The Duniway Portland Hotel Review: A Boutique Hilton in Downtown

Situated in the heart of downtown Portland, Oregon, The Duniway is a Hilton hotel that offers travelers a relatively upscale boutique hotel atmosphere in a great location.

A short walk from many of the city’s most popular attractions, venues, restaurants and coffee shops, it’s a compelling option for guests looking to book a stay at a more locally-inspired hotel in the Hilton portfolio — after all, it’s named after Portland suffragist Abigail Scott Duniway.

Location

The Duniway sits at the corner of SW Taylor Street and SW 6th Avenue in Portland.

The feel around the hotel is a distinct city vibe, with nearby urban squares, tall buildings and Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) light rail trains quietly rumbling by every so often.

Staying here, you’ll be steps from a local winery’s tasting room, a short stroll from coffee shops and restaurants and an easy walk to popular gathering spots like the Arlene Schnizter Concert Hall (0.2 miles) and the Portland Art Museum (0.3 miles).

Pioneer Courthouse Square, shown above, is just over a block away from the property.

The hotel is located on the west side of the Willamette River. If you want to reach the Oregon Convention Center, on the opposite bank, it’s a short drive.

» Learn more: The complete guide to earning Hilton Honors points

Design elements

When you walk into The Duniway, you’ll immediately encounter the contrast of dark brown wood and leather tones accented by pops of bright color.

You can relax or work at one of the many tables or leather chairs, or make your way to the Mayrose Lounge Bar, which features coffee from local Portland coffee roasters as well as a full complement of alcoholic beverages.

You’ll find Portland and Pacific Northwest-inspired imagery throughout the property.

» Learn more: Hilton Honors Elite Status: Your complete guide

Accomodations

The Duniway features a relatively traditional room layout that’s been modernized with smart touches and thoughtful design.

The focal point of the room is the 65-inch television integrated into a wooden floor-to-ceiling entertainment center.

The comfortable bed is flanked by attached nightstands, on which you’ll find USB charging ports and reading lamps.

Our room also offered a windowside loveseat and tables perfect for enjoying room service or getting some work done — although you might prefer the desk for the latter.

We were upgraded to a high-floor room thanks to our reservation with Fine Hotels & Resorts (and my Hilton Gold elite status), which gave us a view of downtown Portland.

The bathroom features a white marble vanity and single-use bath products (which is becoming more of a rarity these days) from Badgley Mischka.

Though we didn’t request one, we received an accessible room assignment. As such, the room offered a roll-in shower as well as a bench and hand-held shower head.

Finally, in an upgrade from more budget-oriented hotels — one that was appreciated by this coffee enthusiast — the room features Vittoria Coffee espresso machines.

» Learn more: Benefits of the Hilton Honors loyalty program

Food and beverage

Just off the lobby is the Mayrose restaurant, described by the property as an American brasserie that celebrates the progressive culture of Portland.

The restaurant has an open concept feel and, depending on the time of day, is filled with natural light.

Having booked our stay through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts, we made sure to eat here to take advantage of a $100 food and beverage property credit. After all, credits like that are a great way to offset the steep annual fees for carrying cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express. Terms apply.

» Learn more: Hilton credit cards — which one should you get?

Though we didn’t find any single dish to be especially memorable, the meal was perfectly enjoyable and the menu offers plenty of options, whether you’re hoping to sit down and make full use of a property credit like us or simply enjoy a meal without having to leave the hotel premises.

The highlight was definitely an appetizer — the seared gnocchi with pea puree and crispy prosciutto ($14).

We also found the charred brussels sprouts topped with a fried egg yolk, crispy onions and sherry vinegar ($13) to be a bit of a unique take on a dish you find at many restaurants these days.

Our bill came to $97 which, thanks to our dining credit, meant we only had to pay for the tip out of pocket.

Our AmEx booking also entitled us to a breakfast credit of $30 per person, per day.

The Mayrose was packed for breakfast and brunch and featured menu offerings like scrambled biscuit sliders ($13) and an A.M. Banh Mi sandwich ($13).

However, we decided to take advantage of a separate dining option the hotel offers: you can also use property credits and charge meals to your room at The Duniway’s sister hotel, the Hilton Portland Downtown, across the street.

There, you’ll find the restaurant Hop City in the lobby, which includes a market-style area and a sit-down dining room where you can order from an a la carte menu or visit the hot buffet.

My wife enjoyed her breakfast potatoes with an over-easy egg and aioli.

» Learn more: Hilton scraps free breakfast, but serves up a better alternative

Amenities

A highlight of The Duniway is Abigail’s Hideaway, a plant-filled courtyard on the 11th floor that provides an expansive outdoor area where guests can relax and get some fresh air.

There are several sofas underneath string lights, plus heaters for those cooler Pacific Northwest evenings.

Children might enjoy the giant chess board on the patio, which is open until 10 p.m. each night.

Just inside, the gym includes a Peloton bike (like most Hilton properties in the U.S.) in addition to other exercise equipment and cardio machines.

One room over, an indoor pool offers a place to go for a swim, though there’s not much room for lounging on the rather small pool deck.

» Learn more: Which is better, Hyatt or Hilton?

How to get there

Located in downtown Portland, travelers arriving by air will likely fly into Portland International Airport, which is about a 15-minute drive from the hotel, depending on traffic.

By rideshare, my wife’s Lyft to the airport cost around $35, though that price can, of course, fluctuate with supply and demand.

Departing later, I walked a block to catch the MAX Red Line to the airport for just $2.50. If I hadn’t run into construction delays and had to switch to a bus — which, to their credit, the hotel front desk warned me about — it would have been a pretty seamless (and inexpensive) trip.

If you’re traveling to Portland with a car or have a rental, parking at the hotel is a bit pricey, at $33 per night for self parking and $55 for valet service.

» Learn more: The best hotel credit cards right now

The Duniway hotel recapped

The Duniway puts guests in excellent proximity to all downtown Portland has to offer, and it offers a distinctly independent, un-corporate atmosphere — not unlike what you’d find at a Hilton Curio Collection-type property.

It also offers great value for American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts guests. Between a property credit and daily breakfast credits, my wife and I saved $220 during our two-night stay, while also getting access to complimentary premium Wi-FI and a guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout — which came in handy ahead of a red-eye flight back to the East Coast.

Terms apply.

(Top photo courtesy of Sean Cudahy)