Quote:
Originally Posted by uncommon.name
Limiting access usually has nothing to do with "automobiles", but limiting transient and non-guests from just freely walking in to the most luxurious hotel in Portland. Otherwise, they would likely need to staff additional people near each entrance to ensure safety, security, and guest experience is upheld. They are a private business after-all and ultimately their guest's experience is more important to them than gawkers coming to look around or houseless people looking for a quiet stairwell to set up camp for the night (yes this happens regularly, I'm in the hotel biz).
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It is the result of a poorly planned hotel lobby. The long hotel reception counter should not have been buried back near the garage entrance with no sightlines to the main entrance. The hotel reception counter should have been PARALLEL with SW Washington St. so that it would equally serve the main entrance at 10th & Washington and the garage entrance. The monumental lobby stair turns its back on the main entrance and orients itself to the garage entrance while also blocking views toward the Meadowrue Bar while limiting the hotel staff views of the entire lobby. The hotel designers should have spent more time thinking about the lobby design and functions.
I have heard from Tim Heron, Urban Design planner at the City, in support of the Design Commission. He will be looking into these functional problems that the Design Commission probably should have foreseen.