The Portland Hotel Boom Continues Apace

If you thought the hotel industry would slow down following the economic downfall COVID-19 created, think again. Despite the hits the pandemic rained on Portland’s hospitality sector, hotel rooms here are being built faster than ever. There are 50 percent more hotel rooms now than in 2016, with many more in the works. Here are seven to watch:
Moxy Portland Downtown
Opened February 2021 Guests at Moxy, the Marriott property at SW 10th and Alder where Nong’s Khao Man Gai cart used to sit, check in at a colorful neon bar after passing through retro-groovy common areas including a “disco hallway,” complete with mirrored tiles on the walls and ceilings, backlit in bright blues and pinks. The designs in the 197 hotel rooms are more sleep-conducive, with a natural color palette. The rooms also have space-saving features, including drawers that are part of the bed frame and desks that fold up. Moxy, which cost an estimated $50 million to build out, offers guests free bike rentals, and—coming soon!—on-site food carts.
Hotel Grand Stark
Opened in May 2021 Part of the Los Angeles–based Palisociety chain, which also has locations in Seattle, San Francisco, and Miami, Hotel Grand Stark sits squarely in the Central Eastside on SE Grand Avenue, in a structure that was originally built as a hotel in 1906 but has been used for furniture manufacturing for the past 80 years. The hotel boasts 57 minimalist-chic rooms and two eateries: the Grand Stark Deli, which features an all-day menu, and Bar Chamberlain, which includes an all-natural wine list. Special touches for four-legged guests abound, including organic treats at check-in and luxe doggie beds; the staff can even arrange for dog-walking services.
Portland Proper Hotel
Opening this winter The Portland Proper, in the Pearl on NW Irving, is projected to open this winter, at an estimated cost of $123 million. The midcentury-modern vibe of other Proper hotels will carry over in the 227 guest rooms, along with a perk that’s rarely seen in the Pacific Northwest: an outdoor rooftop pool. Guests will also find two restaurants, a bar, and multiple event spaces.
Hyatt Unbound
Opening 2022 This 21-story, 250-room hotel is replacing the historic Hotel Albion (1906) and Lotus Cardroom & Café (1924). Hyatt Unbound hotels are popping up from Miami to London to Budapest, all with design inspiration taken from the surrounding city. The SW Salmon building, which rings in at an estimated $33 million and sits across from the federal courthouse, will include a market and eateries on the ground floor.
Hyatt Place
Opening February 2022 Another day, another multinational chain coming to the Pearl District. This time, it’s the 23-story Hyatt Place, slated to include 160 hotel rooms and 113 additional apartments. The eco-friendly building has a green roof for water retention, while its outdoors footprint was designed to accommodate the NW Flanders bikeway project. Some neighbors remain peeved that the hotel won’t include any parking spaces for guests or residents.
Ritz-Carlton
Opening early 2023 The Ritz-Carlton is the fanciest of all the new hotel developments, bringing one of the world’s most upscale brands to downtown Portland; construction costs have been pegged at an estimated $600 million. The 35-story building will also include apartments and offices, along with a rooftop terrace and multiple event spaces. Part of the hotel concept includes a “festival street” along SW Ninth Avenue that’s part of Portland’s Green Loop, a six-mile “linear park” aimed at encouraging residents to walk and bike instead of drive.
Toyoko Inn
Opening date TBD The Japanese Toyoko Inn chain, known for its spare, clean aesthetic and budget pricing, hopes to build a hotel with more than 600 guest rooms at the intersection of SW Oak Street and Third Avenue downtown, the chain’s first West Coast location. Developers are planning for the building to be 32 stories, making the hotel’s rooms the city’s most altitudinous, as the top floors of the Ritz are reserved for residences.