Canopy by Hilton Portland Waterfront — Attraction in Portland

Update 8/1/21: We had a very nice second stay here. The hotel made up for the previous issues that we had, so I'm adding another star.

Update 7/5/21: The management was kind and quick to reach out to me to try and make things right. I will update this review in a few weeks after having another chance to stay at the Canopy. I am very hopeful that these issues will be resolved by our next stay.

7/2/21 Okay.. This is an honest review from a Diamond Hilton member who booked this hotel for her birthday on July 1, after having a fabulous experience at the Canopy in Baltimore at the beginning of June. To begin, two of the previous 5 star reviews are from before the hotel opened so I'd take those with a grain of salt. They're from the developers and/or staff of the hotel, so even though I was going to give this hotel 3 stars I'm knocking off another to bring the rating down closer to where it would be without the bolstering pre-opening reviews. That way the rating is more fair to future guests.

Now for the hotel itself.. long story short, I feel a bit cheated. This is a beautiful hotel, but if you're a Hilton elite member, fyi, there are ZERO loyalty-exclusive perks besides an incredibly small food and beverage credit that doesn't really cover breakfast. Guests should know that the majority of the hotel isn't open yet (unbeknownst to us!) so no upgrades were offered, even though this wasn't advertised on the website anywhere. I expected some kind of upgrade upon check-in because all higher category rooms including the presidential suite were available the day before check-in, and I even called to request an upgrade the day before but nothing was offered to us then. They told me they'd process all upgrades upon check-in which is standard so no problem. However, the other rooms disappeared off of the website the day we checked in, and then they told us that no upgrades were available upon check-in because of the limited capacity since they just opened - apparently, many of the rooms were not available yet for guests so it's not that the hotel was booked solid, it's that the higher category rooms were only being advertised for purchase but not for loyalty members. So the hotel would prepare it for you if you purchased it but not if you wanted to upgrade based on your loyalty tier, against Hilton policy. Seriously? They easily could have upgraded us into one of the available rooms when we initially called and prepared that room before our arrival the following day. We would've been happy to wait upon check-in too. We also didn't receive bottled water or snacks at check-in as a customary perk (the water coming out of the water station upstairs came out cloudy so this was a bigger issue than I realized at the time). I just don't think this hotel realizes (or maybe even cares) what they are contractually obligated to do for guests under the Hilton loyalty program. This must change.

Moving on, the rooftop bar was lovely and the staff assisting us during our stay were, for the most part, top notch so no complaints there. Hotel guests without reservations were allowed up even when they turned others away, which was really nice because it was a huge hit with Portland residents.

Overall though, the Canopy in Portland isn't really worth the hefty $500/night pricetag. You can receive similar value with appreciation of your loyalty to Hilton for hundreds less across the way at the Hampton Inn, and pop over to the rooftop bar with a reservation. So did I waste my money here? I'm very frustrated with this property as it currently stands, and I certainly don't feel like my loyalty is valued here. I've stayed at Hilton properties that charge $100/night with better recognition. I was so excited to stay, but I'm leaving pretty disappointed. $300 maybe, but $500+? No way. You're better off staying at one of the many lovely Portland b&bs for half the price. Ultimately it's a pretty hotel, but as one of the upscale Hilton brands I was expecting a much better guest experience for the price - especially as a...

I stayed at this hotel with a high school friend last week to catch up after not seeing each other for a few years. We loved the new Canopy by Hilton! The hotel is new and squeaky clean. When we arrived we were quickly greeted by the valet and the staff seemed genuinely happy to see us. Upon entering the hotel we were immediately greeted by Cameron, who told us our room had been upgraded based on my Elite status with Hilton so we now had a water view. What a nice surprise! We checked in and went to Luna, the rooftop restaurant/bar. It was quite busy as it was 5:30 - happy hour time! We each had a well-crafted cocktail. My only complaint here is that they were really pricey given the size (one was served in a champagne flute and one in a rather small martini glass - the bill was $36). They were tasty though. We headed off to dinner elsewhere but returned for a nightcap and dessert. We again received great service at the bar. My friend had some wine and I had the Boulevardier cocktail. Delicious! When we went to bed we looked around for water and realized the hotel had a neat new system where they provide glass bottles (think old-fashioned milk delivery) that you can fill at their ice/filtered water station. It took us a little while to figure out how to trigger the motion sensor to dispense the water but once we finally did it was crisp and refreshing. This was a nice touch given the overabundance of plastic water bottles used these days. The beds were super comfortable, the alarm clock fades out so there is no bright light in the room (brilliant!) and the blackout curtains worked great. We slept great.

The room is gorgeous with black fixtures, barn doors and just nice touches throughout. The shower has an overhead rain shower and the toilet is a dual flush - another nice conservation measure. The towels for showering were HUGE! We ate breakfast downstairs in Salt Yard. What a great menu! I can't wait to return just for this. I had the chickpea stew with perfectly poached eggs and my friend, who doesn't get Maine food often, had the clam chowder and lobster roll. Both were also excellent. They also had a nice selection of baked goods so we brought pastries home for family.

The location is fantastic. Easy walk to shopping and dining or, if you don't want to walk, an Uber was very fast (a little too fast, honestly - we had to quickly finish our expensive drinks).

Checkout was a breeze and the front desk held our bags while we had breakfast. Every single employee we encountered was pleasant and accommodating.

The only complaints I have are very minor. The room has a Nespresso machine. Cute but we really just wanted a nice cup of coffee while getting showered and ready for the day, not espresso. Also, the towels are actually outside of the showering room so unless you look around and realize this you have to make a drippy dash for the towels in the next room. Minor inconveniences given all of the other positives of this hotel. I can't...

We stayed here for two nights in mid-July 2023 and were really, really pleased with our experience. The hotel itself is an example of excellent design. There were many public spaces to enjoy live music, socialize, rest, read. The rooms were well-appointed, well-maintained and very clean. Kudos to the maintenance and housekeeping teams. I really liked the second interior sliding door that formed a second sound barrier to the hallway and provided additional privacy for anyyone using the sink and bathroom. It helped as a sound barrier as we were traveling with our dog. The hotel is in a fantastic location and easy walking distance to dining, shops, attractions. The people who work here are the number one reason I recommend this property. From check-in to checkout, we were welcomed and cared for. Jim, Roman and Elise at the front desk were exceptionally welcoming to my dog. Whenever they weren't assisting other guests, they would step out and great our dog and ask me how the visit was going and whether I needed anything. They clearly love their hotel, the city, and are eager to make guests experience the best of Portland. Jory took excellent care of us in the rooftop bar. Mario, Seth and another gentleman seamlessly welcomed guests, took care of their vehicles, made sure they had what they needed upon departure. They also assisted me with a bike borrow and even adjusted the seat while I was signing the waiver at the front desk. The dog welcome bag was excellent and noted dog-friendly dining establishments, trails for us and our furry friend. It also had a card with veterinary services should we need them in addition to a dog treat, toy, doody bags and dispenser, and more. I would love to stay here again and give it a hearty recommendation to anyone considering a visit to Portland. P.S. They have two glass carafes in the room and you can refill them with filtered water near the elevator. I believe on most floors, the filtered water is directly across from the two guest elevators. On the sixth floor however, it's to the left of the elevators (when you are boarding the elevator). Great touch and nod to sustainability. I also want to note this hotel has a transfer room with code-protected lockers and a bathroom with shower and toiletries if you need someplace to store your luggage or cleanup after checkout but before departing the city. I hope more hotels add...