The rooms don’t have all the fashionista frou-frou of downtown’s smaller boutique hotels, or the restrained elegance of the Benson, but when you enter the lobby of this enormous hotel—with its intricate columns, gilding, and plasterwork— you know you have entered someplace special. Built in 1912 as the Multnomah Hotel, it was one of Portland’s grandest of grand hotels. Since 1995 it’s been the Embassy Suites, one of only two Embassy Suites properties in the U.S. to occupy a historic building. With its moderate prices, generously sized rooms, indoor pool, and complimentary hot breakfast, this is a great hotel choice for families. And the grown-ups can enjoy an evening cocktail hour with a full bar—something I haven’t encountered in any other local hotel. All of the rooms were completely refurbished in 2014 and feature big windows that guests can open, always a plus for me, with some nice city views that aren’t found in other downtown hotels. The downtown location, free Wi-Fi, big exercise room, and historic pizazz of the place are added bonuses.