We arrived in Florence during a very wild winter storm in mid January and we didn't have planned reservations. We stopped into the Pier Point Inn and we hit the jackpot! We have been to Florence many times over the years but we have never stayed at the Pier Point Inn. This immediatley became our new destination for future trips to Florence. We were greeted with a very friendly front desk attendant, the room was much nicer than we expected with recently upgraded decor. We had a wonderful nights sleep and a nice morning complimentary breakfast over looking the river. We would highly recommend the Pier Point Inn to anyone visiting Florence.

As someone who was born in Florence and has family there, I know quite a bit about comparable hotels/pricing. This is our favorite place to stay with our daughter and dog. My review of a 5 takes into consideration the amenities, service, view, overall experience relative to other comparable 3 star hotels. The Pier Point outshines all in its class. It is worthy of its Plus Tier status.

My family likes to visit our family several times a year. We have stayed at the Pier Point four seperate times during 2011 including spring, summer, and winter. We have brought our dog on a number of occasions and appreciate having that option. Pet rooms are available with river views. Here is a list of pros/cons to determine if the Pier Point is right for you.

Pros
Friendly/efficient management.. You need to have a challenge to really know how management handles issues/treats their customers...Management are cheerfully responsive to correcting any problems that may occur. For example, on one trip two busloads of teenagers from Canada took down the WiFi in the hotel by opening/leaving open mutliple electronic devices.. Management contacted IT to boot all the connections, so my husband could get his work done. On another trip the room I booked wasn't what I thought it would be from a layout/view perspective. They cheerfully worked to find a room that would meet our needs.
Hot Breakfast with Dynamite View...So many times the complimenary breakfast is limited to cold cereal, toast, and fruit in a cold, sterile, dark conference room set up for breakfast. Not at the Pier Point. You have custom made omelettes, waffles, fresh baked scones/breads, bacon/sausage, biscuits/gravy, potatoes..The works. The best part ot me is the close up beautiful view of the Siuslaw and its bridge at sunrise. Did I mention that you can also get hot coffee/warm cookies all day long in the lobby?
Nice Lobby/Library Area..the library area near the lobby is a pleasant place to read the newspaper in front of the fireplace. I take advantage of this option as I am an early riser who doesn't want to wake my teen daughter.
Pool/Sauna/Spas.. (this is a pro and con).all are available in the basement area. They are sanitary to a fault in my opinion. They use a lot of clorine here that is too much for my sensitive skin. There is no question, however about the cleanliness of the facilities. I wouldn't wear a nice/high end swimsuit here as it might easily bleach out.
Beds..The beds are exceptionally comfortable for a hotel chain in this star level. I have back problems and absolutey can't sleep in Motel 6 level beds. We typically stay in four star hotels, however, I find the Pier Points beds to be quite comfortable. I have stated in other Best Western regular hotels in contrast that weren't at the Plus level as the Pier Point as. I found the beds to be almost impossible to sleep on.

Pet Friendly Hotel
For a reasonable fee you can have up to two pets in your room. Pet room stll have views which is refreshing. If you ask for a pet room at the Pier Point, you won't be stuck in a smoker's room overlooking a stairwell.There is a treed/lawn area near the parking lot on the side of the hotel to walk your pets

Location
The location is fantastic. The view from full view rooms and the dining room is breathtaking. You are also just across the bridge from quaint Od town Florence with some of the town's best restaurants.



No Restaurant
The Pier Point's restaurant is currently unavailable as of the date of my review. It is my understanding that the hotel hopes to have it open in late spring. When it does reopen, the dining room from this restaurant has one fo the best views of the river/bridge in town.

The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. We arrived during a severe wind and rain storm. An hour later, the power went off (not uncommon), but as they said it was restored a half hour later. The restaurant they recommended was perfect for us.The individually cooked omelet at breakfast was wonderful.

What a great hotel. My kids loved the fresh baked cookies they had when you checked in. Or in my boys case every time they walked through the lobby. The rooms were very comfortable and the view of the river was great! We were traveling with a pet, so it was wonderful they are pet friendly. The temperature of the pool was perfect, a lot of times the pools at hotels are so cold for me to get in. The hot tubs were hot and the sauna was refreshing. The breakfast in the morning was tip top! The omlet station was a great bonus. We will be staying here again on our next trip through Florence!