contributed some esoteric significance to the date as if John Lennon were a Nostradamus figure.  Perhaps he was.

“Remember the man
used to leave you empty handed
Always, always let you down
If you ever change your mind
about leaving it all behind
Remember, Remember Today”

John Lennon, “Remember”

“I mean everyone has got to take a road trip, at least once in their lives.
Just you and some music.”

Claire Colburn in the Cameron Crowe movie Elizabethtown.

The next two weeks will likely be different types of blog posts than typically seen here on Loyalty Traveler.  The plan is for sporadic dispatches from the road.

Yesterday was supposed to be the first day of my two week road trip through the Pacific Northwest.  The California winter rain season started this weekend.  Going north on Interstate 5 the rain was supposed to be greater than 2 inches.  California is a state where most people only drive in rain about 10% of the year.  Driving during the first major storm of the year is “No Fun”. 

The rainy weather changed my itinerary from a coast road drive to an Interstate 5 trip to Vancouver, British Columbia. I’ll see how the weather is next week for the return south and determine if time and inclination take me coastward.

I feel like there is no better time than election day USA to go on the road.  The media is anticipating change.  I anticipate a national breakdown if we, as a nation, don’t embrace change. 

My  schedule is 1,050 miles north through California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia to Vancouver over the next five days.   Portland plans include visiting an elementary school converted into a hotel/brewpub.  I’ll see if they need a substitute for the day. 

As with most travel trips the cost generally comes out more than what you initially planned.  The price of gas is down, and some hotel rates are down, however, there are still a fair share of $200+ per night hotels out there in the Pacific Northwest.  I have pulled out lots of hotel rate tricks for this trip.  

Starwood Best Rate Guarantee for two hotels is saving about $50USD and SPG awarded me with 4,000 bonus points for the successful claims.  SPG 50% off awards will save me another $175 in Portland, Oregon. 

IHG PointBreaks awards at 5,000 points per night discount the Holiday Inn Express hotels in Oregon to $62.50 per night compared to the outrageous $140 per night regular rate the hotels command from Interstate 5 traffic. I bought 11,000 points for $125 on Saturday and the points posted to my account by Sunday.  Yesterday I booked my PointBreaks hotel for 5,000 points.

Canada is an absolute bargain right now for hotel rates.  The Canadian Dollar is down against the US Dollar.  When I first started planning this Canada trip a couple of weeks ago the exchange rate was $1.15 and on Monday, Oct 27 it approached $1.29CAD.  The Canadian currency has strengthened during the last week and today the US Dollar is back to $1.16CAD.  I should have exchanged some cash last week.  Many of the 4-star and 5-star hotels in Vancouver downtown area are under $130USD per night, even among the major brand hotels. 

Kimpton Hotels Fall-ing for Vancouver with $139CAD suite (under $120US + 18% tax)

Some deals in Vancouver are under $100 USD per night like Kimpton Hotels’ Vancouver Pacific Palisades Hotel with an $89USD room special. 

Next Loyalty Traveler dispatch should be from the state of Oregon.

A call-out to any readers with sight-seeing tips or other recommendations for a traveler along the I-5 corridor.  Leave me a comment or send an email ricgarrido@frequentguest.net.