The Society Hotel

Score a point for crowdsourcing. Yelp led us here for one night in Portland and we couldn't have been happier. High marks for service, value, and location. And while I can appreciate a Marriott, it's also fun to stay somewhere with all the amenities and no corporate feel.

Society registers as both a hotel as well as a hostel because while you can get your own standard room, you also can get a "bunk". We opted for a very European-style hybrid, our own room but with shared bathrooms. The room comes with your own private sink, but yeah, you have to step into the hallway for the toilet. Maybe not the preferred thing for anyone who frequently has to get up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom, but for us it was great. Choose your comfort level.

We saw at least three different people at the check-in desk, and each of them was friendly to a degree where it made me feel suspicious. (Am I being filmed?)

Some people surely balk about the neighborhood. Well situated in the urban core, you'll see no shortage of squatters and weirdos when you step out into the street. But you're also within a few steps of the train station, the river, the light rail, and everything walkable.

Don't miss the rooftop lounge. And grab a free postcard to send to Mom.

This is a great budget stay close to the heart of downtown Portland.

Like old buildings and all their character?
Enjoy unique and artsy decor?
Great staff who are friendly and helpful?
Comfortable beds and bedding?

Yes, let's just be real for a moment and acknowledge that this hotel sits in Old Town and the curb appeal has diminished significantly post-Covid. Not the hotels fault. And once you navigate a bit of garbage on the sidewalk, maybe skirt around a person or two reclining on their temporary campsite, and get past the 24/7 locked front door you're in a really quirky, fun and well taken care of hotel.

I've stayed here multiple times. I don't feel unsafe and I've parked my car on the street overnight and never had issues. I've walked from the hotel up to Powells and the Pearl District, again without any issues. So be adventurous! That's what life is all about.

First visit - quick stop in to check out the place. I think my spouse and I ended up grabbing a beverage and hanging out cause the lobby vibes are great. Feels more like a restaurant or cafe than a hotel lobby. It's a place you want to hang out.

Second visit - made a spa reservation to use the pools. It was pretty great. I'm a big fan of any soak and the space they've created is lovely and tranquil. There's hot, warm and cold pools, a sauna and a good amount of seating if you need a break. I never needed a break - I was in the water for two hours and loving it. They provide towels and fruit infused water.

We also had some snacks from the cafe and hung out in the lobby. The food was yummy and priced appropriately.

During my visit, def a few things stood out to me as room for improvement - when I checked in at front desk, they just handed me a key card. I didn't realize that I would be checking in at the spa desk when I got there. I also didn't know where to go. A little more explanation from the desk would have been helpful. When we went back to the desk later, the other staff person assumed we were local, so maybe that was it? So if you go, just know that you aren't actually getting "checked in" at the hotel front desk - they just give you access to the gated area where the spa is. Go past the front desk to the left, out the door and follow the path to the gate.

We got to the spa right after cleaning hour. I was joking that it was perfect timing and that I would have a really clean pool. Everything was really clean, but there were a TON of bubbles in the hot tub. My friend said it was probably due to soap in people's bathing suits. Maybe nothing to be done for that. I'd rather have bubbles than all the body oil and gunk I've seen in some other soaking pools.

Because we were among the first in for our hour, we got in quickly, but when we were done, the traffic jam caused by everyone's reservations starting and ending at the same time became apparent. There was a line for the showers and the locker room was packed with people coming and going. Since everyone is supposed to shower before their soak, this is a cluster-f! I know it's challenging with scheduling software, but staggered reservations are a must!

Now that I know how it works and where to go, it's really just an efficiency complaint, but I'll definitely be back. Hopefully an overnight next time!

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend the Society Hotel. While it is very cool on the inside - there's a comfortable and welcoming lobby/lounge where they serve beverages and they have a rooftop hang out, the surrounding area is full of homeless people doing their drugs out in the open and living in makeshift tents. For this reason, a lot of locals recommended not to walk around at night.

The rooms are basic, but clean, we had our own bathroom, the sink was in the same room as the bed - reminded me of a college dorm room. The concierges are very friendly and helpful. If you have a car, they do not recommend you park it in the street and instead, there's a parking lot a few blocks away, it cost $10 to park overnight. There are some cool hip, ultra Portland entertainment venues and food places nearby, but I will not be staying in this part of Portland if and when I come back.

Situated in Old Town, a delightful vintage & boutique accommodation quite thoughtfully preserved with just enough tasteful modern upkeeping & updating. It's square low-rise frame is modestly subdued yet more attention awaits you inside. Deep hues, dark tones, and bright contrasts intertwine its corridors. I really enjoyed the spacious lobby and the old-timey staircase with various historical pieces. The rooftop makes a nice getaway with a good shrubbery perimeter.

My floor's design was communal with shared bathrooms/showers on either side of the elevator. I had no issue with waiting and even if your floor was taken, you could just check a different floor. The hallways high & narrow; a quirky charm. My room was plain jane yet cozy with a sink in the corner. The window faced an interior opening so it just provided some ambient daylight. Small details throughout were nice touches, as well.

The front desk staff were cordial and friendly, even if the late night gentleman felt a bit deadpan in a unique way. The lobby fireplace section is a neat relaxing section and the corner café opposite the front desk helps round out the experience (I've yet to try it).

Overall, I'd definitely consider it for future economic lodging in charming vintage boutique style.

What a Trip, so we came to Portland for a show, and decided that staying the night would just be easier then driving back at the middle of the night. So after looking up local hotels that were near the venue I stumbled across "the society hotel" immediately I was very intrigued by the old architecture and combination of classic style with modern touches. I was not disappointed. There are Some things to know before you book:

The rooms are small ours just had a queen bed and a sink, so if your looking for fancy this might be a pass.

The bathroom is shared with a couple restrooms on each floor, with a standing shower. Again for some that might make this a pass.

There is no onsite parking, I didn't feel comfortable with that being as the neighborhood seemed a little rough. So we parked in the garage a few blocks away, it was only 10 bucks for over night on a Saturday/Sunday. If your not willing or able to walk a couple blocks there is street parking, but like I said that's a little sketchy.

So with that being known it might seem like I would give this a lower rating but surprisingly it is one of the cooler places I have ever stayed. The building has old school vibes and reminds me of a hostal sort of, but much nicer. The rooms were exceptionally clean and the beds comfortable. The price was extremely reasonable, and every single staff member was heartfelt and genuinely wanted to make our stay perfect. I love the added touch of personal text messages and the fact that you can text them back at any time with anything you need and they are right on top of it. For these reasons I would go back just to stay at this hotel. Thank you to the entire team for making our overnight stay wonderful.

Review is for the summer rooftop event Summer Sets at Society. While I try avoiding most downtown spaces, I couldn't resist a weekly rooftop event. You're given a drink ticket to take to the top which they're working to keep it separate. I came at the perfect sunset and was really happy with the chill vibes out here. While the space is limited, it made for a perfect spot to view the entire downtown skyline while listening to a DJ and talking with friends. A really ideal date spot, I'll be coming back for more Summer Sets through these rare nice summer days in Portland.

Met a friend for a drink in the lobby. Sketchy neighborhood but they kept the place locked so comfortable inside. Nice mellow atmosphere.

***** WARNING: DO NOT BOOK HERE! YOU WILL REGRET IT *****

A week ago when I booked this hotel, I knew it was going to be dicey because of its location. It's located in old town Portland and there's homeless everywhere.

I can deal with that; we live in Eugene and have slums here as well.

It was when I had difficulties calling the hotel.. great no services at this hotel - not even reception... that's when I knew we were going to have it hard with this place.

Fast forward 5 days, 13" of snow hits Portland in 48 hrs, taxis, Ubers and public transportation comes to a halt. Few Ubers and taxis running and everything else shuts down.

When we finally reach the front desk at 6:30am on the day of our trip? What could you expect when I asked for a credit? Nothing. Denied. Tough luck. "I only see a few inches and some services are still running."

How does this help us when you have STREET PARKING and snow plows throw snow all over the sides of the streets?

Wait. What about parking at the local private parking garage? Great. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO TRAVERSE THE 10 BLOCKS OF HOMELESS CAMPS THROUGH THE SNOW on foot? With no taxis or Ubers? Why would I want to subject my lady to that?!! Great a tour through homeless camps! You can't be serious! Why don't you provide a shuttle? That would have solved the problem. Nope. Your too much of a tight wad crappy business person.

What bothers me the most is they claim there's only "a few inches" when in fact there's a lot more. The Moda center was shut down as was the event we were going to attend. Why did they shut down the Rose Garden area? SNOW and icy roads you idiot.

Our local friends in Portland tell us there are Jack knifed big rigs blocking roads and city streets are nearly impossible due to ice.

But to the Society hotel? THEY COULD GIVE A SHIT LESS.

To make this worse, after being denied a credit to be used on a different day - they punished me for using the airBnB app.

Look. People want to find your business but if your too much of a tight wad to spend the time, money and energy to maintain those ads or relationships with apps like Priceline or Airbnb? What do you want from customers? There trying to reach you dummy!!!!

Great. Punish them for using these apps by not granting credits for weather related shut downs.

F this place!

***** WARNING: DO NOT BOOK HERE! YOU WILL REGRET IT *****

Wow what a find! Staying at the Society Hotel was a highlight of my trip to Portland. This was a fabulously affordable hotel ($89 per night for a private room; cheaper for the hostel bunk beds downstairs) that felt SO nice and upscale. I stayed in a private room with two shared bathrooms in my hallway, which was perfectly fine. I never had to wait to use the shower/bathroom. The rooms were minimalistic and bare but very comfortable. And the rooftop bar was AMAZING! Open until 2am for guests with gorgeous views of downtown. The location is great too--a little sketchy at night--but nearby so much, like the Lan Su Chinese Gardens and Waterfront Park. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of staying in this historic hotel. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!