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What recent guests liked:
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“The hotel is right in the heart of all the great … ”
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“Good location, nice public spaces”
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“I loved the decor of the lobby, the old wood furnishings, … ”
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“Jr suite was spacious and comfortable with a 42" … ”
The Benson
309 SW Broadway
Portland, OR, USA
Style: Traditional Elegance
Atmosphere: Quiet
287 Rooms
This grand, old dowager hotel, may have been coasting on its reputation for a while, but it is still Portland’s most elegant. The Benson Hotel was built by lumber baron Simon Benson in 1912, in the pre-Crash days of American industrialism, when the captains of the logging industry were the Pacific Northwest’s versions of the Carnegies and Rockefellers of the East. From the first step into the lobby, guests are immersed in the old-world grandeur, surrounded by Circassian walnut paneling, an Italian marble staircase, and Austrian crystal chandeliers.
Upstairs the guest rooms are more of the same; not exactly sprawling, in keeping with the original floor plans, but impossibly posh, especially for this dressed-down city. Suites, though, are expansive, especially the penthouses, with panoramic views, and the Grand suites, complete with baby grand piano. Junior suites are a good compromise—roomy, plush, and located at the corners to maximize whatever sunlight makes it through Portland’s persistent rain clouds.
Dining options include the London Grill, in the hotel’s vault, a fine dining restaurant with one of the most extensive wine lists in the Northwest. Next door to the hotel is El Gaucho, an Argentinean-style steakhouse, complete with live music and a cigar lounge. All of downtown Portland is within easy reach as well, including Powell’s Books, one of America’s best bookstores, just four blocks to the west.
