KEX Portland brings the spirit of Reykjavik's famous KEX Hostel to Portland's inner east side, and it is one of the most fun places to stay in the city for travelers who like a social atmosphere at a fair price. The Icelandic company opened it in late 2019 in a restored 1912 landmark building, its first and only hotel in North America, and the interiors, led by Icelandic designer Hálfdan Pedersen, mix vintage furniture, salvaged materials and Nordic simplicity into spaces that feel lived-in and warm. Accommodation comes in two broad styles. Private rooms include kings, queens and family suites, and you choose between an en suite bathroom and a shared bathroom down the hall, which keeps prices down. Bunk rooms offer hostel-style beds for solo travelers and groups. Across the property there are around 150 rooms and beds in total. The ground floor is a gathering place for guests and locals, centered on Pacific Standard, the hotel's cocktail bar, and the lower level holds an event space and a music venue that hosts shows and community events, so check the calendar during your stay. The location, across the river from downtown near the east end of the Burnside Bridge, puts you close to the Central Eastside's breweries, coffee roasters, restaurants and food carts, and within walking or short streetcar distance of the Eastbank Esplanade and OMSI, while downtown is a bridge crossing away. Trade-offs: rooms are simple, shared bathrooms are part of the value, the bar and events can be lively in the evenings, and the immediate area is more industrial and urban than leafy.
Why stay: KEX is about community and atmosphere rather than room-service luxury. Guests gather in the bar and lounge, the staff know the neighborhood's best food and drink, and the music and events give the place a genuine local following. For solo travelers and young couples it is a great way to meet people and feel part of the city, and the private rooms deliver real comfort at prices well below downtown hotels.
Choosing a room: choose a private room with an en suite bathroom if privacy matters, or a shared-bath room to save money; families can book family suites, and bunk rooms suit budget solo travelers and groups traveling together. Light sleepers should ask for a room away from the bar and event spaces. Book ahead for summer weekends and event nights.
Around the hotel: the inner east side is one of Portland's most dynamic areas, with breweries, distilleries, coffee roasters and restaurants in converted warehouses, and the Eastbank Esplanade riverside path is nearby for running, cycling or walking the Waterfront Loop. Downtown, the Saturday Market and Old Town are a short walk or bus ride across the Burnside Bridge, and the streetcar connects to OMSI and the Pearl District.
Why stay here
- ✓Private rooms with en suite or shared baths
- ✓Hostel-style bunk rooms
- ✓Family suites
- ✓Pacific Standard cocktail bar
- ✓Lower-level music and event space
- ✓Restored 1912 building
- ✓Icelandic-designed interiors
- ✓Near the Eastbank Esplanade
Good questions
Is KEX Portland a hostel or a hotel?+
Both. It offers private rooms, including family suites, with en suite or shared bathrooms, plus hostel-style bunk rooms, with a bar and event space shared by all guests.
Where is KEX Portland?+
On Portland's inner east side, near the east end of the Burnside Bridge, close to the Central Eastside's breweries and restaurants and a short trip from downtown.
Is it noisy?+
The bar and lower-level music venue can be lively in the evenings. Light sleepers should request a room away from the event spaces.
