Want to take advantage of Marriott STARS benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked. This is valid for paid stays at BVLGARI, EDITION, Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and St. Regis.
In mid-2019 it was announced that a Ritz-Carlton would be opening in Portland, Oregon. The hotel’s opening has been delayed significantly, but the property is now expected to welcome its first guests in the coming days.
Details of the Ritz-Carlton Portland
The Ritz-Carlton Portland is opening as of October 31, 2023. This is the brand’s first property in the Pacific Northwest, and the development features 35 floors, with 251 hotel rooms and 138 residential units. As far as amenities go, you can expect the Ritz-Carlton Portland to feature:
- An all-day lobby bar, named Meadowrue, described as offering small plates with local Oregon wine and beer
- An all-day 20th floor restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, named Bellpine, described as offering Pacific Northwest cuisine, with a heavy focus on fish
- A swimming pool on the 19th floor
- A fitness center and full-service spa
- A club lounge, which Ritz-Carlton properties are known for
The $600 million development also includes office space, retail space, and a ground-level food hall. The property is located a few blocks from Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Marriott’s Chief Development Officer for North America Full Service Hotels had the following to say about this development back in 2019:
“This landmark project is a game changer for The Ritz-Carlton brand and the City of Portland. The Ritz-Carlton, Portland will set a new standard for luxury hospitality in Portland, expand this iconic brand to the Pacific Northwest and introduce locals to the refined elegance and amenities associated with the Ritz-Carlton Residence lifestyle.”
Below are some renderings of the property.
This is Portland’s new most luxurious hotel
When it opens, the Ritz-Carlton is expected to be Portland’s first true five star hotel. What makes this so interesting to me is that Portland is a quirky place, and is fiercely loyal to local businesses. It’s not that other hotels are necessarily “local,” but as a general rule of thumb, I can’t imagine many locals are a fan of this development. That’s especially true since the hotel is opening in the space of the Alder Street Food Cart Pod, which has closed. The local community has had quite a bit of criticism of this new development.
Then again, I’m guessing on many levels Ritz-Carlton doesn’t really care what locals think, since that’s probably not their target demographic. I imagine this hotel is targeted at high end leisure traffic as well as conferences. In general the Pacific Northwest is highly seasonal when it comes to tourism, and hotel rates reflect that. It’s not uncommon to see rates 3-5x as much in summer as winter.
I think the below comment from a reader back in 2019 about the statement from a Marriott executive probably sums up a common view point:
“The Ritz-Carlton…will…introduce locals to the refined elegance and amenities associated with the Ritz-Carlton Residence lifestyle.” Word to Ritz Carlton’s marketing team: locals do not need to be “introduced” to “refined elegance.” We know it–we just reject it. Just because we live a more casual lifestyle doesn’t mean we’re country bumpkins. Our many amazing restauranteurs understand the local scene. Chefs like Gabriel Rucker and Vitaly Paley create world-class food served with zero pretense. “Refined elegance” in the form of a white tablecloth/dress code/stuffy maitre’d is NOT what folks are looking for here.
Ritz-Carlton Portland rates
With the Ritz-Carlton Portland finally opening, what are rates like? For what it’s worth, entry level rooms at the hotel are 459-515 square feet (41-46 square meters), so rooms here are quite spacious.
For those paying cash, rates seem to start at just under $500 per night, which is roughly what I’d expect. Currently there’s not much seasonal rate variation, though that will likely evolve over time.
Club rooms currently cost an extra $200-250 per night compared to a standard room. Obviously that’s quite a bit, though it’s much less of a premium than you’ll pay at many other Ritz-Carlton properties.
If you are going to book a cash stay at any Ritz-Carlton, I’d highly recommend doing so through the Marriott STARS program, so you can receive complimentary breakfast, a $100 property credit, a room upgrade, early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability), and a welcome amenity. The Marriott STARS rate should be equal to whatever the standard flexible rate is when paying cash. Ford’s team can help with these reservations, and can be reached at [email protected].
It’s also possible to redeem Marriott Bonvoy® points here, though points rates seem disproportionately high as of now. I conservative value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, though usually it’s possible to get significantly more value out of points than that. For whatever reason, the redemption rates here seem really bad. Maybe that will change over time.
Bottom line
The Ritz-Carlton Portland is finally opening as of late October 2023. This is without a doubt Portland’s new most luxurious hotel. The property has plenty of amenities, including two restaurant concepts, an indoor pool, large rooms, and a club lounge. However, with 250+ rooms, this won’t exactly be a boutique hotel experience (not that anyone expects that from Ritz-Carlton.
Portlanders (and others) — what do you make of this Ritz-Carlton?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.