OR Portland Residence Inn Portland West Beaverton

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***DO NOT BID IN HILLSBORO/BEAVERTON 2.5* IF YOU CANNOT TOLERATE THE SMELL OF CIGARETTE SMOKE***

WARNING: THIS HOTEL IS NOT PRICELINE FRIENDLY

Let me first preface by saying that this is the worst Priceline experience I have ever had. Yes, indeed my stay at the Residence Inn in Hillsboro was even worse than a Priceline stay where I had ants crawling over my breakfast!

I called the hotel about 3 weeks before my anticipated arrival and requested a non-smoking king room. I was told that this was not a problem.

However, when I arrived at the hotel at approximately 8:00pm on May 3, 2005, I was informed by the representative at the front desk that the hotel was completely booked solid and that I was to be given a SMOKING queen room (room 115). She showed me how this was clearly written on a Post-It note directly from the front office manager, Sandy. I asked if the hotel had gotten my request and she said that it didn't matter that I made a specific request, since the room was booked through Priceline. She stated that the hotel only followed instructions coming directly from Priceline, and not the person staying in the room. She told me that Priceline rooms were given the lowest priority in terms of assignment, and that all other guests were given first choice of rooms. I was informed that the room was non-refundable so I could take it or leave it - this was the consequence of getting such a "good rate" but "there are all sorts of rules to follow." I told her that Priceline should not mean second-class treatment, and that if they could not offer the same quality of service to all guests then the hotel should not be involved with Priceline. To this, she replied that she too wished that they didn't do Priceline bookings! She reiterated that I could take it or leave it, but there would be no other option at that hotel that night. Similarly, the Courtyard by Marriott down the road was fully booked. I even explained that I suffered from asthma and cigarette smoke was a trigger but to no avail.

I arrived at room 115 to find that a take-out box full of leftovers was placed in front of the door. My best guess is that a fellow guest left it there, as the inside of the room was otherwise clean. I opened the room door and was faced with an onslaught of the rancid smell of cigarette smoke. I went back to the front desk and asked for a spray to mask the smell and was given some which didn't help. I inquired about candles but was told that these were not allowed in the rooms as they were a fire hazard (what do you call smoking?!?!). I opened all the windows, turned on all the fans, made about 40 pots of coffee and even microwaved the complimentary popcorn for the butter smell, but still the smell of cigarette smoke was not masked.

This incident is such a shame since the rest of the hotel was actually fine. The room had a large fully-equipped kitchen and there were nice touches such as chocolate cake dessert in the lobby and the aforementioned microwave popcorn. The complimentary breakfast, which included fruit (both whole and fruit salad), pastries (bread, muffins, english muffins, donuts), cereals (three types), rice and japanese toppings, oatmeal, eggs, sausages, do-it-yourself waffles, pancakes, tortillas (with hot cheese sauce, salsa, and sour cream), and yogurt. All of the above were well-monitored by several employees who even used thermometers to make sure the food was adequately warm! The only minor annoyance was that the washroom sink had a tap that was difficult to control, leading to water spraying everywhere. The complimentary parking and internet (both wired and wireless) were nice as well.

Every other hotel I have stayed at as a Priceline guest has treated me with dignity and respect. Some have even bent over backwards to make sure I had a comfortable stay. The same cannot be said of the Residence Inn in Hillsboro. I have contacted Priceline, the management at this particular Residence Inn, and also Marriott Corporate to voice my concerns about this maltreatment.

I hope this review will help prevent others from suffering the same fate as I. If you are sensitive to cigarette smoke, then please do not bid for a 2.5* in this zone.