Portland ยท Downtown
The Benson
Opened as the New Oregon Hotel, timed to Woodrow Wilson's inauguration, and run by Simon Benson from 1914; the hotel cites its original marble.
- Built
- 1913Built 1912-13 as a tower wing beside the 1905 Hotel Oregon and opened March 4, 1913 as the New Oregon Hotel. The city/SHPO record dates it 1913; the hotel's own page says Simon Benson built it in 1912.
- Style
- French Second Empire
- Architect
- Doyle, Patterson & Beach
- Type
- Grand hotel
- Area
- Downtown
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Local landmark
The story
Simon Benson partnered with the Wright-Dickinson Company in 1911 to add a modern tower wing to the Hotel Oregon, designed by Doyle, Patterson & Beach with Chicago’s Blackstone Hotel as inspiration. The wing opened on March 4, 1913, timed to Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, and Benson took over its operation in 1914 as the Hotel Benson. The hotel highlights its original Italian marble floors, Austrian crystal chandeliers and Circassian walnut paneling, and completed a multi-million-dollar renovation in 2023. It was listed on the National Register in 1986.
Good to know
- Address: 309 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205
Things to do
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Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.