Notes from the Road: Portland

An improved airport is just the beginning

In August 2024, Portland International Airport (PDX) completed phase one of its $2 billion renovation, which included an updated main terminal and the introduction of nearly two dozen local restaurants and retail shops.

Its new main terminal implemented biophilic design, with trees and greenery that can be spotted in every direction, as well as a wooden-slated roof that lets in vast amounts of natural light, giving the terminal a refreshingly airy feel. Phase two of the project includes the completion of its north and south ends, as well as 10 more local businesses.

Stay and Meet

I stayed in Hilton Portland Downtown (44,489 sq. ft. of event space; 455 guest rooms), home to the largest meeting space in a Portland hotel. The property’s top floor, the Skyline suite, features panoramic windows that provide views of Portland’s surrounding mountains, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood.

Formerly Hilton Portland’s executive tower, the venue across the street has been transformed into The Duniway, a boutique-style property named after Abigail Scott Duniway, an American women’s rights activist, writer and journalist. On each guest room floor near the elevators, images of tattooed women are displayed, a homage to Duniway’s efforts toward women’s societal progress.

Read More: Portland, Oregon: City of Roses Focuses on Equality

Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center (39,000 sq. ft. of event space; 600 guest rooms). While all the properties sit fairly close to Portland’s MAX Light Rail, Hyatt Regency Portland is the closest, having a stop right in front of the property, convenient for attendees coming in on the tram from PDX. The connecting Oregon Convention Center features 328,909 sq. ft. of total meeting space, made up of two ballrooms, 255,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and 52 meeting rooms.

The Nines (more than 20,000 sq. ft. of meeting space; 331 guest rooms) features one of the more unique lobby spaces in Portland. The property’s former life was as the flagship store and headquarters for Meier & Frank and is where late actor Clark Gable spent his youth selling ties before rising to prominence. In its days as a department store, many patrons came dressed to “the nines,” as this was the place to be seen. When it opened in 2008, The Nines took up the Meier & Frank building’s 8th to 14th floors. For photo opps, the top of the 14th floor gives an unreal aerial view of the lobby.

The Benson (more than 12,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, 287 guest rooms) is Portland’s honorary holiday hotel. A visit during the holidays is sure to make attendees feel like they’re in a Christmas movie. Home to the largest collection of Russian Circassian walnut in one building, this collection is on display all throughout the property. Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront (44,762 sq. ft. of meeting space; 506 guest rooms) sits alongside Willamette River, a view that can be seen from several of the property’s meeting spaces. The property features several classy F&B venues, including Press Release Coffee + Food and Proof Reader Whiskey + Craft + Kitchen, as well as Proof Reader Bar.

For the fitness-focused, worthy of note is that all of these properties had relatively large, thought-out meeting spaces, a step in the right direction from properties that treat fitness centers as afterthoughts.

Eat

Janken is a hub for Japanese and Korean fusion. Several dishes of note include chef’s choice nigiri, truffle tuna and shrimp tempura maki rolls, Hamachi crispy rice, grilled ribeye and crispy brussels sprouts, to name several. Dessert included a decadent chocolate bar and sushi ice cream. Janken’s private dining room can accommodate up to 40, and groups of up to 160 on its main dining floor.

Read More: Beyond the Plate: The Art of Culinary Event Planning

A food tour organized by event producer Shauna Noah included visits to Negociant, Bar West and Freeland Spirits. Negociant is a wine and cheese shop that hosts special events, and wine demos and classes. Bar West featured one of my more favored interior designs. Built to resemble a home—a large home, to be sure—the F&B venue, server of classic Italian and American dishes, features the 1,000-square-foot North Room and 400-square-foot South Room, both available for private events. The tour ended at Freeland Spirits, with a pairing of Nico’s Real Fruit Ice Cream and Freeland Spirits cocktails in the distiller’s tasting room.

Multnomah Whiskey Library, a membership-based bar, features a comprehensive list—950—of whiskies in an industrial setting. Although based on memberships, the library does allow visitors to purchase one-time “hall passes.” Both the library and the non-membership-based Green Room bar just below are available for private events.