Northeast Portland

Under $50

A historic saloon and hotel located near the foot of the Fremont Bridge in a gentrifying industrial neighborhood, McMenamins White Eagle (836 N. Russell St., 503/335-8900 or 866/271-3377, www.mcmenamins.com [1], from $45, free parking) is one of the best lodging deals in town. The 11 sparsely furnished but comfortable rooms share two toilets and two showers, European style, and they’re all named after tunes by the Holy Modal Rounders, the cult folk duo that was in residence here for a while in the mid-1970s. Downstairs, the saloon features a huge oak bar and ceramic floor. It has been cleaned up since its much seedier days; even the ghosts said to have haunted the place haven’t been reported for years. There’s also a stage, and there’s the rub if you’re only here for the accommodation: It’s loud until at least midnight. Earplugs are available for free.

$50–100

Just across the street from the Oregon Convention Center [2] and immediately on the MAX line, the Red Lion Hotel Portland Convention Center (1021 NE Grand Ave., 503/235-2100 or 800/343-1822, www.redlion.com [3], $79 and up, parking $10) has newly redecorated rooms with free wireless Internet access, voicemail phones, refrigerators, and coffeemakers. Facilities include two restaurants, with the rooftop Windows Lounge a popular spot for drinks and appetizers overlooking Portland [4].

Another good choice in this neighborhood is La Quinta Inn Portland Convention Center (431 NE Multnomah St., 503/233-7933 or 800/531-5900, www.lq.com [5], $79 and up, free parking), which offers a 24-hour indoor pool, a fitness center, and complimentary continental breakfast. All rooms come with a coffeemaker, hair dryer, and free high-speed Internet access.

After a $3 million renovation in 2008, the Crowne Plaza Hotel Portland (1441 NE 2nd Ave., 503/233-2401 or 888 444 0401, www.crowneplaza.com [6], $89 and up, parking $10) now offers upscale rooms in addition to its excellent location near (but not on) the MAX line and other major Northeast Portland arterials. In a quiet corner of this busy neighborhood, the nine-story Crowne Plaza also has good views from the upper floors. Newly redecorated guest rooms are large and have microwaves, mini-fridges, and irons, while the suites have kitchenettes. Facilities include a beautiful indoor pool and fitness center, plus a restaurant and bar.

$100–150

For something completely different, Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd Ave., 503/249-3983 or 888/249-3983, www.kennedyschool.com [7], $109 and up, free parking) is an unusual McMenamins hotel in the Concordia neighborhood, about six miles northeast of downtown. The hotel is set in an old elementary school that has been transformed into a brewpub, movie theater, restaurant, three small bars (including the Detention Lounge), and a concert venue. Madcap mosaics, carvings, and paintings festoon the hallways along with historic photos from the days when the building was a citadel of learning. Whimsically decorated and furnished with antiques, classrooms that have become guest rooms still have their chalkboards, but now they also have private bathrooms.

Three blocks north of the MAX line is Courtyard by Marriott Lloyd Center (435 Wasco St., 503/234-3200 or 800/321-2211, $139 and up, parking $12), with an indoor pool and fitness area, a restaurant, and guest rooms with a coffeemaker, a refrigerator, premium cable, and an iron.

The historic Irvington neighborhood north of Lloyd Center has several fine B&Bs. The opulent White House Bed and Breakfast (1914 NE 22nd Ave., 503/287-7131 or 800/287-7131, www.portlandswhitehouse.com [8], $125 and up) gives you the presidential treatment. Located just off Broadway near an avenue of shops and restaurants and only 5–10 minutes from Lloyd Center and downtown, this lovingly restored 1912 lumber baron’s mansion is one of the city’s top B&Bs. It really does look like its namesake in D.C.

The landmark Lion and the Rose Victorian Bed and Breakfast Inn (1810 NE 15th Ave., 503/287-9245 or 800/955-1647, www.lionrose.com [9], $134 and up) is a 1906 Queen Anne mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The six guest rooms, all with private baths, are each unique, and although they are charming in an authentically Victorian way they’re also up-to-date, with air-conditioning, telephones, cable TV, and high-speed wireless Internet access. The parlors and dining room are comfortable, spacious, and decorated in period furnishings.

Across from Lloyd Center shopping mall and right on the MAX line is one of Portland [4]’s largest hotels, Doubletree Hotel Lloyd Center (1000 NE Multnomah St., 503/281-6111 or 800/996-0510, www.doubletree.com [10], $129 and up, parking $20). The Doubletree is a full-service hotel with two restaurants, a lounge, a fitness room and indoor pool, room service, and convention facilities. The large well-decorated guest rooms have balconies, high-speed Internet access, coffeemakers, and irons.