The Heathman Hotel, Portland

The Heathman was once the crowning jewel of Portland: no longer. From first impressions upon arrival to my departure two days later, there is precious little to recommend except the outstanding location. (Having said that, there are many hotels in the blocks nearby.) A long-distance private equity owner has stripped this once-wonderful hotel of its soul. The outside looks lovely, but scratch the thin veneer of civility and it crumbles quickly. A hotel stands out through its people and how it handles its guests. The hotel is severely under-staffed, and the few staff people I did encounter or ask for assistance were either incapable or unpleasant. It was like I was an unwelcome guest at a club I didn't belong to. I asked to speak with a manager during my stay, and emailed the hotel after I checked in (there is no chat feature). Just a few outstanding but not exhaustive comments: **No one at the hotel called me to see how my stay was going while I was there. **The $30/day amenity fee wasn't explained at check-in; I had to ask. **There is no "welcome to the Heathman, first time visiting, etc.?" at check-in. It's hard to tell who is staff - they don't wear a nametag or Heathman logos. ** There is one valet for the whole hotel; after a disastrous check-in, I parked elsewhere. When I unloaded my luggage from my car myself, I was then asked by a member of hotel staff "what should I do with this?" (My response: please bring it inside the hotel!) **The restaurant "ran out" of half-and-half at 8:30 am Sunday, and was still out Monday morning. It was also out of oatmeal and sausage both days. **A staff member wearing a chef's coat was conducting what appeared to be a job interview with a candidate in the public lobby of the hotel where all comments could be overheard. **Despite being reassured when I made the reservation that the renovation was finished in May, the hotel is still undergoing construction which impacted me in room 321 and in the Tavern restaurant. There was no escape, no peace. **The "famous" Library is not what it was: in a city of books like Portland, there is no excuse for marketing a library as a main draw while offering airport paperbacks and cookbooks. There's also no place to sit. The Library used to be what is now called the Tavern. The library is now up on a mezzanine level along with conference rooms. ** I had to call and email twice to get my final bill. It was incorrect. At the end of the day, the Heathman doesn't know what it wants to be. It could lean into its heritage and join Relais & Chateaux for example, or Leading Small Hotels of the World. Or it could try to compete in the boutique art hotel, given its location in the Arts/Pearl District. It's doing neither, and it's a shame because the opportunity is there.

Oh dear, where to start with this historic hotel who has lost her way. Despite a lovely renovation and top location for the museum, the Heathman fails on so many levels now. I was a regular visitor in its heyday 25 years ago and looked forward to my return, especially with the renovations. The famous service is nowhere to be found now. Let’s start with first impressions: valet parking is the only option at the hotel and there’s only one attendant. It’s not his fault it’s a mess - he’s only one guy. Staff the valet for the number of guests who need to park their cars! It’s not hard to figure out. After a horrible unloading and check-in, followed by a disastrous request for the car which took so long I was late for my evening event, I parked my car in a nearby garage. The hotel has the temerity to charge $30 amenity fee but neglected to tell me what the guest actually receives as an amenity. The check-in (3 on an August Saturday) was a head scratcher…… The person checking me in (there was only one) may have been filling in for someone sick. I think he was a maintenance guy. No “welcome to the hotel,” “have you stayed with us before,” “here’s the information about breakfast.” Nothing. I stood there waiting to be greeted, then was asked for my id without a smile. Holiday Inn does a better job. I should have known that my room (321) would be terrible, and it was, facing a wall and an air conditioning shaft. By contrast I stayed at the Marriott Waterfront last weekend, paid the same amount, had a beautiful river view room on the top floor with a nice bottle of water, local chocolates and a welcome note from the hotel in the room. I also checked out the common areas. The much-touted “Library” is a beautiful space but upon closer inspection a joke. A hotel like the Heathman should have a curated collection, not a mishmash of airport thrillers and self help books. Hire a college English major and send them to Powell’s, come back and create a shelf of Pacific Northwest authors at minimum, and then just organize the shelves like a bookstore. This is the city of Powell’s Books after all. The takeaway: the Heathman is not a 4- or 5-star hotel. It wants to be one, and with a proper manager to whip it into shape it might return to its former stature. There is so much competition in the boutique hotel space and the Heathman doesn’t have the goods anymore to play in the deep end.

A wonderful old style hotel in Downtown Portland! Wonderful bar and staff. Highly recommend. A few things to improve - room AC didn't work... Room fixtures need to be tweaked (table wiggle -needs to be adjusted; toilet seat moves - needs to be tightened)

I come to Portland rather frequently, enough that I'll usually opt for an Airbnb or motel for solo stays, but I've been to the Heathman twice with family, and each time was wonderful with them. Multiple staff immediately greeting you, offering you a complementary beverage, and they have a wonderful library room adjacent to the lobby. The rooms are quaint and quiet. I slept on the fold-out bed (the people who actually paid for the stay got the proper bed), and I still slept well, which I can't always say about a fold-out. About a 5-minute walk from the light rail, with plenty of nearby dining options.

We actually booked the Heathman by accident. We'd stayed at the Benson recently, and I mixed them up, since they're both famous old Portland hotels. My husband said he was very happy we stayed here. He enjoyed the breakfast. I rank the fitness center among the best I've been to, other than those that are health clubs open to outside the hotel. It's relatively large, airy, well-lit, exceptionally well-maintained, has a Peloton, the windows were open, and the fridge is stocked with bottled water and cold towels. The location is excellent, with a MAX station very close, a farmer's market on Wednesdays behind the building, and it's right next to the Schnitzer. The prices are reasonable. The valet parking works very well. The bedding is very comfy, especially the down pillows, and the bathroom is tight but works. There was one thing needing fixing in the shower - the soap holder. Otherwise no issues.