Norblad Hotel — Attraction in Astoria

Stayed here 1 of 2 nights booked. My wife and I were traveling to celebrate my birthday and our honeymoon - and we loved the photos of the “luxury Astor suite” Villa Andrea. The suite was exactly as pictured - and it was a beautiful small apartment, but that was about the only good thing about it. Check-in was quick and easy, and the front desk staff was very nice, enthusiastic and informative. We only interacted with the Norblad staff briefly over the phone, and during check-in, and had absolutely no problems. Unfortunately, we had multiple uncomfortable encounters with others at the Astor Building. As we went up to our room, multiple residents made rude comments about our masks, which we were wearing as we are both immune compromised and staying covid safe. When we went to load in our luggage, there was someone parked in the loading zone chatting with someone on the street, taking up just enough room to prevent a second car from being able to fit behind them. My wife gently asked if they would be willing to pull forward so we could fit as well, and the person in the car left without protest shortly after. However, another Astor resident, an older man, quickly approached my car and yelled at us to roll down our window so he could talk to us, which we did not oblige, and then started yelling at us that we were rude for asking the person in the car to give us space, and had his hands on my car window trying to physically intimidate us. Another Astor resident made disparaging comments about my wife’s appearance in the elevator. The automated front door to the lobby broke multiple times in the less than 24 hours we stayed in the building, and we encountered multiple disabled residents struggling to get in because of this. Unfortunately, the bedroom was quite dusty, there was a fan in the bedroom covered in a thick layer of dust. The room offered a microwave and keurig machine, but there were no keurig cups available, nor any paper towels or napkins or trash can to clean up after ourselves if we had used the microwave. There was also no trash can in the bathroom. I will mention that we called the hotel about 45 minutes before check in time and asked if early check in was available, and the friendly desk staff said she would call me back after checking with housekeeping. She called us back quickly and said the room was ready. Perhaps they rushed to clean the room and forgot to give us these items, which is not a big deal - but we only checked in a half hour early and would’ve been happy to wait if we anticipated missing out on a couple basic amenities. Also, there were pictures on the website advertising a room balcony that was not accessible, and the check-in email we received said the suites had smart TVs with streaming services in the room - this was not the case. We brought a laptop, and the check in email boasted internet speeds of 600mbps so we figured we could just watch Netflix instead. This was not accurate, the internet struggled and at one point we did a speed test and it was 11mbps. Despite it being a 50 degree day, it was stiflingly hot in the room, and the windows did not all open, and the dust covered fan was not a great option. Within about 15 minutes of arriving, my wife asked me if I just wanted to leave. We had a long drive home so we planned to check out early in the morning. It was hard to sleep due to the sound of multiple car alarms going off in the night nearby. We quickly left in the morning and called the Norblad to tell them we had checked out a day early. If it were not for their 48 hour advance cancellation policy, we would’ve turned back around just before check in time on the first day and requested a partial refund and gone home. Ultimately it felt like a waste of money, and was a depressing end to a special vacation. I would say if you’re looking for a cute hotel room with a lovely view at a reasonable price point, the Norblad is acceptable - but I would warn those expecting a comfortable, clean, and safe experience with some amenities - this may fall below your...

My girlfriend and I have visited the Norblad Hotel twice, and both times we stayed, we were pleased to have our expectations exceeded. The first time we scheduled a stay at the Norblad, we booked a shared bathroom, single bedroom, hostel style room. At the time, we were somewhat tight on money, but we thought this place would be perfect for our current situation, as well as fit our needs for visiting Astoria. Upon arrival, the room they promised was overbooked, but because they realized this was an inconvenience, they upgraded my girlfriend and I to a Queen suite. This included a TV, a queen sized bed, as well as our own bathroom. This was a huge upgrade! On top of that, it made us feel very excited that we were staying in suite, all things considering. It was a treat. The room was great—a terrific view of the Columbia River, the historic Astor building, as well as the other shops and store fronts alongside the rooms vantage point. We enjoyed the comfortability of the bed, as well as the artistic touches that are left in almost all areas of the hotel, and room itself!

The second time we visited the Norblad hotel, I booked one of the higher end suites. With the terrific experience we had a couple years prior, I was geared up for a similar experience. When I scheduled the date for us to stay at the hotel, I made a mistake when typing the day of the week we would be there. A simple human error that made our scheduled time one day earlier than when were intending to be in Astoria. When I went to go see if the same room would be available for the day that we were going to be in Astoria, it was booked. This was a little upsetting, simply due to the fact that I just made this reservation 2 days before we would be there, and I was also concerned they wouldn’t have anything available—on top of that, I was worried if we couldn’t make a change to the reservation, that I was going to be charged for a room. When I called, they were able to immediately assist me. They said that what I saw on their website was true. The room I reserved was going to be booked the day we initially needed it for. Shoshana, the representative I spoke to at the Norblad, reassured me that they could either reimburse me, or they could move our reservation to the Owner’s Suite! I was delighted. We accepted the offer and we were yet again pleased. When we arrived, we found out we were staying in the Astor building! This was awesome because the room was more or less a one bedroom apartment instead of a hotel room. The owner of the Norblad must have purchased some units in the Astor building and converted them into hotel rooms. It felt very personable and comforting. We were once again extremely happy. We stayed on the top floor! A balcony with sweeping views of the town of Astoria showed us how much personality this town has, and to be in a room that is apart of it, made it that much more special. We love how Astoria feels cemented in the 1920-30s era with majority of their infrastructure—the Astor building is just that. The room was up to date; modern, elegant, and welcoming. It too had the artistic touches that were present in the Queen suite we stayed in the first time, but this room was much better, for obvious reasons.

The Norblad Hotel is a terrific place to stay. My girlfriend and I have been so pleased with their service and rooms they provide. I was skeptical of even trying the place the first time around, but due to our two visits, they have made us forever customers. We love Astoria, but I have to a give a lot of credit to the Norblad simply for the things I have stated above. They made the trips possible and comfortable. If you’ve read this review up until here… you should just do yourself a favor...

We stayed in Astor Suite 707, a corner unit with FANTASTIC views, a balcony, and a full stove/oven. Paying the optional parking lot fee, charged per stay not per night) was well worth it for this delightfully walkable city!

Each morning, we had a lovely "breakfasts with a view" of yogurt, berries, cheese, hard boiled eggs, quiche, peanut butter, and biscuits. Although the kitchen range is not to be used for actual cooking, we were told it is fine for reheating, and found it perfect for our biscuits, quiche and ...chocolate chip cookies! Though a bit on the pricey side, we found walking to the Astoria Co-op wonderful for breakfast foods (and ice cream).

The apartment was nicely cleaned, and the simple decor was perfect! We also enjoyed the little snacks in the fridge.

Please note that the spacious, modern with historical ambiance apartment, in an incredibly gorgeous and convenient location more than makes up for the inconveniences discussed below. But I am including them in hopes the Norblad wants to perfect the experience, and also so guests might be aware.

While the gorgeous, huge windows lining two sides of this apartment provided lots of light and views, they do not stay up, and when we arrived in mid-July, all the blinds & curtains were left open and the afternoon sun had baked the 7th floor apartment. With creative engineering to keep the windows up, little air came into the bedroom and sleeping was made even more difficult due to the street noise. Availability of a window box fan instead of the floor tower fan which barely moves air would have helped immensely!

Between closing all the drapes/blinds before heading out for the next day's adventures which kept the apartment cooler, and placing the small, round (dusty) fan we borrowed from the Norblad in front of the one bedroom window we propped open with a book, sleeping was improved due to the cool night airflow and the fan’s white noise masking the street sounds.

The bedding was quite comfortable, but the mattress was quite soft. And while the towels were also very soft, they were barely absorbent. (If the hotel uses fabric softener for towels, I'd suggest stopping as it is counterproductive to absorbency.)

Concerning Trash & Recycling, info about what can be recycled, and where to put our T/R would have been helpful instead of letting our can get full for the cleaning staff to dump.

Please consider installing a wall hung coat rack as there is no closet available near the entry. I imagine that on rainy days, hangin wet jackets would especially be appreciated.

Maintenance overdue: • The freezer is due for defrosting. Heavy ice buildup put strain on appliances. • The bathroom sink does not drain properly. • The toilet paper holder is missing from the wall, presumably where the two large holes in the drywall remain.

(If not already done, perhaps the cleaning staff could be tasked with or reminded to let maintenance know when things need attention.)

We really had a wonderful time in the Astor Building and look forward to a staying again next time! It is such a charming and...