I booked this based on the reviews as I was looking for a nice but reasonably priced place to stay on the last night of an extended trip through the Northwest. I wasn't expecting much but I have to say our stomachs dropped as we approached the hotel through a truly ugly industrial area (although to give it some credit, Portland itself was a great disappointment after having read so many wonderful things about it - must have great publicists!). The front desk was competent and friendly enough but nothing special. The rooms were clean (except for someone else's hair in my sink). I was also annoyed by the housekeeper knocking on our door at 9:30 a.m. to find out when we were leaving in spite of the clear "Privacy Please" sign on the door and the sound of the shower running. The big TVs, comfy bedding and Aveda toiletries were a plus if not a bit odd in an otherwise truly blah/generic setting. There were some great restaurants (Tuscany Grill and St. Honore bakery) nearby. If you need just a simple room for the night, it is good for the money. Just don't expect a lot in terms of atmosphere.

The Silver Cloud Inn in Portland was one of the best hotels we stayed at during our trip in WA/OR.
The staff was very helpful and friendly. The room was very comfortable even including a plasma TV !!
The breakfast was absolutely delicious, you don´t need anything else (waffles, fresh fruit, bagels, muffins, eggs, jam, honey, cheese, yogurt, juices, tea, coffee, cereals, ...).
There is a busstop in front of the hotel, from where you can easily catch a ride into downtown (appr. 15 min.).
There is also free internet access in the lobby.
The surrounding is OK, you don´t have to fear at night.
When we come back, we´ll take it again!!!

I stayed at the Silver Cloud for two weekend nights in August with my two children, aged 3 ½ and 7. We initially loved it. The room was comfortable and clean, and the staff seemed friendly.

However, a problem developed the first night (Saturday) of our stay. I was in the process of putting my children to bed, when I got a call from one of the Front Desk staff. He said he had had two complaints about noise coming from our room, and asked if I could I try to be more careful about noise “late at night”.

I was puzzled on two counts. One, it didn’t seem to me we were being particularly noisy. The kids were not screaming or shouting, and we didn’t have the TV or any other electronic device on. We were talking loudly, perhaps, but it was at the level I would consider “normal family noise”.

Two, it didn’t seem that late to me. To double-check, I asked the desk clerk what time it was, and he replied, “Almost 8:00.” He went on to say that I should be aware that conventioners stayed at the Silver Cloud, and that these people sometimes got up as early as 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning.

It seemed odd that convention meetings would be happening early on a Sunday morning, but I promised we would try to be more quiet. I read my kids their bedtime stories in a whisper, and for the remainder of our stay, shushed them constantly to avoid any more “Hush up” phone calls. It deflated their spirits and mine to have to be so unnaturally quiet during what was a vacation trip for us, but I thought it was maybe a one-off experience at an otherwise nice hotel.

Later, I sent the inn's feedback form, along with a personal letter, to management, detailing the above, and asking for their policy about noise at night and whether they welcomed families as guests. I got no response, so am raising the issue here.