Aloft Portland Airport at Cascade Station

This hip and energetic hotel that opened in 2008 stays busy year round with travelers passing through the nearby airport or doing business in Portland. It’s designed to appeal to a young and active clientele who enjoy mingling with others guests. The lobby is like a large living room, with lots of comfy, ultra-modern furniture accented by bright neon colors and busy geometric patterns. An electronic scroller above a four-panel TV keeps guests updated on the latest news headlines. The adjacent W XYZ bar is bathed in neon blue and lavender. It gets lively at times, when DJs spin music and emerging artists performing on the acoustic stage -- the scene attracts guests and locals alike. The spacious courtyard also is a popular hangout, with lots of seating and a gas fireplace. As an airport hotel that serves food and drinks 24/7, guests can be seen relaxing and arriving at all hours.

The Aloft has a great location for an airport hotel, situated in the midst of Cascade Station, a popular development with numerous shops, restaurants, and bars, including a Starbucks and a 24/7 IHOP next door. The Cascades MAX station of Portland’s light rail commuter train is just a three-minute walk (or hotel shuttle) from the hotel. It takes passengers to downtown Portland in 30 minutes (a 20-minute drive at non-rush hour times), making it possible to explore the city without renting a car. Portland International Airport is a seven-minute drive or hotel shuttle ride. Access to Interstate 205 is just a few minutes' drive away. 

The rooms (Kings and Double Queens) aren’t overly spacious, but their design makes the most of the available footage. These clean rooms have a mod and unconventional design, with low platform beds and laminate, modular-style wood furniture that includes corner desks and one-piece headboards/nightstands. Dark gray fabric walls are positioned between dual windows. Other walls are beige and bedding is bright white. Two-tone green-striped carpet mixes well with aqua leather office chairs and aqua and purple leather benches. No closets are provided, but small shelves and racks for hanging clothes are in the bathrooms, covered by drapes. Standard amenities include 42-inch flat screen TVs, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, safes, and free bottled water and Wi-Fi. The bathrooms are long and narrow, with spacious walk-in showers that have clear-glass doors and white ceramic vanities with raised basin sinks. Hairdryers and Bliss toiletries are provided.

Some rooms have views of jets departing and arriving at the airport, while others overlook the hotel grounds and the adjacent shopping complex. Ambient noise from the nearby airport is noticeable, but it’s usually not a significant issue for most guests.

This energetic hotel is quite different from most business hotels near a major airport. The W XYZ bar features live music or DJ sets on some evenings. It also has a billiards table and a light bites menu that includes pizza, wings, salads, and quesadillas. The re: fuel cafe offers to-go fare 24/7, including breakfast items. The free shuttle service runs to the airport as well as the nearby MAX Cascades Station light rail stop. The fitness center has several modern Life Fitness cardio machines and free weights. The lap-style indoor pool is a bit small, but it has adjacent showers and a spacious courtyard just outside with a gas fireplace and lots of comfy seating. The hotel also has a fleet of free loaner bicycles, including some tandem bikes. Pets are welcome to stay here without a surcharge in select rooms. The meeting room can host up to 40 people, and the hotel has a business center and valet dry cleaning and laundry services. Parking and Wi-Fi are free.