Benson Hotel   

309 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
503-228-2000
www.bensonhotel.com

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If it's true that the character of a city changes with the vantage from which you view it, then Portland's streetscape seen from a penthouse suite of downtown's fabulous Benson Hotel looks like a city on another planet. The sheer opulence of the Benson, from its priceless, Circassian walnut-finished lobby to the kingly furnishings of its top-shelf suites (fireplaces, baby grand pianos) make a night here a getaway in itself; it's no wonder that this is where ex-president Clinton stayed when visiting Portland. Like many of the city's best digs, the Benson's restaurant is almost as renowned as the hotel itself and regularly patronized by non-guests looking for a gourmet meal; if you want to sample chef Xavier Bauser's award-winning international cuisine, you'll have to make a reservation. The Benson has plenty of amenities that don't require reservations, though, like its Executive Exercise Room, fully stocked private bars in many rooms, nightly live jazz in its Lobby Court Bar and afternoon tea and cookies by the lobby's fireplace. Even if you choose not to spend a fortune on one of the hotel's panoramic-view penthouses, a night here will surely be a luxurious enough departure from your daily routine to give you a fresh, new perspective on things -- and what more do we ask from weekend getaways?