Portland, OregonDowntown
The Royal Sonesta Portland Downtown
Eclectic department-store hotel
Downtown Portland, Oregon
Renovated
2020
Price
$$
Rated for
Design Heritage ClassicOutside the door
The house
SonestaEclectic department-store hotel
A 1912 department store embraces playful eccentricity, gathering guests in a crimson parlor around chess tables and loaner books.
What it’s good at
Notable
Pagoda-shaped hearths meet flying mallard duck wallpaper across the eccentric guest quarters.
Notable
A 1912 department store building clad in glazed white terra-cotta on Washington Street.
Listed
A first-wave boutique hotel anchoring downtown Portland's business district since 1996.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
mixing as it does old-fashioned charm with up-to-date boutique-hotel personality. What it is is perfectly suited to its location.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Pioneer Courthouse Square sits two blocks away, and Powell's City of Books is a short walk north.
The rooms
Flying mallard duck wallpaper covers the bedrooms, and colorful geometric carpets stretch across the floors.
The gym
The gym has a Peloton bike and weight stations, and yoga mats are available for in-room use.
At the table
Finch on Fifth serves Pacific Northwest comfort food, and craft cocktails are poured behind a hidden bookcase doorway.
How it began

The white terra-cotta building housed the flagship Lipman-Wolfe department store before launching Portland's boutique hotel wave in 1996.
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.