Multnomah Hotel

The Multnomah Hotel is a historic hotel building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened on February 8, 1912, the nine-story property was developed by Portland entrepreneur Philip Gevurtz and was designed to occupy an entire city block. With approximately 700 rooms, it was among the largest and most prominent hotels in the Pacific Northwest and became an important venue for accommodation, public events, concerts, and civic life in Portland. During its original operating era, the hotel served business travelers, tourists, public figures, entertainers, and political visitors. It was operated by Western Hotels from 1931 until its closure in 1963. Western Hotels later became associated with the Westin Hotels & Resorts name. By the time the Multnomah closed, The Oregonian described it as one of the best-known hotels on the Pacific Coast, reflecting its regional prominence rather than merely its scale. The property was subsequently used for government offices from 1965 through 1992. This change preserved the building's physical presence in downtown Portland but ended its role as an active hotel for several decades. In 1995, the building was sold and entered a restoration and adaptive-reuse program. The redevelopment reduced the former 700-room layout to 276 suites and retained the historic structure while modernizing it for contemporary hospitality use. The restored property reopened in 1997 as Embassy Suites Portland - Downtown and currently operates as Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Downtown. Thus, Multnomah Hotel is principally a historic property and heritage identity rather than the name of the current operating hotel brand. Its continued hospitality use links the present-day Embassy Suites operation with the building's early twentieth-century history. The hotel has been associated with a long list of notable visitors, including Paramahansa Yogananda, Queen Marie of Romania, Charles Lindbergh, Rudolph Valentino, Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Stewart, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Elvis Presley, and U.S. presidents from Theodore Roosevelt through Richard Nixon. The ballroom also hosted a concert by composer Maurice Ravel and pianist Lisa Roma on February 15, 1928. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Multnomah Hotel was developed by Portland entrepreneur Philip Gevurtz and opened on February 8, 1912. The nine-story building filled an entire city block in downtown Portland and contained approximately 700 rooms. Its size and central location made it a major hospitality and civic landmark in the city during the early twentieth century. The property accommodated travelers and public figures while also functioning as a venue for entertainment and formal events. The hotel's historical guest list included religious figures, royalty, aviators, entertainers, actors, musicians, and national political leaders. Among those associated with visits were Paramahansa Yogananda, Queen Marie of Romania, Charles Lindbergh, Rudolph Valentino, Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Stewart, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Elvis Presley, and U.S. presidents from Theodore Roosevelt through Richard Nixon. On February 15, 1928, the ballroom hosted a concert involving composer Maurice Ravel and Lisa Roma, adding to the building's cultural significance. In 1931, operation of the property passed to Western Hotels. That company operated the hotel until 1963, when the Multnomah closed. Western Hotels later became known as Westin Hotels & Resorts. At the time of closure, the hotel had acquired a strong regional reputation; The Oregonian referred to it as one of the most famous hotels on the Pacific Coast. The building did not immediately return to hotel use. From 1965 to 1992, it housed government offices. This period represented a major functional change, but the continued use of the structure helped maintain its presence in downtown Portland. In 1995, the building was sold and a restoration project began. The redevelopment adapted the historic structure to modern hotel requirements, reducing the room count from approximately 700 rooms to 276 suites. The property reopened in 1997 as Embassy Suites Portland - Downtown. It currently operates as Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Downtown. The current hotel therefore combines a modern international hotel operating concept with a preserved historic building whose original identity remains associated with the Multnomah Hotel name. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is included in Historic Hotels of America, the National Trust for Historic Preservation's official program for historically significant hotels.

• 1997

  Reopens as Embassy Suites Portland - Downtown

  [1]Multnomah Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The restored building returns to hospitality use with 276 suites under the Embassy Suites name.

• 1995

  Property is sold and restoration begins

  [1]Multnomah Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  A sale leads to restoration and adaptive reuse of the historic building as a hotel.

• 1992

  Government-office use ends

  [1]Multnomah Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The building's use for government offices ends after approximately twenty-seven years.

• 1965

  Building becomes government offices

  [1]Multnomah Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The former hotel begins a long period of use as government offices.

• 1963

  Hotel closes

  [1]Multnomah Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The original hotel operation ends after more than fifty years of service.

• 1931

  Western Hotels assumes operation

  [1]Multnomah Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Western Hotels begins operating the property, continuing until the hotel's 1963 closure.

• 1928

  Ballroom concert by Maurice Ravel and Lisa Roma

  [1]Multnomah Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel's ballroom hosts a concert involving composer Maurice Ravel and Lisa Roma on February 15.

• 1912

  Multnomah Hotel opens

  [1]Multnomah Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Philip Gevurtz's nine-story, approximately 700-room hotel opens in downtown Portland on February 8.

A landmark urban hotel whose heritage identity is built around Portland history, prominent guests, architectural continuity, and adaptive reuse. Its current commercial positioning is delivered through the Embassy Suites by Hilton brand, while the Multnomah Hotel name primarily denotes the historic building and its original hotel era.

• Historic hotel · 1912

  Original Multnomah Hotel

  The original property was a nine-story downtown Portland hotel with approximately 700 rooms. It provided lodging, dining, entertainment, and event functions and became known for hosting prominent visitors and public occasions. Its ballroom was an important event space, including the 1928 concert associated with Maurice Ravel and Lisa Roma.

• Suite hotel · 1997

  Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Downtown

  The current hospitality operation in the restored Multnomah building opened in 1997 as Embassy Suites Portland - Downtown. The adaptive-reuse project converted the historic structure into a 276-suite hotel, combining the building's heritage architecture with the suite-based accommodation and services associated with Embassy Suites.

• 1995

  Adaptive reuse of the historic hotel buildingStrategy

  Background

  After years of closure and government-office use, the property was sold for a project intended to preserve the historic building while returning it to commercial hospitality.

  Action taken

  The building was restored and reconfigured from approximately 700 original rooms into 276 suites.

  Aftermath

  The property reopened in 1997 as Embassy Suites Portland - Downtown and remains in hotel use as Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Downtown.

  Source

1. 1Multnomah Hotelen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Multnomah Hotel history from PDX Historypdxhistory.com
3. 3University of Oregon digital archivesdigitalcollections.library.oregonstate.edu