What to expect: Travelers choose the Avalon to be just outside of the downtown area. The hotel’s urban resort setting two miles from downtown Portland allows guests to visit the spa, walk along the river, or relax in a velvet sofa by the lobby fireplace after a day of meetings, shopping, or touring. The smoke-free environment adds to the hotel’s healthy allure.

Amenity highlights: Complimentary Town Car service is offered to downtown Portland (subject to availability). Guests have complimentary access to the fitness center at Spa Chakra. The spa offers more than 60 health and beauty treatments including Shiatsu and Reiki.

A daily complimentary Continental breakfast is served on each guestroom floor. Lunch and dinner are available at Aquariva Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar. Wireless Internet access is complimentary throughout.

Insider tip: Operating since 1974, the Portland Saturday Market offers musical performances, an internatonal food court, and works by local artists. The market is open from March through December 24th—not just on Saturdays, but on Sundays also—from mid-morning to late afternoon. You'll find it under the Burnside Bridge between SW Naito Pkwy and SW First Ave.

What to expect: This all-suite property, once the grand Multnomah Hotel, has been restored to its 1912 elegance, with ornate lobby, marble staircase, gold-leafed columns, and crystal chandeliers. The clientele is a mix of businesspeople, leisure travelers, and families who enjoy the downtown location, large suites, and budget-stretching amenities.

Amenity highlights: The hotel offers complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast every morning and a two-hour manager's reception with bar beverages and snacks every night. Both events are held in the hotel's lower-level Arcadian Gardens plaza, which has a fountain, murals, grand staircase, and game room. The hotel has a fitness room and indoor pool with sauna and spa tub.

Insider tip: When this building was the Multnomah Hotel, guests included everyone from Elvis, Charles Lindbergh, James Stewart, and Joan Crawford to United States presidents and foreign dignitaries such as Queen Marie of Romania. A book documenting the hotel's early days is provided in each room and the lobby features an exhibit of hotel memorabilia.