Recently I had the opportunity to spend the night at the Avalon Hotel and Spa.  Finding the hotel was slightly harder than expected.  If your car does not have a GPS then I could see it taking a little longer than planned to find the place since it is a bit out of the way of downtown Portland.  But this out of the way location was certainly on of the Hotel Avalon’s strengths. 

The first thing that struck me as I arrived was the location.  The hotel is situated between a greenbelt and the Willamette River, making views from the rooms incredible.  The suite I was in had a balcony off the bedroom that overlooked a grove of deciduous trees and a walking trail on the river bank.  I could hear birds singing and the sound of water lapping at the shore.  The room itself was clean, very elegantly furnished, and most importantly, very quiet.  I found my immediate surroundings to be more than I had hoped for.

Directly next to the hotel is a moderately-priced Italian restaurant.  I never ate there but the place seemed nice and it had a quaint patio dining area that overlooked the river.  The occasional boat would pass by but the hotel’s location was very pristine.  The location was also very convenient.  Downtown Portland was literally two minutes away by car and the hotel offered a free shuttle service to and from downtown from 6am until 10 pm.  I never used this service but the idea that it was there was pleasing, considering the fact that I had to pay for valet parking, regardless of whether or not I drove my car there.  This was the biggest downside of the Hotel Avalon’s operation.  I do understand that many of the nicer hotels have a compulsory valley service but there was plenty of parking around the Avalon, I don’t feel that their valet charge was justified.

In terms of value for the money, this hotel was priced a bit steeply.  I was able to book it with Hotwire, a website that lists the hotels based on their star rating and only reveals which hotel you’ve just booked after you spend the money booking it.  This website’s booking system is one that people either love or hate, with very little middle ground.

To make a long story short, I saved about 60% by booking with this website.  I don’t think I would pay retail price to stay at the Avalon, but it was certainly a very nice place in a very quiet, convenient location.

The spa packages that were available at the Avalon seemed like they would be quite relaxing and rejuvenating.  I didn’t have the opportunity to participate in any of the spa activities but next time I stay at the Avalon I believe I will try their spa as well.

Looking back there were a few things I wished I could have changed about my stay but all in all the Avalon and its staff did a great job keeping me comfortable and cozy in their southern Portland location.