When we initially decided to review hotels in the downtown Portland area, we went through many moments of severe sticker shock. Granted, downtown is a nice area and all, but paying upwards of $300 for a basic level room seemed a bit much. We were pleasantly surprised to find Hotel Fifty, which although not the cheapest stay in the Portland area is very reasonable for its highly desirable location (FYI, rooms at the Riverplace Hotel, 3 blocks up the street, were more than double the price!). Hotel Fifty is located directly on Natio Parkway and across from the waterfront park. Our waterfront park covers most of the downtown area and is home to many of Portland's festivals, including the Rose festival and the Food & Wine festival. Even when nothing 'special' is going on, the waterfront is a nice place to relax. There is a large fountain that the brave can play in during hot weather, and the downtown portion of the waterfront is part of the Springwater Corridor bike path which goes up and down the Willamette river. And the waterfront isn't the only location plus -- Hotel Fifty is blocks away from the Max line (which can take you to such far flung areas as Beaverton, St. John's and Gresham as well as a direct connection to PDX), a few more blocks from the Streetcar line (which will take you directly to our reception) and all of the glories of downtown Portland. You may not even need a car...
The hotel itself is in the middle of a major renovation, and unfortunately when we visited we could only view the older rooms. These were, however, quite nice (why remodel?), and many offered views across the river. The rooms were standard in size, although the bathrooms seemed a bit more spacious than your average hotel. The newer "theme" of the hotel is to be a bit more modern, and the decor was planned to be very simple and minimalistic. Anyway, the room rates range from $150 - 200 per night, but if you book before August 31st you can get a 20% discount. Check their webpage for more specials at www.hotelfifty.com.
**update** HotelFifty, despite being brand spankin' new, made Frommer's list of best Moderate Hotels in downtown Portland!
