The Holiday Inn by the Bay is one of the ugliest buildings in Portland, but it also delivers perhaps the best bang for the buck of any intown hotel.
For starters, the Spring Street location is convenient to the Arts District and West End, and it’s very walkable to the Old Port and Waterfront, making it easy to park the car and forget about it.
Better yet, that parking is free (big points!).
Now add a free shuttle service.
And free Wi-fi.
And an indoor pool, along with fitness center and sauna.
And a free business center.
And a free coffee/tea/lemonade bar (and yes, there’s a full restaurant and lounge).
And a guest coin-op laundry.
Even a pillow menu.
Best perk: The views. From the top floors (Ask for one on the 11th floor, bayside), they extend over the city, harbor, island-salted Casco Bay, and SoPo’s Spring Point to the horizon of blue ocean.
I once planned a convention for which this hotel was headquarters, and they did an excellent job. We had a banquet there that was a lobster bake for 350 people which was executed perfectly. And as you say, the location was fantastic. Our trade show was at the Civic Center and we did events at the Art Museum and Brian Boru. Everything was easily walkable. I got to stay in the presidential suite with that wonderful view. One amusing thing: Some friends and I have a tradition of in-room breakfasts with Eggs Benedict. I didn’t find it on the room service menu, but I knew they served it in the restaurant, so I called room service and asked about it. Well, they said, the timing is so critical that it’s difficult to deliver upstairs and they would have to charge an extra dollar if they did. That is so Maine. They did, we paid the extra dollar per plate, and it was just fine.
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