The Benson Hotel, a Coast Hotel

One of my favorite Christmas activities is to get dolled up and then go to the Benson hotel to view their latest gingerbread masterpiece (usually a village or mansion) and majestic Christmas tree.

I had a large group coming so we waited a week after the unveiling and I thought to contact the restaurant manager, Jeff, to see what he could do to accommodate us. He offered to reserve us space in the mezzanine. We ended up seated there last year, (on a fluke there was room for our group), because it was too crowded for the 15 of us downstairs. I was happy to accept his offer because there was no way 30 of us (our group doubled this year) would be comfortable anywhere else.

The night of, Jeff set reserved signs on some tables in the mezzanine. That meant we could leisurely enjoy the complimentary wine-tasting in the lobby before heading up. Note: the Benson has a complimentary tasting in their hotel lobby every day, which is usually 2-3 tasting of wine or beer.

The hotel has a lovely bar and lovely sitting area across the lobby, but come Christmas time, it is packed from early afternoon til bedtime.

The mezzanine is a lovely option because it overlooks the area downstairs where their majestic Christmas tree is placed. It also has it's own set of bathrooms.

After getting our wine-tasting (from Tertulia Cellars), we ordered happy hour. I got the goat cheese, jam and cracker plate for $6 or $7. Most of my friends opted for calamari, Cesar salads and the burger. We were told we could take them upstairs, but most of us opted to finish up before heading to the mezzanine. we also all ordered a glass of the house happy hour wine ($6). I actually ending up having 3 (they were that good!)

We had 2 servers (a young man and reddish haired young woman). That sounds like 1 too many but they also were helping the whole lobby area (which was full of customers) and other people sharing the mezzanine with us. That said, they did a fantastic job keeping things straight. Both had worked all day and looked a bit tired but they kept smiles on their faces and hustled to keep things flowing smoothly. Towards the end, there was a little confusion with our bills (I think a few closed tabs from downstairs got transferred to bills upstairs) but it all got worked out, without any fuss. That is what's too be expected when 30 people just start shouting out drink orders and then switching seats.

Kudos to Jeff and his team for making this night one to remember. We will be back next year for sure.

Beautiful hotel, perfect for a short trip during the holiday season. We did a bundle deal through Expedia and stayed here the weekend before Christmas. Surprisingly the downtown area wasn't crowded at all throughout out stay and the concierge and other staff were all very friendly and helpful whenever we asked for suggestions on places to go.

This hotel is particularly great during the holidays since they have a gingerbread masterpiece on display when you enter and the lobby itself is quite grand and decorated to the tens for Christmas. There is a large decorated tree to post in front of and jazz music on the weekends as well in the Palm Court lounge.

The rooms are spacious and since we were on the 10th floor, we had a great view of the downtown area. Our room card was a bit fidgety, but overall the stay was very pleasurable. Though it seemed like this hotel caters to the older crowd, we enjoyed our short stay and I would definitely come back to stay here.

Stayed at The Benson for a night after exploring Portland. We appreciated the amazing customer service. Every staff member we came across were friendly and helpful. The only thing that irked me was the $30 amenities fee.

As expected, and others have mentioned the hotel is located near indigent communities. I'm a light sleeper, so every noise would wake me up. The comfortable bed persuaded me to go out and purchase a tempur-pedic bed.

Definitely recommend the place! If you're a light sleeper like myself I highly recommend that you request a room not facing the city as it can be loud. But then you miss out on beautiful city views.

This was the best hotel I've ever stayed at. The staff, especially the front desk were so friendly. They allowed me to check in early at no charge. On top of that, the lobby and room was so elegant and clean. The floors were literally squeaky clean. They did a great job with Covid protocols by requiring masks and maintaining social distancing.

The Tempur-Pedic bed was amazing! I did not want to leave my bed and I wanted to sleep in all day. Every morning, they provide a grab and go breakfast. Every evening, you are provided 2 complimentary alcoholic beverages from the Palm Court downstairs. Everyday, you are given $10 to spend at the snack bar.

The location was perfect. We were able to walk to multiple restaurants and shops, like the Powell Bookstore. Even though downtown Portland does have a homeless population issue, I felt very safe being at The Benson. The homeless people were a few blocks away.

The room came with a water heater for coffee or tea. There was also an umbrella in the room to borrow, as well as an iron and board. The mini fridge didn't keep my drinks as cold as I'd prefer but it was fine!

We requested a companion betta fish and we loved him! He was so adorable and he inspired us to get one back home.

Valet is $40, but we were able to find overnight (12 hour) parking right across the street at a parking lot called PMC. We opted for this instead since it was much cheaper.

The next time I come to Portland, I will definitely be staying at the Benson again. I will also recommend it to everyone visiting!

This is the third time I've tried to write this review. It's hard to give low marks to a hotel that I love and have stayed in at least once a year since discovering it in 2010. I was a guest here for three nights on my first ever solo trip. It had been over two years since I'd been anywhere so I decided to splurge for my birthday and stay at my favorite hotel. I got a great room rate (or so I thought, but I'll get to that later). However, now that I'm home, I'm feeling a little angry and disappointed.
First the good...
I love this hotel. I love almost everything about it. The lobby and the hotel in general are absolutely gorgeous. The customer service of the front desk staff is great and they really make you feel like you're at home. They go out of their way to cater to your every whim.
As for my room, I had a king bed and a room that had a view of Broadway with a distant view of one of the bridges. It was large, comfortable and immaculately clean. I mean absolutely pristine. Very impressive. Even the remote control was shrink wrapped (Designed to be used that way, but I hastily unwrapped it-I'm sure I'm not the only one who has done that. I didn't read the note on the desk before opening it. If I had to choose my least favorite thing about the room it would be the pillows. They were way too soft and honestly it made trying to sleep uncomfortable. The bed was wonderful, but I prefer firmer pillows.
In the bathroom the soap, shampoo and conditioner were shrink wrapped as well. About the bathroom... someone already mentioned this but the sink really is annoying. The faucet is way too short and water gets everywhere. The bathrooms are really small as are most hotel bathrooms that were built over a hundred years ago, but when they did the bathroom upgrades, they really should have thought it out better. I could barely get my hands under the faucet to wash off the soap and water would get everywhere. I did like that the shower was very easy to just open the door and step inside. I do wish there would have been at least one bar because the tile on the shower and the floor were very slick.
The hotel was quiet, which I appreciated and I loved exploring places I'd never been before. One of my favorite things was the Historic Stairwell. It's twelve floors of wonderful photos of Portland and the hotel. It's absolutely amazing and you learn a lot of history. It starts on the thirteenth floor (AKA the Penthouse Floor). There's a door at the end of the hallway marked "Historic Stairwell" and after you go through a winding hallway you come to a door that leads to the stairwell. From there you start your "tour" until you reach the first floor. Each floor has pictures of different "subjects" like buildings, celebrities and presidents who have stayed in the hotel, etc. I highly recommend this b/c it was probably the best part of my visit to the hotel. Oh and be sure to ask for a scavenger hunt questionnaire from the front desk. Answer all questions correctly and you get either 50% off an extra night or 25% off a future stay.
Now the not so good...
There was a note in the room saying that because of Covid, they were only doing housekeeping every third night. I stupidly assumed that it meant the sheets and so forth wouldn't be changed until then, which was fine. However for the whole duration of my stay, the bed wasn't made, the trash wasn't emptied, the room wasn't cleaned and the towels weren't replenished. I realize that I could have/should have contacted the front desk but having no housekeeping didn't really bother me until my last day there. It really bothers me now that I've had time to think about it. When I left I literally had no towels left and the trash cans were overflowing. The thing that burns me up now is that I saw housekeeping in the hallways more than once during my three night stay and I made sure not to put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on my door, but I guess that didn't make any difference.
I understand the $42 a night parking fee which gives you in and out privileges, but I don't really know why they charge another $40 per night for amenities. I was given $10 of "free" amenities from the front desk which you can choose from food items or necessities until they add up to $10. However, I could have done without the nightly wine/beer reception which is two drinks per person. I don't drink alcohol at all, so being charged for this didn't seem fair. I also didn't use the business center or the fitness center this time and now I feel like I wasted some of my money.
As for the room rates, it seemed like a bargain for $200 for two nights and when I extended my stay it was "only" around $150. However, when I got my bill I was shocked that the total was over $900. I get that there are taxes but wow, that was a huge jolt. I expected it to be expensive, but I think that the complete lack of housekeeping should have made up for it. I'm only sorry that I didn't mention it to the front desk staff when I left.

This hotel is exceptional in every single way. I was out in Portland for a work event, my company booked this beautiful hotel for us. The Benson is all things elegant, sophisticated, refined and charming. I had a gorgeous room with a view to die for. The bed was comfortable, the towels fluffy, the toiletries plentiful and the water pressure exceptional. After all, what good is a fancy shower head if you don't have great water pressure to go with it?!?!?
I can't say whether or not this hotel is costly as I was fortunate enough to have not had to pick up the bill. But whatever it cost, it was worth every penny.
I was told every President since Taft stayed at the Benson, and I can believe that. This is the type of place where one would expect to see heads of state and various dignitaries. I sincerely hope to return to this beautiful place and stay a but longer.

Beautiful historic hotel. The lobby has this oversized floor mirror that looks so elegant with an old Hollywood feel. The mattress was so comfortable and pillows too. Very clean and they offer 2 free drinks in the evenings. Highly recommend this hotel.

What a great place. Now owned by Hilton the place is just great. They got rid of hidden fees and the staff are fantastic. The on site restaurant had a reduced menu like so many places however the food was fantastic both for breakfast and dinner. Very central location we had a wonderful view.

As I prepared to go to bed on my first (of a two-night stay) night in my room, I found a black mark on my sheets. It was late and I just wanted to sleep so I decided to sleep on the other side of the bed. The next morning I left a note for the housekeeper asking that the sheets be changed because of this; I left it in the bathroom on the sink so it would be easy to see. I was pretty surprised, then, to find this evening (my second and last night here) that the sheets weren't changed! Housekeeping did come because the bed was made, the towels replenished, and the note was moved so I know they saw it. But no new sheets, and also no new bar of soap, shampoo, or conditioner. Of course, I once again found this as I prepared for bed. I went downstairs to tell the desk clerk and he offered to have them change the sheets but I just want to go to sleep and didn't know how long that would take.

They came 20 minutes later with two bottles of shampoo (no conditioner) and two bars of soap. Thanks.

The best hotel stay I've had in a long time. Exceeded my expectations by far! Rooms are extremely clean and updated. I have never felt so comfortable walking barefoot in a hotel before. Front desk staff was extremely friendly and did not skip a beat sending up champagne when they found out we were celebrating something.
Love the character of the hotel in the lobby. There's a letter Dropbox from 1912 in mint condition and a gorgeous fireplace with cozy couches to have a drink in front of.

The location can not be beat. It's smack in the middle of everything you'd want to walk to: Powell's Books, breweries, several food truck locations, the Big Pink building. I would stay here again in a heartbeat if I come back to Portland!