The Society Hotel, Portland
Expert reviews
“This pretty hotel in the historic 1881 Mariners Building – originally a lodging house for sailors – has impeccable fashion sense. Options include dorms as well as private rooms. There’s a lively bar and rooftop deck, plus Wednesday wine tastings and drag bingo on Thursday. Some corner rooms have huge windows designed to catch sunlight.”
“This intimate new boutique hotel with simple, stylish, and affordable rooms just steps from Old Town nightlife and Lan Su Chinese Garden occupies an 1880s former boardinghouse for sailors and retains a quirky and colorful atmosphere.”
Featured as Fodor’s Choice in Portland.
“This is the best hotel deal in Portland and a place where you can enjoy a memorable stay in the heart of the city for a fraction of what you’d pay at a fancier hotel a few blocks away. Located in still-gritty Old Town/Chinatown, The Society Hotel occupies a late-19th-century building that was originally a hotel for sailors and later used as a Chinese dance hall.”
Featured as Frommer’s Exceptional Choice in Portland.
What guests liked
- Rooftop terrace
- Friendly staff
- Top location
- Excellent Wifi
All you need to know
The Society Hotel of Portland defines the history of the place. This place was once known as the sailor’s hotel which was then evolved to become the Society Hotel of Portland. Entering the lobby, you will experience the past and the future ambiance in there.
It is the home to all adventurous travelers from all across the world. During your stay at Society Hotel, you can enjoy meeting new people, have fresh food, and visit new parks and much more. This hotel guides you to the restaurants open during midnights allowing you to enjoy the nightlife of Portland.
Most of the travelers to Portland have the least information about the place. The Society Hotel has got your back. It helps you to explore the city without getting exhilarated. The hotel got standard deluxe rooms for you with all the modern amenities essential for luxury.
The standard rooms are an ideal accommodation for all guests. Some of the standard amenities in all rooms are a queen size bed, vanity, sink, bathrobes, towels, power sockets, earplugs, and rooftop access. Society Hotel also has King or Queen Suites for people looking for more comfort and luxury. Here you get a bigger bed, more space, and more privacy.
It has a rooftop venue for all your events. You need to make a prior booking to allow the Society hotel to host your event. The charges vary such as for the west side of the rooftop the cost is $200, for the east side, it is $100, and booking the entire rooftop costs $300.
Hotel deals & lowest price guarantee
We partner with Booking.com and Hotels.com. Both booking websites offer the lowest price guarantee so you can be certain you will always get the best deal for this hotel. If you have seen a better price elsewhere, all you need to do is contact the booking website and they will refund you the difference immediately. You can price match right up until the day before check-in.
Location
Recent guest reviews
Connor
15 October 2023
An overall amazing trip to portland.
The property was adorable, comfortable, and clean.
The location was rough, and a bit scary at times.
Cook
8 October 2023
Awesome staff and amazing customer service.
I love the rooftop terrace. We loved the little coffee shop when you walk in, and we loved the fire and seating by the coffee shop too
Location is a little sketchy. Downtown Portland isn’t the best area and there were tons of homeless people on drugs being wackos in the streets.
Fox
8 October 2023
Great stay at Society Hotel and will come stay again soon.
Inside is spectacular and the rooftop was my fave part. Great views of the city.
Mainly the location but can’t complain with how affordable it was.
Kurtis
6 October 2023
Fabulous
Attentive and friendly staff. Great rooftop patio.
Tracy
5 October 2023
A lovely hotel, but not in a good location.
The hotel was cute and the staff was super friendly. The rooms were small, but the bathrooms were very clean and nice.
The location was not good. It was so unfortunate because the hotel is nice and a good value.
Ashlee
3 October 2023
An affordable and convenient place to stay, with added perks.
The café downstairs is great for morning breakfast, food and drink both were timely and hand-done. Taking coffee up to the rooftop patio space offered views and atmosphere. The location of the hotel is also within comfortable walking distance of venues, shopping, and places to eat.
The mattress in the room had a depression on the edge that made it feel as if you were about to roll off if you got too close to the side. That said, it probably was a one-off that can be easily fixed.
Brand
3 October 2023
Comfortable central location
The property had a beautiful cafe with great coffee and the staff were amazing. The bed was comfortable and the facilities very clean given they were shared.
Room sizes are small and unfortunately the local neighbourhood is rife with homelessness and drug use so probably not a family friendly area to stay.
Alexis
30 September 2023
The Society Hotel
This was my second time staying here for my work trip (and I think I stayed in the same room, too!), but the front desk staff and the barista(s) were very friendly. Checking in and out is very easy; if anything is missed, they will be more than happy to assist you. I would love to stay here again if I should return to Portland for another work trip.
N/A
Richard
26 September 2023
We were there for a concert didn’t spend much time at the hotel, very easy to get to other parts of the town.
The location was close to a lot of things to do, very easy to get to on the max.
This is not the property’s fault, but it was surrounded by quite a few homeless people. 
Jessica
22 September 2023
Incredible staff and clean room in a bad neighbourhood
The hotel itself is 10/10 and the staff have been incredible. Friendliest people ever behind reception and shout-out to the bar keeper who is so passionate about what he does. Incredible people. Hotel was exactly what it said it would be online. Super clean bathrooms as well. Felt safe inside.
Even though location is super central.... Portland has a massive issue with homelessness and drug abuse on the street. Unfortunately the area where this hotel is has become specifically bad over the years. I did feel unsafe walking around even during the day. At night I didn't even try to go anywhere as there were just so many dodgy people Infront . This is not the fault of the hotel but rather the city of Portland making sure more and more businesses are disappearing locally. Sad to see.
Mari
22 September 2023
Very good
The hotel is great, friendly staff, lovely little cafe and a rooftop terrace! Room was small but comfy.
The area of Chinatown it's in is definitely still recovering post-pandemic. So not a fault of the hotel per say, and it's still very centrally located to public transport or walking/quick taxi distance to anywhere else in Portland that has a bit more going on. We particularly enjoyed the waterfront :)
Isabel
19 September 2023
Very good
Very clean, friendly and helpful staff
Wish there had been a mini fridge to put leftover food
Emilio
15 September 2023
.
Everything
the only bad stuff is the worsening situation in downtown pdx :(
Samsel
10 September 2023
Great place. Bad neighborhood.
Price and bed was comfortable, nice staff and clean.
The location. Too many homeless out front and didny feel comfortable leaving car outside overnight.
Mark
5 September 2023
Very good
The hotel is very nice. The atmosphere is chill and the customer service was great. The restaurant is also very good. great drinks and good food.
Only a couple of things on the list. The lactation could be cool if it wasn't for all of the homeless population. Did not make my wife very comfortable walking around. This is not a fault of the hotel but still a bummer. The only other thing was that there was no television. I thought there would be. Not a big deal but was a little bit of a bummer.
Damon
5 September 2023
Fabulous
Location was very convenient to the river walk and nightlife. Staff was always polite and helpful. Shared bathrooms were not an issue for me being that they are private individual batrooms and we're exceptionally clean.
I was glad to know in advance that the room isn't much bigger than the bed but it wasn't an issue once I realized that my luggage would fit under the bed.Also good to know in advance that Portland has a large homeless population and be prepared to encounter them as part of the overall experience.
Karla
25 August 2023
Short and sweet.
The shared bathrooms were unexpectedly convenient for my friend and I. Saved us time on waiting to use the bathroom and get ready.
The location isn’t the best, a lot of homeless community around the area.
Ian
23 August 2023
Good value, historic hotel in the heart of Old Town. Beautiful roof top terrace.
A period historic hotel in the heart of Old Town with a wonderful roof top terrace. In-house bar offers a range of tap beers and cocktails and breakfast is available in the mornings. The shared bathrooms are clean and very well-maintained.
The standard rooms are rather small and have no seat or desk which makes it difficult to work. Through no fault of its own, this centrally-located and historic hotel has found itself in the middle of a "zombie apocalypse" with drug addicts roaming and polluting the streets in the immediate environment. The hotel has had to respond by closely monitoring entry in order to preserve a safe environment. It is such a pity because this hotel used to be in a wonderfully vibrant location, but until Portland fixes its drug problem this will remain an undesirable neighbourhood.
Mickymse
23 August 2023
Affordable and comfortable place in the heart of many of the places you'll want to go to in Portland
What a perfect location to access gay clubs or Chinatown or music clubs or plenty of other attractions -- and close to major roads and the train station!
It's an old building, so the rooms are small and you might be sharing a restroom. If you're driving, parking takes a little bit of effort to keep an eye on the restrictions on street parking or find a lot. Know what's important to you. These weren't problems for us.
Mothgirl
18 August 2023
Clean, minimalist rooms on a budget
The perfect stay for someone who is looking for a simple room on a budget. Feels much nicer and cleaner than booking a chain motel. The hotel is very clean and minimalist. The air in the rooms was cool and comfortable even with the temperature in the 90s. It also seemed very fresh and well-circulated (I hate stuffy/dusty smelling rooms.) The front desk staff was very friendly, although the employee working at the Society Cafe seemed annoyed and rushed (despite me being one of only two people in line).
No dedicated parking. I didn't expect a fridge, but they didn't even have ice buckets for guests to cool drinks. And lastly... this is nothing against the hotel itself, but travelers should know that this location in Portland has a dense population of people living outside. A few years ago, there used to be a bar and taco place right next door. Now these businesses are boarded up and people camp out front. Just loading your luggage, you might have to step over someone laying on the sidewalk. If you're used to Portland and Seattle city life, it won't faze you, but be aware that this hotel is definitely in the hotspot.
Abigail
14 August 2023
Fabulous
Love this property! Fun building, comfortable accommodation, friendly staff, rooftop and coffee shop downstairs are a fun bonus. I love the concept of the different room types (bunk, private, etc). Communal bathrooms were clean and I loved our room.
Unfortunately parking in the area is dangerous. All hotel staff told us to take everything out of the car or it would certainly be burgled. There is constant security outside which suggests…lack of safety. I wouldn’t feel comfortable walking around alone at night in this neighborhood at this time.
Jemma
9 August 2023
Lovely stay
Extremely friendly and helpful receptionist at check in. Good value for money for a one night stay in Portland.
Barry
9 August 2023
Peaceful and simple.
The hotel met every expectation for a lodging of its type: safe, clean, simple. The public areas were nice: lobby, cafe, rooftop deck. The staff were exceptionally helpful and friendly. Very cool and trendy in countless ways.
The neighborhood is a bit dicey but fine if you approach it with both caution and confidence. It’s a city.
Isaksson
4 August 2023
I liked it very much.
The hotel itself and its staff were great. They were very helpful with information and service. Its close proximity to the tram makes it very easy to visit all kinds of places in Portland.
Although the neighborhood is the old town/chinatown with plenty of charm and history, this part of town had many homeless and drug users which could make it feel a bit unsafe to walk around after dark. This is NOT a reflection of the hotel, which was great.
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
- - Snack bar
- - Special diet menus (on request)
- - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
- - Fruits (additional charge)
- - Coffee house on site
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
- - Fax/photocopying (additional charge)
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out
- - Tour desk
- - Luggage storage
- - Concierge service
- - Lockers
- - Invoice provided
Outdoors
- - Terrace
- - Sun terrace
- - Outdoor furniture
General
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Family rooms
- - Lift
- - Safety deposit box
- - Heating
- - Allergy-free room
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
Cleaning services
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
Transport
- - Public transport tickets (additional charge)
Accessibility
- - Wheelchair accessible
- - Toilet with grab rails
- - Visual aids: Braille
- - Visual aids: Tactile signs
Activities
- - Temporary art galleries (additional charge)
- - Pub crawls (additional charge)
- - Stand-up comedy (additional charge)
- - Walking tours
- - Bike tours (additional charge)
- - Happy hour (additional charge)
- - Cooking class (additional charge)
- - Live music/performance (additional charge)
- - Live sport events (broadcast)
Miscellaneous
- - Key access
- - Key card access
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Breakfast takeaway containers
- - Delivered food is securely covered
- - Access to health care professionals
- - Face masks for guests available
Sydney
15 October 2023
Next time I’m in Portland, I plan to stay again!