Priceline Hotel: 4* Portland (Downtown) Westin

[tex winter]

I started bidding at $65, and increased to $75, $80, $91, $99 and finally $101.

On Thursday night, this hotel had zero availability. Tonight the cheapest rate is $189, which is the escape rate, with in room breakfast for 2, local newspaper, and a 4 PM checkout.

Overall, I am happy with the rate and I have never stayed at this property, so I am looking forward to this stay.

Don't make the same mistake as me and forget (doh), make your bid through the link at SavingsBarn.com, and I am sure the moderator would appreciate it.

[tex winter]

As a followup, I looked up the AAA rates for this hotel just now, and the same room would be $139.00. So, I still saved money, but I spent a couple hours getting the rate.

[senor hamachi]

It's a nice property. Much more up to date then the Benson, which we have also received on PL. I think you'll like the Westin.

[tex winter]

My review:

With only two elevators, the wait for one can be long. I woke up Sunday morning expecting a paper at my door, and no dice. I called the operator (Service Express), and was told they leave the papers on the table by the elevators.

Location is great for downtown Portland. Valet parking is overpriced, use the Smart Park just down the street.

Smallish room that is nicely decorated. The bed was the most comfortable that I have ever slept on, better than a Tempurpedic.

Regarding the coffee maker/tea service: only one teabag, and only one each of regular and decaf. I like a pot at night and one in the morning.

The Heavenly Shower: the showerheads were impossible to adjust to have one doing a massage and one a regular showerhead. The selection of bath products was just shampoo, conditioner, lotion and soap. The soap looked to be Jergens, and the rest of the products were in generic bottles. With the seperate bath tub, I expected bath bubbles. No qtips, no cotton balls, The Benson has better (perceived higher quality) bath products, and they include mouthwash and other products.

I checked out the workout room, the best of the free ones of any hotel in Portland. I especially liked the medicine balls and the cardio machines with the tv embedded in the screen of the machine, but even with cable tv, the view on screen was full of snow.

As a property, it is definitely more up to date than the Benson, but the amenities are lacking as compared to the Benson.