For the record, my actual rating for this hotel would really be a 3 1/2. It's a little better than average, but not by much. However the close proximity to the Convention Center, where I was attending a trade show, tipped it over to a 4.

The hotel in general is older, and it shows. Even the huge lighted sign outside said RE ION, and I really think it's pretty tacky when a hotel can't even replace the lights in two of the letters of its main sign!

The parking area when you first arrive is cramped, and you're not warned - either on their website or at the desk - that you're going to be hit for 12 bucks a day to park. I was aware of it thanks to my fellow Trip Advisors, so consider this a warning to others who park there.

The lobby is small and somewhere between cozy and uninviting. I found the front desk staff to be businesslike but not at all friendly. There's apparently a coffee shop in the lobby, but it was closed both days I was there. There are other restaurants in the area.

My room (415) was fine, again just a little above average. Great view looking toward the convention center, especially at night. As every other reviewer has noted, they have a very weird heating/cooling setup, part of the old design of the building. I was there in Dec., and I wasn't uncomfortable. But I can well imagine that this would be a hot room in the middle of summer.

Bedroom area had a small fridge with a couple of free bottles of water (unless the previous guest left them). Flat screen TV. Small microwave. WiFi is free but very slow. The rest of the furniture is showing its age, and I found the bed overly soft. The room seemed generally clean, but old. Bathroom was also fine, nice amenities, everything was clean.

The room is a little on the noisy side, both from the corridor and from outside, but not horrible. I got a decent night's sleep, and being able to walk back and forth to the Convention Center was great. So if you're in Portland for the Convention Center or the Rose Garden, it's a good choice. Otherwise, there are better places in town.

The 'Portland Big Deal' package brought us back to the Red Lion. The package includes $50 cash at check-in, $8 credits toward breakfast, free parking, and some great coupon deals for visiting Portland (like $20 off dinner at several places).
No, the property is not shiny new but our small two-queen room was clean and the staff was great. The breakfast menu was an excellent value.
Caffeine-types will appreciate the Starbucks across the street. Also across the street is a Burgerville ...a regional fast food favorite that focuses on local ingredients (head and shoulders above McDonalds), Denny's, and Red Robin.

Best of all is the transportation connection. There is a Portland light rail stop and bus lines just steps out the door. Light rail fare is free to downtown and connects to the airport and a lot of other locations around greater Portland.

This is a place you park your car, enjoy the city, and never need to drive the rest of your visit.

I stayed at the Red Lion as it was the overflow hotel for a conference that I was attending at the Doubletree in Portland. There was a very big difference between the hotels. The Doubletree was much newer and nicer (at least in the lobby, restuarant and conference center. That said the staff at the Red Lion were excellent. I just cannot express how good the staff were. Check in was excellent, I arrived on a early flight and was able to check in about noon. The girl at the desk was very pleasant and helpful when I was looking for a place for lunch. It is very easy to get here from the airport on the Light Rail. As mentioned in other reviews the heating and cooling system is not great, but I was comfortable. The hotel is old but my room was clean. The bathtub could use updating. The cafe downstairs was supposed to be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner but was only open for breakfast. The breakfast was excellent and very reasonable. The lounge upstairs had a beautiful view of Portland. The dinner on the top floor restaurant and lounge was decent (on a cold and rainy night when I didn't want to go out). The staff at desk was so helpful. The girl that checked me in remembered my name a couple days later (they were full when I was there). The staff were great about recommendations for restaurants. They also arranged for transportation to the airport at 4:00 am, he was cheaper than taxi and right on time.

The hotel was very clean and the staff were great. For an old hotel, I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. The bar on the top floor had a nice view and atmosphere.

The internet service was extremely slow, but that was really my only complaint.

There is a train station in front of the hotel. Since the hotel is in the free zone, it was easy to take the train across the river at night to enjoy the fun nightlife of Portland. That area is a little seedy so I would not want to stay there.