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Sentinel Hotel in Portland, OR Review

Sentinel Hotel in Portland, OR Review

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I was lucky enough to get to go on a Moms-only trip to Portland, Oregon in March. We try to get away once a year and we chose Portland because it’s just 3 hours from our homes in the Seattle-area. We all have 3-year-olds, so it’s a comfortable distance. I started researching hotels immediately. Since one of the Moms in our group was super pregnant, we wanted to find somewhere centrally located (where we could walk to stuff) but that also offered food options in case we ended up just hanging at the hotel. And cleanliness was of highest priority.

After a lot of research and group input, we decided to try Sentinel Hotel which is ideally located in the heart of Portland’s city center, not far from the Pearl District and waterfront. In 2016, it was ranked #1 Best Hotel in the PNW by Conde Nast Traveler. Although Sentinel Hotel is a luxury hotel, the alternative spirit of Portland has permeated through their walls. Their extensive list of signature amenities include a pillow menu, pet services, and locally made Salt & Straw gourmet ice cream. They even have a number of beehives on their rooftop where BeeLocal produces artisanal, local honey.

Lather toiletries at Sentinel Hotel

They offered a great assortment of toiletries, including make-up remover and a shower cap.

Because we were on a Moms’ getaway, I paid close attention to amenities I look for when traveling. Usually, I’m disappointed with the toiletries as they usually just offer soap, shampoo/conditioner, and lotion. I was thrilled to see they also offered body wash (that actually smelled good), make-up remover (something I ALWAYS forget) and a shower cap (which makes my world so much better.)
Welcome menu at Sentinel

Welcome Menu from Sentinel in Portland, Oregon

Out of the three rooms we had, mine was the only one that had this menu card in it. Usually when I get into a hotel room, the first thing I do is look at the binder that has all the hotel info. I like to know what my options are. It’s cool how streamlined this was and really got to the point. I also feel like we should have tried out the Pillow Menu and ordered from Salt & Straw. However, we spent a lot of time out and about exploring Portland.

But, it’s definitely worth noting that we found some special items in the mini bar area. In 2/3 of the rooms, there were “Love Kits” featuring personal massagers. This was the first time I’ve seen something like that in a hotel mini bar and we thought it was hysterical!

Lobby of Sentinel Hotel

Between the lobby and the restaurant were little seated areas hidden away.

What’s Awesome About Sentinel Hotel:

  • The lobby is gorgeous and offers complimentary Smith Teamaker iced tea and citrus water.
  • The rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated.
  • They offer make-up remover and bathrobes. I mean, does it get any better than that?
  • Earplugs are available at the front desk.
  • The beds have extra blankets and comforter and they are super comfortable.
  • They have free wifi in the room (and you don’t need to enter a password.)
  • Sentinel has an on-site restaurant and a full Starbucks where they brew using the Clover machine.
  • They also have a nightclub at the hotel. My friends went and said it was great to walk through and remember what it was like to be young, and then feel grateful that we are no longer that young 🙂
  • The location was ideal for us. Easy to walk to shopping, a multitude of restaurants and just steps away from the amazing Comma wine bar + nail salon.
Sentinel in Portland, OR

Even with the lamp on, the room felt very dark in the evening.

Sentinel Hotel’s Not-So-Great Features:

  • Their overnight parking is $43. I found cheaper parking down the street but it wasn’t clear if I could park overnight (thankfully the valet staff were super helpful.)
  • They have a club downstairs which can be heard throughout the hotel (if you don’t wear earplugs.)
  • While the hotel itself was mostly quiet, the birds outside were not. My friend Lisa put it best, “I think someone gets up at 5:00 am every day to feed 7,000,000 birds across the street from the hotel.”
  • No pay-per-view movies.
  • The room felt a bit dark at night because there are only 2 lamps in the room.
  • The glasses didn’t look very clean.
  • Their Starbucks was supposed to serve beer, wine and savory snacks from 4pm on, but they said they were no longer doing that.

Sentinel in Portland, OR

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Sara

Saturday 13th of May 2017

I like the attention to detail and the decor in the rooms. I also really like the hidden seated areas, so cool! Thanks for sharing an honest review.

marciecheung

Sunday 14th of May 2017

I think honesty is important when it comes to hotel reviews!

Rachel

Thursday 11th of May 2017

This looks like a great place! We would love to visit Portland again. We had so much fun there.

Vera

Thursday 11th of May 2017

This hotel looks very neat. I am really enjoying your blog posts. I am inspired to travel more with my family!

Toughcookiemommy

Thursday 11th of May 2017

This hotel looks really clean and comfortable. Those are things that I definitely look for when I am traveling away from home.

Lydia

Thursday 11th of May 2017

I have been thinking of moving to Portland. I think it's such a cute city! These hotel looks so great, if I visit I will definitely be checking this hotel out.

marciecheung

Thursday 11th of May 2017

It's an awesome place!

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