Portland Harbor Hotel

We had a reservation here for the last night of a weeklong trip to Maine. Only staying one night, Friday, then driving back to CT on Saturday. The day we were supposed to check in, a Nor'easter that had been forecasted to be at it's worst on Sunday changed course and was now expected to hit New England on Saturday, moving from south to north. We had to drive north to south, which would have headed us right through its path at the worst part of the storm. Airlines cancelled or delayed numerous flights, even Amtrak canceled some trains. It was common knowledge this storm would not be one to mess with. However, when we called Portland Harbor Hotel, they told us the only way they would give us a refund for our one night would be if we were flying and had a confirmed flight cancellation. I said to the agent: "So, it's ok to refund people for flights cancelled by a terrible storm, but you can't refund us leaving us no choice but to drive through the storm?" He stated their policy only addressed flights. So we had no choice but to not check in, and to drive the entire way home that day. They charged us the full amount, and probably gave our room to a another customer. Terrible, terrible business model.

We thought the hotel was reasonably well cared for and all of the staff were very friendly. The hotel lobby has a comfortable seating area with coffee and tea and there’s a pantry with some cookies along with coffee and tea on the second floor. Our junior suite had a small but nice seating area with a tv and gas fireplace, single serve coffee maker, very comfortable bed, and a great bathroom with a double head shower and jet tub as well as all the toiletry amenities normally offered. The restaurant looks out onto a nice courtyard making it bright and airy during the day. There’s a nice fire pit in the courtyard as well and we went to sit outside to enjoy it one evening. The restaurant had nice options for breakfast and a small but reasonably varied dinner menu. There’s a daily $35 resort fee per room but it’s creditable for any expenses at the hotel. I think this is a pretty smart way to price the hotel stay because the alternative would just be to raise the room rates anyway. If guests eat all meals elsewhere they are no worse off but a breakfast or dinner or two at the hotel are basically included in the room cost if not. The hotel location is very convenient to the waterfront where a variety of trolley and walking tours start and there are many nice restaurants and shops within an easy walk of the hotel. Above average inflation has been something everyone has dealt with for 6 or more years now but I think the cost for our room, meals and the garage were reasonable. We’d be very happy to return to this hotel on another trip to Portland.

Well Done: Nice Rooms - we had a corner room (339 - deluxe king room) and it was a great size! Loved the wardrobe with the drawers and fridge. Restaurant - good food, ate there 3 times and wasn’t disappointed. A little pricey but really didn’t find comparable food outside for much less. Fantastic courtyard - very comfortable, love the fountain and lights. Really enjoyed the live music. They have a large fire pit but it was too warm to turn on. Needs improvement: Room cleaning was inconsistent - room was always physically cleaned nicely. Loved coming back to a freshly cleaned room! However when it came to taking dirty glasses or restocking things, we had to chase the staff down. For those that stay only one night, maybe you wouldn’t be able to tell but by the 3rd night we realized that our morning aches came from our mattress! Trenches and dips on the sides, just not a great mattress. Highly recommend replacing mattresses on a more frequent basis. Considerations: Amenities Fee - $35 /night. Non-negotiable. Coverages usage of their restaurant and market. If you spend money in their restaurant for food or drinks, as long as you spend the $35 / night of your total stay, then the amenity fee is satisfied. So you are basically forced into doling out cash or using their restaurant/market, reducing your ability to try new restaurants No coffee/tea maker in your room - coffee/tea is provided throughout the day and night (as well as waters, cookies, pastries ) but it is in a public communal area by the elevators. My husband had no problem with it (men…) but I felt forced to get dressed before I even had one cup of coffee to get me going.

Disappointed in this property for the price, property is outdated, service minimal. Great location to old port but not worth the price. Coffee service out of order, elevators old and not cared for— should be updated - rooms ok but not especially updated either - small lobby. Ate in the garden, very expensive for ok food.

While the location of the hotel cannot be beat, there are some issues. We have stayed at PHH on many occasions; we love the area and the food it offers. We were able to get an early check in (good). Upon check in they told us of the new amenities fee they add to stay, 35$ a day, you can charge to your room and they may reimburse you the 35$...however we had plans to eat out and enjoy the city, this sort of traps you into going to the bar, buying snacks, eating breakfast there. Parking in the lot under the hotel doesn't count towards the fee either. The coffee machine on our floor was listed as out of order, 1 less amenity to choose, had to go upstairs to get a cup of coffee, inconvenient. The room itself was fine, the jacuzzi type tub had water jets so powerful the water splashed over top, we found no way to turn them down. Mini fridge and comfy bed helped. I assume the walls are thin, as we did alot of noise coming from the hallways during our stay. Overall, it's nice.....but it has lost some of the charm. We may look elsewhere next time