Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Portland International Airport, OR

There's nothing particularly striking about the Country Inn and Suites from the outside -- it looks like a typical mid-range chain hotel with early-1990s suburban architecture (think off-white vinyl siding) and a bottom border of mixed stones running around the exterior. Inside, the lobby has light-wood floors, a stone wall with a gas fireplace, and a small surrounding setting area with an off-white sofa and a few red patterned chairs. It's a homey affair here -- an aesthetic that carries over to the guest rooms as well. Furthering that vibe, the reception desk offers fresh cookies, and there's a a tiny lending library with primarily mass market paperbacks. Across from the front desk is a station with a large selection of tea and coffee that guests are free to take. The entire property is ADA accessible, with wheelchair-friendly bathrooms and common areas, a transfer seat in the pool, and braille signage. Most guests are business travelers or overnight transit passengers needing easy access to Portland International Airport just down the road. 

The Country Inn is essentially an airport hotel, and Portland International Airport is a seven-minute drive or free shuttle ride away. The hotel runs an hourly shuttle to Cascade Station, a large strip mall with a wide range of shops, including a Target, shoe shops, clothing shops, and a wide range of primarily chain eateries including a Starbucks, an iHop, and a sushi joint. The trip takes four minutes. From there, travelers can take the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) light rail train into town; it takes about 40 minutes to reach downtown Portland, which is otherwise a 20-minute drive from the hotel without traffic. It's a 10-minute drive to the Alberta Arts District, essentially a stretch of NE Alberta Street known for its summertime "Last Thursday" art walks with artisans selling their wares. It's 15 minutes by car to hipsterish Hawthorne Boulevard and about 20 minutes by car to Washington Park -- home to the city's zoo, famous rose gardens, and Japanese Gardens. It takes about the same amount of time to reach Forest Park, a massive city park with miles and miles of forested trails.

The hotel offers five types of rooms and suites, though decor is uniform across all categories. The style is homey, with oak and oak-veneer furniture, patterned beige-and-tan carpets, white linens on beds accented by olive-green bed runners, upholstered chairs, and yellow accent walls. A few small black-and-white framed prints hang on the walls. Standard Guest Rooms come with one king or two queens. King Rooms are a good choice for families as they have king beds plus sleeper sofas, while Studio Suites have either a king or two queens, a sofa sleeper, and a wet bar. Kitchen Suites are aimed at long-term guests, with kitchenettes complete with fridges, ovens, stoves, microwaves, and cookware. Whirlpool Suites don't have kitchens, but they do have wet bars plus whirlpool hot tubs in the rooms. Amenities common to all rooms include microwaves, mini-fridges, flat-screen TVs, and coffeemakers. Vanity areas are in the main part of the rooms, separate from the bathrooms, and have granite countertops and well-lit mirrors; those in suites have two sinks. Bathrooms are consistent throughout, with toilets and shower/tub combos. 

One of the most useful services offered by the Country Inn is its free airport shuttle, which runs 24 hours a day, plus free on-site parking for those with their own cars; park-and-fly packages are also available on request. Features are solid enough to keep on-the-go travelers happy. There's also a small fitness center with a few cardio machines and a resistance-training device -- towels are provided. The pool area is fine enough, but nothing to write home about, though there is a hot tub that might get more use than the small indoor lap pool. The hotel's restaurant, Brenner's, is open for breakfast and dinner (but not lunch) and offers a huge, free breakfast buffet with meats, eggs, scones, French toast, and even biscuits and gravy. Amenities that business travelers might find particularly useful include a free-to-use 24-hour business center with a printer, free hotel-wide Wi-Fi, meeting rooms for rent, and on-site laundry facilities. There's also a small shop in the lobby selling snacks and soft drinks.