What’s New

What’s New in Portland, Oregon — 2010

 

Hotels

McMenamins to Open Hotel in Downtown Portland in Late 2010
McMenamins Hotels, Pubs & Breweries — a Portland-based company with a penchant for rescuing, renovating and repurposing historic buildings — is working to transform a 1911 structure in downtown Portland into a full-service hotel. The new McMenamins’ property (dubbed the Crystal Hotel) is scheduled to open in late 2010. Its triangular footprint will encompass 50 guest rooms, a restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and outdoor seating; a heated saltwater soaking pool; spa-like massage rooms; and the subterranean Cellar Bar, which will connect to McMenamins’ existing Ringlers Annex Pub next door.

In addition to adjoining Ringlers Annex, the new hotel is just one block from McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, a historic venue that has presented live national music/dance acts since the 1920s, ranging from Rudolph Valentino to the Grateful Dead to Modest Mouse. The hotel, whose name was inspired by this neighbor, will feature artwork that reflects the musical legacy of the Crystal Ballroom. With its location in Portland’s Burnside Triangle/West End district, the whimsically designed hotel will be adjacent to the Pearl District and a five-minute walk from Portland’s downtown city center. For updates on the hotel’s progress, visit www.mcmenamins.com.

Renee Rank, Corporate Marketing Director, McMenamins Hotels, Pubs & Breweries, 503.492.5457, reneer@ed.mcmenamin.com

 

The Allison Inn & Spa
The Allison Inn & Spa opened in September of 2009, the first luxury resort of its kind in the Willamette Valley wine region. At this 35-acre (14 hectares) destination hotel in Newberg, Oregon, guests will enjoy views of the vineyards edging the resort, as well as easy access to some 200 wineries located in the surrounding area. The Allison’s grounds include patios and fire pits, and an on-site restaurant, Jory. The property, which has been accepted as a member of the Preferred Boutique Hotels group, has 85 deluxe guest rooms and a 15,000-square-foot (4,572 square meters) spa with 12 treatment rooms.

In April 2010, the hotel attained Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, joining the ranks of fewer than 25 LEED Gold hotels in the United States. Green features and practices in place at The Allison Inn & Spa include solar panels that produce hot water and electricity for a projected 13% energy cost reduction; a green sedum roof on the meetings and events wing, which filters and slows rainwater runoff; and daily in-room delivery of glass water bottles, eliminating plastic bottles from the site.

The Allison Inn & Spa is located at 2525 Allison Lane, Newberg, Ore., 97132; 503.554.2525; www.theallison.com.

Dan Howard, Burditch Marketing, 323.932.6262, dan@burditchmc.com

 

Courtyard by Marriott Portland – City Center
Downtown Portland’s newest hotel, the 256-room Courtyard by Marriott – Portland City Center, opened on May 14, 2009. The project, a renovation of an older downtown office structure, received Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in July 2009, becoming just the 15th LEED Gold hotel in the United States.

The building’s exterior received a complete facelift, and its window proportions were optimized to allow maximum daylighting and energy conservation, both important LEED considerations. The hotel offers wireless Internet access, business services, complimentary lobby coffee, valet parking and The Original, an independent on-site restaurant dishing up diner-style comfort food in a chic but comfortable environment. The Original’s main entrance faces Southwest Sixth Avenue and Portland’s new MAX Green Line (light rail train).

The Courtyard’s meeting space includes the Sequoia Ballroom (2,048 square feet), the Alder Room (896 square feet), five smaller meeting rooms ranging in size from 546-644 square feet, and generous prefunction space (925 square feet). Courtyard by Marriott – Portland City Center is located at 550 S.W. Oak St., Portland, Ore. 97204; 503.505.5000; www.marriott.com/pdxpc.

Cheri Hanson, Director of Sales, Courtyard by Marriott Portland City Center, 503.505.5000, cheri.hanson@cymportland.com

 

The Nines Hotel
A 331-room Luxury Collection Hotel (Starwood Hotels & Resorts) opened in downtown Portland in October 2008. Known as “the Nines,” the hotel occupies the top nine floors of the historic Meier & Frank Building; a stylishly renovated Macy’s department store fills the building’s lower five levels. A key component of the $137 million project was converting the top floors of the building from a solid box to a hollow square. The resulting seven-story atrium gives all of the guestrooms access to a view and natural light. Interior rooms overlook the atrium, while the exterior rooms enjoy city views.

The hotel also has an atrium restaurant on the lobby level (Urban Farmer, featuring local foods and ingredients); a rooftop restaurant/lounge called Departure; a 7,200-square-foot ballroom; and 7,000 square feet of additional conference, meeting and banquet facilities. Local artists were commissioned to create 419 pieces of contemporary art, including sculptures, paintings and installations to grace the atrium and every guestroom.

The Nines achieved LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in May 2009. To achieve this designation, the project’s developer, Sage Hospitality, incorporated several conservation-focused building elements, including a plumbing system that will save more than 500,000 gallons of water each year. All products used in daily housekeeping are Green Seal certified, and the hotel’s energy comes from renewable sources such as wind power. During the building process, 90 percent of the construction waste was diverted from landfills.

The Nines is located at 525 S.W. Morrison St., Portland, Ore. 97204; 503.222.9996; www.thenines.com.

Rachel Kelly, P.R. Account Representative for the Nines, 212.255.6541, rachel@hawkpr.com

 

Hotel Modera
Hotel Modera, an upscale boutique property, opened in downtown Portland in June 2008. The new hotel is actually the transformation of the old Portland Inn City Center, which underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation. Embracing the mid-century style of the original building, the hotel features a clean, retro-modern design complemented by an expansive courtyard.

The five-story Hotel Modera has 174 rooms and suites and covers nearly a full city block. Its courtyard features fire pits, plenty of outdoor seating and a “living wall,” planted with native vegetation in an unusual, vertical manner. The property borders TriMet’s new light rail Green Line, opened in September 2009. TriMet commissioned sculptor Michihiro Kosuge to install artwork along this transit line, including three sculptures fronting the Modera’s courtyard.  

In spring 2009, well-known local chef/restaurateur David Machado (owner of Lauro Kitchen and Vindalho) opened the Modera’s on-site restaurant. Called Nel Centro, the restaurant space overlooks both the Modera’s courtyard and the artwork-accented light rail line. The Modera is located at 515 S.W. Clay St., Portland, Ore. 97201; 503.484.1084; www.hotelmodera.com.

Joanne Bosworth, Director of Sales & Marketing, Hotel Modera, 503.484.1077, jbosworth@hotelmodera.com

 

Attractions

Portland Farmers Market Grows
In 2010, the popular Portland Farmers Market will double the size of its flagship Saturday market at Portland State University, and add two new visitor-friendly locations.

One new market will be held in Pioneer Courthouse Square — often called Portland’s living room — in the heart of downtown, near the Travel Portland Visitor Information Center, numerous hotels and shopping outlets, and all of the MAX light rail train lines. Located at the corner of Southwest Sixth Avenue and Yamhill Street, this market will run from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Monday, June 21-Oct. 25. Another new market will be added on Northwest 23rd Avenue, one of the city’s top destinations for shopping and dining. This market will be open from 3-7 p.m., June 3-Sept. 30, at the southeast corner of Northwest 23rd Avenue and Savier Street.

The popular Portland Farmers Market held on Saturday mornings at Portland State University will also double in size to accommodate its more than 16,000 weekly shoppers and 170 vendors. Widely considered one of the finest farmers markets’ in the world, the Portland Farmers Market at PSU enters its 19th season this year. With the new locations, Portland Farmers Market now operates a total of six weekly markets. Learn more at www.portlandfarmersmarket.org.

Deborah Pleva, deb@leeweinstein.biz, 503.250.4750.

 

The Intertwine
Launched in fall 2009, The Intertwine unites the Greater Portland region's ever-growing network of integrated parks, trails and natural areas. For some, The Intertwine is a quiet walk in the woods at Tryon Creek State Park. Rafters delight in The Intertwine when they shoot the rapids on the Clackamas River. And a million people each year travel southeast Portland’s Springwater Corridor — The Intertwine’s most popular regional trail.

On The Intertwine website (www.theintertwine.org), visitors and residents can explore the area’s best-loved outdoor recreational and educational destinations with a map highlighting more than 20 outdoors experiences.

Karen Kane, Metro media coordinator, 503.797.1942 or 503.680.0691

 

PDX Bridge Festival
Portland is living up to its “Bridgetown” nickname, as the Hawthorne Bridge celebrates its 100th birthday in 2010, followed by the centennials of the Broadway and Steel bridges in 2012 and 2013, respectively. To commemorate these milestones, this city of bridges is throwing a party — the first annual PDX Bridge Festival.

The festival will reinvent the bridges as staging grounds for individual works of art and performance. Light installations will illuminate the Willamette River bridges, and, over the course of the festival, visitors will experience a diverse program of gallery exhibitions, speakers, musical events and performances. The PDX Bridge Festival will run from July 24-Aug. 7, 2010, on and around the Hawthorne Bridge. Learn more at www.pdxbridgefestival.org.

Tucker Teutsch, founder and creative director, 503.484.6793, Tucker@pdxbridgefestival.org

 

Portland Salutes New Salumeria
Portland is a carnivore’s dream, and the newly-opened Olympic Provisions is proof positive that local residents want their protein.

With the clever catch-phrase of “Meat Here,” Olympic Provisions is the city’s first and only USDA dry-cured salumeria, hand-making artisan sausages, pâté, dry-cured salami and other meaty creations. Soon the brilliant culinary minds behind the counter will be providing their products to other local stores and restaurants as well. The opening of Olympic Provisions — located in the Olympic Mills Commerce Center, just east of downtown across the Morrison Bridge — goes hand in hand with Portland’s artisan approach to food. The salumeria puts Olympic Provisions on the map, but the restaurant's ever-changing small plates menu at both lunch and dinner should not be missed. Just remember to grab a couple of sausages and a bottle of wine to take home with you.

Olympic Provisions is located at 107 S.E. Washington St., Portland, Ore., 97214; 503.954.3663; www.olympicprovisions.com.

Nate Tilden, 503.954.3663, info@olympicprovisions.com

 

The Central Cascades Geotourism Project
In January 2010, the National Geographic Society, in partnership with Travel Oregon, released the Central Cascades Geotourism MapGuide (www.thecentralcascades.com). Encompassing both a physical map and a robust website, the project’s goal is to facilitate conservation through responsible tourism. The map indicates natural and cultural attractions in the mountains and communities that run throughout the Cascades from Mount Rainier National Park in Washington to the Umpqua National Forest in Oregon. These features were nominated by residents of the communities in which they are located. Greater Portland’s Columbia Gorge Region and Mt. Hood Territory are rich with offerings to visitors who use the MapGuide.

Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents. According to a 2002 study by National Geographic Traveler magazine and the U.S. Travel Association, more than 55 million adults in the U.S. could be described as “geotourists,” who travel to enjoy the distinctive character of places and are willing to help sustain and enhance those qualities for future visitors.

Laura Guimond, Travel Portland; laura@travelportland.com; 503.275.9783

 

Craft Spirits on Distillery Row
Portland has long been known as a destination for outstanding microbrews, world-class Willamette Valley wines and exceptional coffee, but now the city is establishing itself as the epicenter of the craft distilling movement.

Inspired by the local brewing and winemaking traditions, the city's nine microdistilleries craft high-quality, small-batch spirits with distinctive flavor profiles. From gin and vodka to absinthe, ouzo, whiskey and eau de vie, each product — whether sipped straight or used to enhance a hand-crafted cocktail — is distinctly different and entirely unique.

The 50+ spirits made in Portland are not only available at restaurants both local and national (Aviation Gin is a popular export); they’ve also been embraced by mixologists who use them to craft new creations or put interesting twists on old classics. Visitors to Portland can experience the craft-distilling scene at bars across the city, or go directly to the source with distillery tours and tastings.

Several distillers are concentrated on Portland's east side, in an area dubbed “Distillery Row.” On Saturdays, visitors are invited to try the seven different distillers on Distillery Row (www.distilleryrowpdx.com) in a single walking tour. The nearby Jupiter Hotel has created a Distillery Package to complement Distillery Row tastings. The hotel package includes overnight accommodations for two, a passport for two to all seven distilleries, two $20 gift certificates to any Distillery Row distillery and free overnight parking.

Marcus Hibdon, Travel Portland; 503.275.9769; marcus@travelportland.com

 

Technology

Travel Portland Introduces Media-only Twitter Channel
Created by the Communications and Public Relations Team at Travel Portland, PRinPDX is a new Twitter account designed exclusively for journalists. Updated several times a week, and as news warrants, the account is an excellent resource for those seeking short-lead travel items on the Greater Portland area for destination blogs, travel websites and newspaper/magazine round-up sections. And who knows: Even the inspiration for a full-length travel feature could lie germinating within one of those brief tweets.

PRinPDX posts are available only to media who follow the account; the tweets are not accessible to the general public. The account will also be used to keep journalists apprised of promotions offered via such social-networking channels as Travel Portland’s Facebook fan page and the Travel Portland Twitter feed. Information about offers will be tweeted to PRinPDX followers a few days before they are announced to the general public, ensuring that you will be the first to alert your readers to these limited-time offers.

To follow Travel Portland’s P.R. tweets, visit www.twitter.com/PRinPDX.

Marcus Hibdon, Travel Portland; 503.275.9769; marcus@travelportland.com

 

Transportation

Portland Streetcar Adds New Loop
Portland’s public transportation system continues to expand, making it easier for visitors to navigate the “City of Roses.” Last month, the city began laying new tracks for the Portland Streetcar Loop Project — a 3.3-mile (5.3 km) extension of the popular streetcar system which will add another 28 stops and serve as many as 3.5 million riders per year.

The new Portland Streetcar line will run parallel to the east bank of the Willamette River, offering access to popular visitor attractions such as the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), as well as other eastside shops and restaurants. The line is scheduled to open in 2012.

The Portland Streetcar is a testament to the city’s commitment to sustainable transportation. With its creation in 2001, Portland became the first city in the United States to introduce a modern streetcar service. The upcoming expansion follows the opening of the new light rail MAX Green Line in September 2009, and the Westside Express Service (WES) Commuter Rail, which opened in February 2009. In addition to increasing transit options for residents and visitors alike, the new Portland Streetcar line will create more than 100 jobs at local company United Streetcar, which will manufacture the cars. Learn more at www.portlandstreetcar.org.

Marcus Hibdon, Travel Portland; marcus@travelportland.com; 503.275.9769

 

New MAX Light Rail Line Opens
When it comes to sustainable mass transit systems, bigger is better. TriMet, the Portland area’s regional transit authority, recently expanded its popular MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) light rail system. The former 44-mile light rail network was already hugely popular with visitors: MAX’s Red Line connects Portland International Airport to downtown (a 38-minute ride on luggage-friendly low-floor trains); the Blue and Red lines link upper Washington Park (home to the Oregon Zoo, Portland Children’s Museum, the World Forestry Discovery Museum and Hoyt Arboretum) to the central city (12-minute ride); and the Yellow Line transports trade show attendees from the downtown Portland hotel core to the Portland Expo Center (34-minute ride).

The new line — the “Green Line” — opened Sept. 12, 2009. It connects Portland’s historic Union Station (Amtrak) to the campus of Portland State University (PSU) before continuing to its terminus at the Clackamas Town Center shopping mall. This north-south route travels through the central city, making it a breeze for arriving Amtrak passengers to access downtown hotels. Portland’s visitor information center, which is located at Pioneer Courthouse Square, is one of the stops (approximately a five-minute ride from Union Station) on the line.

Construction of the Green Line included more than the laying of track along downtown Portland’s Fifth and Sixth avenues. It also encompassed significant street improvements: installation of public art, refurbished roadways and sidewalks, bike lanes, additional lighting and new shelters. In fall 2008, a year prior to the opening of the Green Line, TriMet introduced its fourth generation of MAX trains: Siemens S70/Avanto light rail vehicles. The new trains feature a sleek look, a smoother ride, and more seating than their predecessors.

Mary Fetsch, Director of Communications, TriMet, 503.962.6403, fetschm@trimet.org, www.portlandmall.org or www.trimet.org