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My dad introduced me to this place years and years ago. We go here for breakfast when I'm in town. You get good cheap eats, hearty big breakfasts and a dash of old Portland thrown in. You can...
My dad introduced me to this place years and years ago. We go here for breakfast when I'm in town. You get good cheap eats, hearty big breakfasts and a dash of old Portland thrown in. You can stay as long as you like.
It's kinda an old drunk's place, good for old lushes and young urban loners (the purposely non-poseurs and tragically unhip like me). I like it because I can play lotto, powerball and the keno games that come up every 5 minutes. This is the only place that I've ever won lottery money ($15 on Keno!).
My dad and boyfriend like it because they can smoke (I think they still can, unless they've changed it lately or only made it for the bar area). The bar area is the same size as the restaurant, so you make of that what you will.
I'm glad this place isn't in the best location and the parking is only on the street, so people don't overrun it's cute charm. And I like it that I only pay $5 for a filling breakfast packed with totally old-man PDX politically incorrect unhipness.
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This is a convention center hotel, as evidenced by the name of the hotel. I go to Priceline to get rooms here, as low as $35. Only once have I paid $50, and that was during a big event weekend. ...
This is a convention center hotel, as evidenced by the name of the hotel. I go to Priceline to get rooms here, as low as $35. Only once have I paid $50, and that was during a big event weekend. This is a HUGE hotel right next to Lloyd Center and the MAX line to downtown.
They give you a chocolate chip cookie on arrival, which I always like. The coffee stand downstairs is open early, and it's self-serve with bagels and snacks so that's convenient.
I have gotten rooms that were big and nice, but definitely only for staying overnight, not for a romantic getaway (did I mention that this is a convention center hotel?) or a business conference.
Hotel staff is hit and miss with the number of them available to help you. When they are there, they are nice and helpful.
If you want romance on a budget, spring an extra $10 ($60) on Priceline and that will get you the ultra-romantic 5th Avenue Suites downtown!
I have stayed here several times, as it is cheap on Priceline, close and convenient. It is not downtown like they say on Priceline, however. Sometimes the rooms that I get are close to the elevator, but just ask and they will move you. Also, request your bed type (2 beds or a king size). I got a king sized bed with a HUGE king sized room before, had 2 entrances to the bathroom alone!
I have never dined here (besides getting coffee) as I eat at either my dad's house, Old Wives Tales or My Father's Place nearby. There's always Burger King and the other fast food places really close to this hotel, including being right across the street from the mall. And the movie theatres are close too so you can walk there. Don't park in the garage! Street parking overnight is free and right in front of the hotel.
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This is a standard nice hotel for the price paid ($50 on Priceline). This is a fall-back hotel for Priceline, after the Doubletree and the Hilton get booked at those price points.
The only...
This is a standard nice hotel for the price paid ($50 on Priceline). This is a fall-back hotel for Priceline, after the Doubletree and the Hilton get booked at those price points.
The only time we ever stayed here from Priceline was over a Thanksgiving weekend when the other hotels were booked at that price. We waited too long to book it - I usually wait until the night before or that morning to book priceline rooms.
This used to be the old Riverside Hotel, and then Sheraton took it over a few years ago. It's a standard hotel, lower quality than the Doubletree or the Hilton. It reminds me of the Days Inn over on 6th and Clay.
The location is okay, near the Morrison Bridge, right on the parkway. I have to walk a few blocks more to get to the shopping, but the downtown area is so nice, I don't care. We had a lovely room, and it was quiet. The staff wasn't that helpful, and they didn't have many staff, so it took a while to even ask a question about parking. You can park with them for (I think) $12 per night, right next to the hotel doors.
Hopefully you'll get the Hilton or the Doubletree when doing the priceline trick. But this is good too.
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I do the priceline.com thing too (how funny!) and usually average about $45 per night on that service. I never travel to Portland without using priceline (nameyourownprice.com). Come to think of...
I do the priceline.com thing too (how funny!) and usually average about $45 per night on that service. I never travel to Portland without using priceline (nameyourownprice.com). Come to think of it, I don't usually travel anywhere where I can't get a priceline room on the el-cheapo.
The rooms are kinda small in general, but all you have to do is ask the friendly front desk staff for a different room, or one away from the elevator, etc, whatever you like. The beauty of this hotel is that is it so HUGE and they have so many rooms, you can usually get what you want.
They have smoking rooms too, which were larger and lower down than the non-smoking ones (I don't smoke, he does, but he's almost quit!). You can hear the streets from the windows, so lower isn't really better!
The toiletries are from Crabtree & Evelyn (cool, huh?), and they smell really nice. On my last stay there in March 2006, the TV/Cable reception sucked. Been spliced too many times I think. You can hear the plumbing through the walls, which can get loud when everyone within 2 floors of you takes a shower at 7am.
The hotel itself is lovely, well-decorated, good food, and very nice hotel staff. Can't ask for better. The concierge is very helpful and will go out of their way for you.
I have great memories of this hotel with my fiance', and when we decided to add an extra night to one of our stays here, we just went right downstairs to their computers in the lobby, got on priceline.com and booked another room for that night at $50. Super!
Located right across the street from a Starbucks and Niketown, and two blocks from Nordstrom, it makes for the perfect hotel to stay on a shopping trip. And it's on the Thanksgiving Parade route, so if you ask for Broadway side rooms down lower/closer to the street, you get a good view.
Unless you have a nicer car, don't park with their valet (it's expensive!). Park on the street or use one of the many parking garages around (there's one across the street on the East side for $8 per night).
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I love this place. From my old cul-de-sac in Renton, our whole neighborhood would go down there to celebrate birthdays a few times a year. We are all really close lifelong friends, so this is...
I love this place. From my old cul-de-sac in Renton, our whole neighborhood would go down there to celebrate birthdays a few times a year. We are all really close lifelong friends, so this is where we pick to go for our celebrations. We've tried other places, but we keep coming back to Jimmy Mack's. Peanut shells on the floor, GREAT rolls and bread, friendly servers, lots of BEER, and that good old Texas quality. We all really like this place and have been coming here for years. Good food, good prices, friendly people, great location and parking, you name it.
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My partner and I stayed here for the first two nights when he just got off the plane from Iraq on election day November 2004. Who won that election? WHO CARES!
We got the king size jacuzzi...
My partner and I stayed here for the first two nights when he just got off the plane from Iraq on election day November 2004. Who won that election? WHO CARES!
We got the king size jacuzzi tub room.....need I say more? The tub is right in the room itself, so when you're done with fooling around on the bed, go fill up this HUGE tub for two and get in and have some more fun! YEEEE HAWWWWW! I'll always remember this room and that great first night back from Iraq :)----. We talk about going back there on our anniversaries.
Oh yeah, and the hotel was quiet, the room was off in a distant corner (so the neighbors couldn't hear us) and the staff was friendly and polite. Nice little amenities too, Bath and Body Works Cucumber and Basil toiletries. Made a great bubble bath for two! They are very nice to military and I think they get a lot of them staying there when they get back.
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I got my hair cut and done here for my cousin's wedding. I don't remember the name of my stylist (sorry! Rebecca maybe? Short gal, blonde hair). She was great! I felt so great in this place,...
I got my hair cut and done here for my cousin's wedding. I don't remember the name of my stylist (sorry! Rebecca maybe? Short gal, blonde hair). She was great! I felt so great in this place, very comfortable, which is weird to feel "comfortable" in a hair salon. I'm not a beauty fashionista so I typically won't go back to a salon is there's too much posturing going on. I just wanted a good solid cute cut and a nice do, and I got one. The price was reasonable and well worth it. I'm glad I paid what I paid for what I got, because in salons, you usually get overcharged for crappy performance, but not at Robert Leonard. They had a professional, courteous staff, used to dealing with Seattle's old money, not the fly by night flaky people with overly trendy dos. This was the best haircut and style I'd ever had in my life. I would definitely go back to her and them when I need a special styling for my hair.
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I go here because they really do have everything that I want in a store. I'm a big natural, organic foods fan, and I can count on FM for having the things that I need. The store is laid out well...
I go here because they really do have everything that I want in a store. I'm a big natural, organic foods fan, and I can count on FM for having the things that I need. The store is laid out well enough (although I feel "blocked" when I walk in there, bad feng shui).
I dig the selection - it can't be beat. Foods are fresh and in stock. And the Playland for the smaller kids is a godsend so that you don't have to drag cranky preschoolers around the store. Makes is SOOOO much easier to shop. I'm very thankful to FM for this and I go back because of Playland and the selection and prices.
HOWEVER, the real grumble that I have here is the employees. A neighbor of mine is a former FM employee (not this store though). It seems that FM treats their employees like garbage, low pay, bad hours, etc. Kinda like Walmart. I always notice how unhappy and complaining the employees are at FM (those checkers who want to tell me their life stories - I'm a magnet!).
I went there today with my two youngest kiddos. The young checker was really sweet. She asked if I wanted help out with my tons of heavy groceries, and I of course said yes. Why not? If they offer, I always take them up on it.
Well, this sluggish, complaining employee came up to me with a grimace on his face (like, oh god, I HAVE to do my job??), rubbing his shoulder and complaining that he had to help someone out (he really did say this): "Are you sure you want me to help you? My shoulder hurts so bad. Well, maybe I can use one hand to do it if you REALLY want me to...(whine whine and more whining here)." And I can't do justice to the bad body language and facial expressions either.
I looked him right in the eye and said politely, no thanks, I have enough babies to care for. I know that might have been rude of me, but I already had to wait for him to drag himself up there and stare at me like I was the enemy as he was walking up to my cart and overly exaggerating his "arm injury."
I just wheeled my heavy cart out, put the kids in the car, and loaded myself. I usually load myself and don't purposely ask for or accept the help unless they offer and are already going to call for it or have someone right there available, so as not to inconvenience the baggers. If someone offers you help, and you accept it because it's their job to do, then they need to do it and stop complaining! I've done plenty of low wage, crappy, thankless jobs in my early years, so I understand the frustration. If it's your job, do it and take pride in doing a good job!
(((sorry))) I just think FM has a long way to go in treating and paying their front line employees well. I miss the old days when they had enough people to help out. Ya know - you just can't put a price on good customer service!
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The only thing stopping me from going to this TJs when I go to work up in the U District is that the store is so darn crowded, small, cramped and the parking is a pain in the you know what. You...
The only thing stopping me from going to this TJs when I go to work up in the U District is that the store is so darn crowded, small, cramped and the parking is a pain in the you know what. You have to drive in to the tiny little garage to park (and there's ALWAYS someone holding up the line to get into the garage, so there's a traffic jam on Roosevelt), or find a spot on the street.
I wish TJs would have found a better location but I know why they picked this one. I wish they would move to the old greengrocer market up 45th that closed down a few years ago (and bums sleep in front of it). That place has more parking!
I love TJs but I grumble when I think of this one.
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What a gem. I go to Marlene's when I know I need to find items that I can usually only get by driving all the way up to Seattle or on the internet. They have Goji Berries (YUM!).
I get my...
What a gem. I go to Marlene's when I know I need to find items that I can usually only get by driving all the way up to Seattle or on the internet. They have Goji Berries (YUM!).
I get my laundry and cleaning items here if Fred Meyer is out. They are a little more expensive here. They have lots of good supplements too, but I choose to buy those at Super Supplements because Marlene's is really marked up on price.
The produce selection is fantastic - can't be beat for organics in Tacoma. Their deli is delicious and the size of the store is perfect. I love the little unique items, like Chinese talismans, feng shui products, and great book selection. I'm not giving them a 5 star rating because some of their items are WAY overpriced.
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