Portland (Oregon): The Governor Hotel (4 Star Hotel)

0.3 business

Address: 614 sw 11th ave , Portland 97205, United states

Lonely Planet review

  • Danny Palmerlee
  • Lonely Planet author
At first glance, The Governor appears a rather staid business hotel. But the more you look, the more history you see, making it clear this is some place special. Best of all, Jake's Grill (the house restaurant), is home to one of Portland's best happy hours and oozes some of the finest old-school charm downtown.

The Governor opened as the Seward Hotel in 1909. Part of today's hotel was the Elks Lodge, built adjacent to the original hotel in 1922 but abandoned with the onset of the Great Depression. There are two giant ballrooms, and two walls of Jake's Grill are covered in beautiful old murals depicting the adventures of Lewis and Clark. The rooms are classy, if not standard (in that first-class hotel sort of way). The staff is extremely friendly, and, if you ask the right person, you'll likely get a personal tour of the hotel - ask to see the Heritage Ballroom! In short, the rooms are strictly business class (and extremely comfy), but the history gives it a sense of originality. If that's not enough, just rest happily on the fact that this is, indeed, the hotel where Keanu Reeves riffed on Shakespeare's 'Henry IV' in My Own Private Idaho.

Hotels & hostels home

Hotels & hostels in Portland (Oregon)

Need help?

Author pick

Atmosphere: Elegant and Busy

Check-in / Check-out Earliest check-in: 4:00 PM
Latest check-out time: 12:00 PM