A Very Lovely Hotel
- May 13, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
I found the hotel to be very lovely and the staff helpful. The continental breakfast is a bit on the sparse side, but as I'm not much of a breakfast person it wasn't such a big factor. The complementary car service is very nice as the hotel is outside downtown. (The 35 bus line runs right by the hotel. If you are going to stay in Portland for a few days, I recommend using Trimet instead of renting a car. Parking is awful) The adjoining restaurant, Aquariva, is very nice and serves a generous lunch. The room service menu is a bit limited but covers most bases. All in all a very good experience.
Great Quality Hotel -- But not in the City
- May 10, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
This hotel was very nice and a great value! The gym is phenominal! It is the same size as a standard gym with all of the latest up to date equipment. The free breakfast is all cold food such as ceral, fruit, coffee, and yogurt (I was kind of expecting eggs and french toast...)
Be aware that there is a "hidden fee." If you rent a car it will cost you $19.00 a night to park . . . and they only offer valet! I would not have rented a car if I knew this ahead of time!!!
The hotel is also not in the center of town and you will need to drive to get to the city or public transportation.
Otherwise the hotel is great . . . I just figured I list what I was not expecting to give everyone more inside information.
Very Nice Hotel, Can't Wait to Go Back!
- May 8, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
I stayed here with my wife a couple weeks ago and I have to say I am impressed. The Hotel was very clean and we found the staff to be friendly, professional, and personable. The fitness facility was HUGE and contained a large number of exercise machines, free-weights, and even a yoga/stretching room! Very impressive! Also impressive was the rooms, the views, and the comfort of the bed. Decor was tasteful and the continental breakfast in the morning was awesome. All this right on the river and bike trails. Coming from Sunriver it is sometimes hard to find a place to stay in Portland that matches the amenities and professionalism, but the Avalon fits the bill. Very quite section of town but only minutes from downtown action. A++ recommended.
Thin Walls Rowdy Guests & Unhelpful Front Desk
- November 8, 2008
- Rated 3 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
We stayed at the Avalon last Spring and loved our room overlooking the river. The hotel is so contemporary and conveniently located to downtown, Lake Oswego, and close in east side of Portland...places we go when we are in Portland. This time we chose to take advantage of a lower rate for three consecutive days with "a view of the hills" instead. Unfortunately the view of the hills was just a few treetops seen over the top of the tall office building next to us. Since we had lots to do, we weren't in our room that much so the lack of a view and privacy was something we decided to overlook. Our first two nights were fine, but the last night a rowdy group was checked into the room right next to ours in the middle of the night (around 2 AM). They were swearing, talking loudly, banging into things as they entered their room, waking us from a sound and much needed sleep. When I called the front desk, they were very condoning of the noisy new guests and the only help they could offer us was if we wished to relocate to a quieter area in the hotel. They did say they would notify the new guests that there had been a complaint. I really felt as if the front desk clerk was not willing to do her job and insure guests who were already staying in the hotel be assured of a peaceful nights sleep. The woman in the next room talked loudly on her phone for quite awile after our call. We will probably not stay here again. Also the bathroom marble tile needs grouting and when you go out on the balcony, the door almost falls off.
Avalon-Green but not Healthy...
- September 16, 2008
- Rated 3 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
Beautiful surroundings, on the Williamette river, walking and bike trails directly in front of the hotel, a terrific quality gym with punching bags and yoga ( DELICIOUS restaurant adjacent called Aquariva- spicy fried risotto and caesar salad-and a fresh margarita with no fake and poisonous sweet and sour mix- to die for! Some organic, free range choices and very nice complimentary continental breakfast with yumy Illy coffee. The Bad: the hotel boasts its "green" policies- the biggest environmental problem is the overwhelming amount of fluorescent lighting- EVERYWHERE- I kept my hotel room lights off - the EMFs, the mercury exposure on the ground from broken bulbs, the inadequate color spectrum-was extremely disappointing, also disappointing was the "Free wi-fi" so that meant the entire hotel was being shot at with deadly and damaging microwaves 24 hours a day. The third green disappointment was the chlorine filled but beautiful whirlpools- I only went in once but was itching my skin and sneezing all night long. Lastly, the spa was outrageously priced and the help there was superficial and rude- The inharmonious way I was treated by the spa chakra staff left me making my own spa in my hotel bathtub! For instance, the spa closed at 9 and I arrived for the steam room at a little past 8:30- the woman gave me a fake smile and told me they were closed and to come back tomorrow..I give the Avalon 3 stars and will still go there again- I know any other hotel- "Green" or not will still offer fluorescent lighting, chlorine and wi-fi...I want something HEALTHY too...
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