The Royal Sonesta Portland Downtown

Love this Royal Sonesta for so many reasons Just stayed here for a second year in a row. Just a short one night stay with a friend to celebrate our July birthdays. We both absolutely love everything about this hotel. Wouldn’t change a thing. This hotel really provides a much higher quality of everything in every category for the price paid. It’s a beautiful, spotlessly clean in every area and plushly decorated. It’s funky vs classic which really just adds to the charm. The staff is welcoming, friendly and accommodating adding to the overall comfort the minute you walk in thru the stunning lead glass doors. This hotel is probably the best bang for your buck in every aspect in downtown Portland all will always be our first choice when doing a staycation.

Room great, restaurant below awful! The room was amazing and staff was nice. I read great reviews of the restaurant. It was abysmal!!! I have seen and tasted better breakfast at super 8 which was complimentary by the way!! They had apple pastries which looked and tasted like they were out of a hostess box, the eggs were ok, the potatoes were obviously frozen and not cooked well, and the sausage was tough and bland. The only good thing was the fruit. The waitress did nothing but tell us to sit anywhere and bring us our check and expected a tip. I gave $5 on a $60 bill because we refilled our own drinks (unlike other patrons) and she didn’t do anything. Yes that terrible breakfast was $60.

Better than some of the reviews might have you believe. We just returned from a six night stay. We had room 626. Contrary to critical reviews, we found our room to be spacious, with everything in it in good working order (good hot water, thermostat responsive, etc. The decor is exactly what you see in the photos. The only things we wished were different were that the hotel was located a few blocks north (the immediate surroundings are slightly sketchy...homeless). For me personally, it didn't faze me much, being from the San Francisco area. It's just very sad to have human suffering outside of your door. No one ever bothered us though. The lobby is also exactly as you see in photos. All in all, the hotel, being a much older building, was nicely updated. We had breakfast at the hotel. A little pricey for what it was (always the same...scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, breakfast potatoes, mixed fruit, and three types of rolls or croissant. Not bad. But nothing to write home about either. $15 per person. What was a little irksome was that we were told that we had a resort fee (we prepaid the full cost before arrival) that covered a $15 credit for one person, for breakfast at the hotel. What they didn't tell me was that, even though all fees were supposed to have been paid up front, they tacked on a $30 "Destination fee". Not sure why anyone should be forced to pay a fee for "arriving". Anyway, that was the only thing that was off putting. Would we return? Only if I got the same rate (we only paid about $120/night, fee inclusive). If so, yes, I would certainly return! But if it were beyond that, I might choose to stay in a location that isn't so depressing immediately outside of the hotel.

Fees added after booking! The location is very convenient for getting into downtown from the airport. The rooms we had on our two stays a week apart were both spacious and comfortable. Water bottle were provided. Parking is available at $49/day, I thought that rather high. Also, it wasn't until after I had made the booking that they informed me there is a $30/day "destination fee" whatever that is. And the a $30/day amenities fee that can be applied to cover restaurant or mini-bar charges. Since breakfast is $15/person, it covered that for us. BTW, the young woman at breakfast, Nadyah, was a delight. She would have made the place 5 stars, but I have to knock off 2 stars for them adding fees after the booking. That isn't right!

Extremely Disappointed — Would Not Recommend We stayed at the Royal Sonesta Portland as part of a *stay-to-play* basketball tournament, and it was a major disappointment from the start. After a five-hour drive from out of state with three kids, we arrived to find we couldn't even park at the hotel. The garage was full, and when I asked the front desk for recommendations, I was told to "just drive around." Not exactly helpful when you're unfamiliar with downtown Portland and trying to navigate with tired kids in tow. After circling and trying two or three nearby garages that didn't work for us, we ended up walking several blocks with luggage and children just to check in—only to face a **45-minute check-in process**. Once in the room, we discovered there was **no refrigerator or microwave**, which is not family-friendly at all. While they mentioned you can request them, they’re only available "if they have extras." Again, not helpful. This stay was anything but convenient. The hotel was selected through the tournament, but if we had the choice, we would’ve stayed anywhere else. I paid for convenience and comfort and got the opposite. We will never stay here again, and I absolutely would not recommend it to anyone—especially families traveling for sports or events.