Some historic, some swanky & some downright quirky, here’s our picks for the best hotels for families visiting Portland.
Hip shops, acclaimed restaurants, prolific street art, and a famous book store. Portland is that and so much more.
An increase in tourists to Portland means there are more hotel choices. Portland’s downtown is easily walkable. When it’s not, public transportation is readily available.
Not sure where to stay when you visit? Here’s our list of Top 10 Stays in Portland, Oregon.
1. WorldMark Portland-Waterfront Park
221 SW Naito Parkway, Downtown
Consider WorldMark Portland-Waterfront Park as your home away from home. This resort in the Skidmore-Old Town Historic District features spacious condo-style living, complete with a fully equipped kitchen. If it’s nice outside, dine al fresco utilizing one of two barbeques on site. Don’t feel like cooking? You’ll find Portland’s famed food carts just blocks away. The resort’s location is ideal – close to Waterfront Park, Portland Saturday Market, Voodoo Doughnut, and public transportation. At night, grab a cookie (or two) at the concierge desk and test your skills at tabletop shuffle board in the lobby. Your kids will love it! Starts at $249/night.
KidTripster Tip: Voodoo isn’t the only donut game in town. Take the Underground Donut Tour, one of our top 10 things to do in Portland with kids to find more sweet treats.
2. KEX Portland
100 NE MLK Boulevard., Northeast Portland
An interesting addition to Portland’s hotel scene is KEX. The first U.S. hotel by KEX Iceland opened in late 2019. The hotel is located in a 1912 apartment building, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The design is eclectic, and makes great use of found objects and recycled materials.
KEX makes it possible for a larger family to share a room. The family rooms sleep six – between a Queen bed and two sets of bunk beds. The rooms are clean and spacious, but simple. The furnishings and details are a mix of vintage, industrial, and modern.
KEX Portland is located just outside of Downtown, in a fast-growing area referred to as the Central Eastside. Whereas it used to be very industrial, this area’s now bustling with mixed-use housing, retail spaces, and restaurants.
This hotel works well for families on the go. Its proximity to Portland’s downtown, quirky neighborhoods, and the city’s freeway system makes getting around easy. If you don’t have a car, you have easy access to the public train and bus system. Downtown is about a 10-minute walk, just over the Burnside Bridge.
KEX has something else a family might appreciate, a kitchen space. A shared kitchen is located in the basement allowing you to cook meals and store food in the hotel fridge. Dottir is the on-site restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu is a mix of Nordic and Northwest.
Family rooms start at around $165 without a private bathroom, to $210 for a room with an ensuite bathroom. If staying in a room without an ensuite bathroom, restrooms are located just down the hallway. If traveling with a larger group or extended family, the hotel also offers an 8-room bunk room with a private ensuite bathroom
3. Hotel Monaco Portland
506 SW Washington Street, Downtown
Well-located in downtown, Monaco Hotel offers suites with separate bedrooms and a living room with a sleeper sofa. The hotel hosts a nightly, kid-friendly happy hour with complimentary wine and beer for parents and Italian sodas, hot cocoa, and seasonal goodies for kids. Kids love the resident Director of Pet Relations, a Golden Retriever named Dakota. And, if your child wants to take care of his or her own pet during the stay, request a goldfish as part of the hotel’s Guppy Love program. Starts at $165/night.
As an alternative, try Hotel Vintage Portland (422 SW Broadway, Downtown), another Kimpton property. Hotel Vintage has great room layouts for families. The Skyloft rooms are visually stunning, but the specialty suites are even better with either a sleeper sofa or separate bedroom. As part of its $16-million renovation, the hotel added a game lounge, complete with shuffleboard, billiards, and TVs with gaming consoles. Some floors have computers set up with the Oregon Trail game along with board games like Connect Four and Jenga. Parents can enjoy complimentary wine tastings, and everyone can enjoy free use of bikes. Starts at $164/night.
4. Inn at Northrup Station
2025 NW Northrup Street, Northwest Portland
It’s like staying in a candy store where the decor – vibrant, cheery, and whimsical – matches the jars of complimentary salt water taffy and Starbursts in the lobby. Inn at Northrup Station offers perfect rooms with full kitchens for families. There’s a free breakfast (fresh waffles!), free streetcar passes, and a rooftop terrace for relaxing. Steps from the hotel, you’ll find the trendy neighborhood of Nob Hill with the city’s most popular boutiques and restaurants. Starts at $142/night.
KidTripster Tip: Enjoy dinner at Marrakesh, just one block away where you sit on pillows and poofs while enjoying authentic Moroccan fare and belly dancing.
KidTripster Tip: The rumors are true, it rains a lot in Portland. Looking to escape the drizzle while letting your kids get some energy out? Take a short walk to PlayDate PDX. Located just a few blocks from the hotel, this a large indoor play area that has fun spaces for both younger and older children. Parents can grab a seat at a table or couch while the kids play. Order yourself an espresso – or something stronger (like a pint of local craft beer or a glass wine). The food is decent, too. One more tip, be sure to wear socks. They’re required in the play area!
5. McMenamins Kennedy School
5736 NE 33rd Avenue, Northeast Portland
How many kids can say they’ve slept overnight in a school? Originally built in 1915, the converted elementary school is situated in the hip Alberta neighborhood. Rooms are large; some have the original blackboards and coat closets. The McMenamins Kennedy School also has an outdoor salt water soaking pool (open to the general public, as well), multiple restaurants, an on-site brewery, and a movie theater that shows second-run movies nightly. Family films are offered most afternoons. Grab yourself a seat on a comfy couch or armchair. Popcorn isn’t the only thing served at the theater. The full pub menu is available to order. For the quintessential McMenamins dining experience, we recommend the Captain Neon burger with a side of Cajun tots and a pint of Ruby. Food is delivered right to your theater seat. Rooms start at $135/night.
KidTripster Tip: Stay in the older part of the school for a more authentic experience.
Venture out to the Alberta Arts District located on Northeast Alberta street, not far from Kennedy School. This stretch of street is lined with shops and restaurants. Here you’ll find well-known Portland eats and treats, beloved by locals and tourists alike. Grab a meal at Tin Shed or Pine State Biscuits and follow it up with ice cream for dessert from Salt & Straw. While on Alberta, be sure to visit Green Bean Books, a children’s bookstore, bustling with great reads and gift items.
You can also opt to grab a bite at two other popular NE Portland eateries. Hat Yai, serving food from Southern Thailand, or Podnah’s Pit, dishing Texas style barbecue, are both are located on NE Killingsworth.
6. Residence Inn Portland Downtown Pearl District
1150 NW 9th Avenue, Northwest Portland
You can’t miss this bright yellow hotel situated in the Pearl District just over the bridge from the Moda Center. Rooms are spacious with living rooms and kitchens but avoid those on the railway side of the hotel. Breakfast is free with lots of choices. Residence Inn is pet-friendly and has an indoor pool. Starts at $219/night.
KidTripster Tip: Skip the valet and use the self-park garage around the corner.
This area is bustling with shops and restaurants. In the summer, Jamison Square is a popular hangout spot for kids. The City of Portland turns the water fountains on during the summer months. It’s a fun place for kids to splash and play. Just a few blocks away is The Fields Park, a newer Portland park with a fun playground and pretty views of the city.
7. RiverPlace Hotel
1510 SW Harbor Way, Downtown
RiverPlace Hotel is one of the city’s only waterfront hotels and sits adjacent to a city park, which the hotel encourages guests to take full advantage of with kites and Frisbees available for use. It also has a bunch of kid-friendly amenities from a Bedtime Butler – who makes nightly rounds with a cart of treats for kids and nightcaps for adults – to adorable kid-sized tents for indoor campouts. Starts at $188/night.
Be sure to take a stroll along Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park. During the spring, the park turns pink with beautiful cherry blossoms. Waterfront Park stretches 1.5 miles along the Willamette River. It’s the site of many popular annual festivals like the Portland Rose Festival CityFair, the Waterfront Blues Fest, the Oregon Brewers Festival and many other events.
8. The Nines
525 SW Morrison Street, Downtown
This chic hotel is a good choice for hard-to-please teenagers, though it does welcome younger kids with coloring books and mason jars filled with candy. The centrally-located property has great access to shopping and public transportation including MAX Light Rail and the Portland Streetcar. The Nines is home to two of Portland’s top restaurants, Urban Farmer and Departure, better suited to a parents’ date night. Starts at $260/night.
The hotel is located in the Downtown Portland shopping district. Brands like Apple, Nike, Sephora and Nordstrom all have shops within just a few blocks of The Nines. In need of a break from the rain? Pop into Pioneer Place Mall, where you’ll find dozens of name brand stores, as well as a movie theater and bowling alley. We also recommend checking out MUJI, located just below the hotel. Mujirushi Ryohin, or MUJI in Japanese, translates as “no-brand quality goods.” You’ll find everything from rice cookers to stationery here. It’s a fun place to look around. Try some of the Japanese treats and pastries.
9. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Portland-NW Downtown
2333 NW Vaughan Street, Northwest Portland
Don’t be put off by this budget hotel’s location when you drive up. Though just off the highway, Holiday Inn Express is actually within walking distance to great restaurants and cool shops in the popular Nob Hill neighborhood. It’s also a three-minute walk to a Portland Streetcar stop. The hotel has a small pool, free parking, free WiFi, and free breakfast with warm cinnamon rolls. Starts at $149/night.
10. Timberline Lodge
27500 E Timberline Road, Government Camp
Ok, this historic lodge is not in Portland, but it’s worth the 1 -1/2-hour drive to the top of Mount Hood to stay here. Dedicated in 1937 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Timberline Lodge offers rustic elegance with fireplaces and original wood furnishings in each room. Book one of the chalet-style bunk rooms for large families or groups. Watch the in-room video about the lodge and then go hunting for the many wood carvings throughout the property. Afterwards, take a dip in the year-round, outdoor heated pool. You can hike in the summer and ski in the winter (though it is possible for experienced skiers and boarders to hit the slopes during the summer months, as well). And make sure to say “hello” to Heidi and Bruno, the resident St. Bernards. Starts at $185/night.
KidTripster Tip: Ask about booking a hike with one of the dogs when you reserve your room.
KidTripster Tip: Treat yourself to a delicious meal, full of Northwest flavor, in the lodge’s Cascade Dining Room. Children 11 and under eat free off of the Kid’s Menu during the first hour of dinner service.
KidTripster Tip: Are you a fan of the movie The Shining? The exterior of Timberline was featured in the movie, although it was called The Overlook Hotel. You can borrow an axe from the hotel lobby and take a creepy photo aka Jack Nicholson. “Here’s Johnny” is engraved on the axe. This activity is better suited to adults!
For Top 10 Things to Do in Portland, click here.
For Top 10 Eats in Portland, click here.
Editor’s Note: Holly Thiel and KyAnn Lewis also contributed to this story.
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