Ramada by Wyndham Portland

We left less than an hour after checking in, taking our belongings with us, because the room was a health concern for my client and me. I’m her caregiver, and she is developmentally delayed, immunocompromised, and handicapped. The room smelled so strongly of cigarette smoke, like a smoking lounge, despite this being a nonsmoking hotel. The curtains had the same heavy odor, there were cigarette burns on the inside windowsill, and the room was very dirty. When I wiped the floor, the wipe came away pitch black. The smell upset my client and made her cough, so we had to leave to keep her asthma from getting worse. I quietly explained the situation to the gentleman working there. He seemed to understand and said the manager would issue a refund the next day. I never got the refund or heard from anyone, even though I filed a report right away. I’m very disappointed. We shouldn’t have to pay for a stay that fell short when we vacated almost immediately. I have photos and videos as proof, and I wouldn’t recommend this hotel for many reasons.

We were booked here so we could drive into the city and rest before my medical procedure the next day. The desk clerk was hard to understand because she spoke very quietly and quickly. The room smelled odd and the laminate floor was sticky, though it seemed clean otherwise. The furniture was pretty beat up but usable. Then the next-door guest had loud, sad-sounding sex. The woman’s voice stayed the same, but the male sounds changed during the night, so it seemed possible she was a sex worker. I turned up the TV and tried to relax. It finally quieted around midnight, and we managed a few hours of sleep. In the morning, a houseless person came in behind someone else, ate the free breakfast, then tried doors on our floor looking for an open room.

The front desk guy was nice, but the room had stained sheets and marks on several other surfaces. The toilet handle was broken, there was a chunk of rust in the tub, and we found a bug in one of the beds.

Coming back to the hotel after long, emotionally draining days felt like coming home. My mom was in the hospital, and this was one of the hardest stretches of my life. The staff kept making me feel welcome and supported. I’m especially grateful to Jimmy, Marie, Zach, Simon, Johnny and Judge for the kindness, compassion and care they showed me. Their smiles and understanding brought comfort when I needed it most. They gave me empathy, warmth and a little peace during a painful time, along with great service. I’d give more than five stars if I could. I’ll absolutely stay again, hopefully under much better circumstances, and I’ll always be grateful for how they treated me.