Every Friday, I showcase a different city to highlight five new things of special interest to meeting, convention and event planners. The week we travel to the lush city of Portland, Oregon.
Big things are in the works for Portland's Marriott Downtown Waterfront Hotel.
İMarriott Intl. Inc.
A $4.9 million renovation will kick off December 2011 and will last just over a year. When complete in March 2012, guests will find an updated lobby with a fresh new design upon arrival and a new restaurant showcasing the flavorful cuisine of the Pacific Northwest. (Gorgeous views of Portland's spectacular scenery will likely make this dining venue a favorite for special events.)
İMarriott Intl. Inc.
Planners will continue to enjoy more than 40,000 square feet of on-site event space at Portland's downtown Marriott, including 28 meeting rooms and a pillarless 14,144-square-foot ballroom able to accommodate up to 2,000 guests. Review an online sales kit here.
Hotel Monaco Portland, a chic boutique hotel also in the heart of the city's downtown, is making it super easy (and super fun!) for groups to get fit together.
İKimpton Hotels and Restaurants
The 221-room hotel is more than happy to arrange special group fitness excursions from runs and bike rides to yoga.
But, you don't need to be part of a big group to enjoy these new fitness amenities. Regular yoga classes are held every other Wednesday evening while morning runs take place every Thursday. Bikes are available for complimentary rental throughout the week. To find out more, call the hotel at 503.222.0001.
The Crystal Hotel should welcome its first guests in 2011. The 1911 building, who's past has included stints as a bath house and "gangster hangout" according to the Portland Business Journal, is being turned into a 50-room hotel. The property will offer a cafe, bar, pool and massage rooms.
Event professionals, though, should take special note of the hotel's location - just one block from the Crystal Ballroom, a venue dedicated to showcasing music and the arts, but also available for private rental for groups of up to 1,000.
Business travelers will be delighted to hear that it's easier to hand off their bags at Portland International Airport.
İPort of Portland
Instead of having to cart your baggage from the check-in counter to security, a new conveyor belt system now does it for you. (Boy, do I wish more airports did the same!)
The service is now available for passengers of JetBlue, Frontier, Southwest, Alaska, Horizon and American airlines. Expect everyone to offer it by the summer. No wonder this airport is consistently ranks as number one by travelers.
Travel Portland is making it easier for event professionals to green their meetings.
İTravel Portland
An online "Green Meetings Toolkit," introduced earlier this year, provides green meeting facts, trends and links.
Unfortunately, most of the information is general in nature, but should still prove to be a useful compass when planning green meetings anywhere. The best parts of the site are a directory of just over 100 eco-friendly Portland businesses (found here) and a way to liase with the Portland green team themselves (here).
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