Media Update: March 2008

Greetings from Portland, Oregon. Below is an update on the area’s newest travel-related developments. We hope you will find this information useful. If you prefer not to receive future media updates on Portland, please click here.

MARCH TOPICS

Hotel News – Portland’s Hotel Modera to Open this June

Green News – New Downtown Park Replaces Parking Lot

More Hotel News – Hotel Fifty Transforms Existing Property

Portland’s Hotel Modera to Open this June

Hotel Modera, an upscale boutique property, will open in downtown Portland in June. The new hotel is actually the transformation of the old Portland Inn City Center, which is undergoing a massive multimillion-dollar renovation. Embracing the mid-century style of the original building, the hotel will feature a clean, retro-modern design complemented by warm earth tones and an expansive courtyard. The Modera intends to offer first-class service and amenities that will appeal to both business and leisure travelers. Currently, rates are proposed in the $149-$249 range, depending upon season and general downtown room availability.

The five-story Hotel Modera has 174 rooms and suites and covers nearly a full city block. Its courtyard will feature fire pits, plenty of outdoor seating and a “living wall,” a wall planted with native vegetation in an unusual, vertical manner. The property borders TriMet’s new light rail line, which will open in September 2009. Dubbed the Green Line, this rail route will connect Portland’s historic Union Station (Amtrak) to Portland State University and beyond. TriMet has commissioned sculptor Michihiro Kosuge to install artwork along the transit line. This artwork will include three sculptures fronting the Modera’s courtyard.

The Hotel Modera is located at 515 S.W. Clay St., Portland, Ore. 97201. For more information, call 503.221.1611 or visit www.hotelmodera.com.

Media Contact:

Kate Ottum, P.R. representative for Hotel Modera, 503.241.1124, kate@coateskokes.com

Downtown Park Replaces Parking Lot

In Portland, it’s asphalt that’s ending up on the endangered species list. The city, which had previously removed one parking area to build the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, as well as ripped out a freeway to make room for Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, has now eliminated another downtown parking lot in favor of adding greenspace. On Jan. 31, Portland Parks and Recreation broke ground on what is currently called South Park Block 5. What was once an aboveground parking lot will become a splendid urban plaza by spring 2009.

Located on Southwest Park Avenue between Taylor and Yamhill streets, South Park Block 5 is just one block from Pioneer Courthouse Square and across the street from the Paramount Hotel. When completed, the park will feature a café with a covered seating area, an amphitheater and a fountain with ankle-deep water perfect for wading. The park will take on its formal name later this year, when the anonymous donor who helped to finance the park proposes a name (subject to public approval).

And just in case you’re feeling sorry for all those lost parking spaces, don’t worry. Hidden beneath the park is a brand-new six-floor parking structure.

Media Contact:

Beth Sorensen, Portland Parks & Recreation, 503.823.5300, beth.sorensen@ci.portland.or.us

Hotel Fifty Transforms Existing Property

Hotel Fifty, an independent full-service boutique hotel, has opened in downtown Portland. The property was formerly the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel Downtown Portland and is currently undergoing a major renovation that will be finished in May 2008. Sonnenblick-Eichner Company, a real-estate banking firm specializing in commercial properties, arranged financing for the $7 million renovation and re-branding project, which includes a redesign of the hotel’s exterior, an upgrade of the restaurant and lounge, and a complete remodel of the guestrooms, bathrooms and common areas. When the renovation is done, the property will offer high-end residential-style accommodations for both business and leisure travelers. The 140-room hotel is entirely nonsmoking.

Situated conveniently on the MAX light rail line in downtown Portland, Hotel Fifty is across the street from the Willamette River and Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park – a major venue for festivals and a popular walking/jogging locale. The hotel, which will remain open during the renovation, is located at 50 S.W. Morrison St., Portland, Ore. 97204. For more information, call 503.221.0711 or visit www.hotelfifty.com.

Media Contact:

Christy Luther, P.R. representative for Hotel Fifty, 206.682.6979, christyl@richmondpr.com