Priceline and other hotel discounters have taught us to hunt for the best room at the lowest price. Standard rates, after all, are reserved for people not in the know.

But what if money were no object? Would you spend $4,500 - or more - to sleep one night in Portland? People do.

We climbed to the highest hotel floors to photograph the priciest suites in the city, which are sweet picks for actors, athletes and authors.

The busiest suite times are the summer months, with peak prices from early May through the end of October. Even with a flashy black Amex card, it's tough to check in when there's a festival on Waterfront Park.

Since hotel rates vary, we picked a random summer Saturday night (June 27) to report the price.

Here's what more than 1,000 bucks (plus tax) a night in a Portland boutique hotel can get you:

The Nines Suite: 1,768 square feet for $4,500 a night; can rise to $6,500 in the summer (includes free Wi-Fi, a $9.95 value)

Unless you have the right card, you can't see most of Portland's swankiest hotel.

The Nines' Club Level, on the 12th floor of what was once Meier & Frank's glazed terra-cotta flagship store, is reserved for the pricey hotel's most elite guests.

Here, dominating the northeast corner of this highly restricted pedestal, is the Nines Suite, 1,768 square feet of pewter and purple swank.

Pass through double doors to enter a dimly lighted foyer then jet into the large entertaining area, furnished like a playboy's pad. Power on the gas fireplace, swing open the wet bar and turn on one of three 47-inch flat-screen, high-definition televisions. Or crank up the Bose sound system.

Hungry? Sit in one of the eight high-back chairs surrounding the dining room table and request that one of the Nines' chefs prepare a farm-to-table feast in your private butler's kitchen. Ingredients will be harvested from the rooftop garden. Need to sweeten the deal? The hotel maintains its own honeybee hives.

Slip off your Nike Mags and slide across hardwood floors, past massive windows framing views of Mount St. Helens to the north and Mount Hood to the east. Glide into the bedroom, where a king bed has a television concealed in the thick footboard.

Want to find the other TV? It's hidden within the mirror in the white marble master bathroom. While there, soak in views of the city and the Willamette River while splashing around in a deep, infinity-style Jacuzzi bathtub. Bored? Order in-room massage treatments.

Weary from so much relaxing? Rinse off in the walk-in rainforest shower then ease into a plush terry cloth robe to rest in bed or in one of the black Barcelona-like leather chairs.

If you need to accommodate an entourage, book the connecting room for the kids, your personal assistant or security detail.

Who has checked in here? Justin Timberlake and David Beckham, we hear.

"We cannot disclose the names of any past celebrity guests due to privacy and security reasons," replies sales manager Julie Ramey when prompted to name drop.

A few "Portlandia" fans believe the Urban Farmer Steakhouse on the eight floor might have inspired the "Colin the chicken" scene that spoofs diners' need to know the source of their food. Here, carnivores order beef from grass fed, pasture-raised, grain-finished or corn-fed cows.

If the staff asks too many questions, take the party to the roof, where Departure Restaurant and Lounge, and its warren of inside hideaways and throng-accommodating decks, takes you on a Tomorrowland adventure.

Feeling a twinge guilty? The city-block-sized, 15-story building, erected in 1909 across from Pioneer Courthouse Square, has been renovated to reach LEED Silver energy-efficiency certification.

The Heathman Hotel Grand Suite: 1,200 square feet for $1,750 (Shades included)

Anyone who paid to see "Fifty Shades of Grey" knows what the Grand Suite at the Heathman Hotel looks like. After all, this is where the fictional Christian Grey lays low when he's in Portland. (The suite was recreated in a studio.)

The Grand Suite takes up 1,200 square feet on the quiet 9th floor, overlooking Pioneer Courthouse Square. A foyer connects the living and the bedroom areas. "Immaculate built-in" shelves are "perfect for long-term stays," says spokeswoman Nancy Uber.

Of course, the decor has a masculine palette of dark browns, creams and black, and there's state-of-the-art audio and entertainment, and a padded headboard for the king-size bed.

Lush L'Occitane beauty care products are stocked in the "water closet" and within reach of the jetted tub and shower with multiple shower heads. If Mr. Grey needs more space, there's an additional powder room and optional access to a second bedroom.

If he desires to work, there's an office area with a captain's desk (aye, aye!). Or he could just settle into the plush seating area and be seduced by the fire. The art over the carved mantel is original, as are the Andy Warhols and thousands of other pieces displayed in the hotel and curated by the Elizabeth Leach Gallery.

There's no need for Grey to pack a Kindle. Each time a famous author checks in to the Heathman - from Bill Clinton and Anne Lamott to Anthony Bourdain and David Sedaris - they leave behind a signed first edition.

Who else has stayed here? Lady Gaga, Jennifer Aniston and Harrison Ford and many Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize winners and U.S. Poet Laureates.

Uber can't name names but she whispers that high-profile guests who need easy access to the stage at the adjacent Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall avoid fans by taking a secret passageway.

The Westin Portland Penthouse Suite: 890 square feet for $1,299 (includes gallery-quality original artwork)

Do you want to lord over the city's toniest neighborhoods? Here's your vantage point. This suite, on the west side of the top floor of the Westin Portland, has sweeping views that extend to the Pearl District and the West Hills.

Invite friends to schmooze with you in front of the fireplace in the 540-square-foot parlor. They can park in leather dining chairs while you figure out the wet bar's dual-zone wine cooler or operate the barista-taxing espresso machine.

If the scene outside grows dull, flip on the 50-inch, high definition LCD television or fire up the gaming system. If you're in a more contemplative mood, ponder the original artwork.

When it's nighty nighttime, part ways with your guests as they retreat to a bedroom on one side of the parlor and you duck into your opulently appointed master suite with a king-size Heavenly Bed.

Replay your best bon mots as you bubble away in a jetted tub. After rinsing off in the glass shower, apply scented skin cream as you hover over an antique Chinese make-up table. Psst: A long, hot stone massage is only $240.

Hotel Monaco Grand Suites: 850 square feet for $716 (includes free bike rental and happy hour)

If you love the wild colors in the Hotel Monaco's lobby - crimson and lilac - you'll go mad over the schemes in the elevated corner suites. When the decor team says "eclectic design palette," they're not kidding.

In one of the Grand Suites, orange and black carpet, arranged in a honeycomb pattern, mesmerizes across almost all of the 850-square-foot space. The carpet is paired in the living room with a teal velour sofa and black lacquered cabinet with gold trim.

Slide back pocket doors to see the bedroom wallpapered with birds flying against a vanilla background. The bedding is ocher and purple plaid, the chaise longue pink and the end table is a gold-colored tree stump.

Did we mention the fuchsia chandeliers illuminating pea-green framed mirror? Fun!

In the bathroom, white cone-shaped light fixtures dangle from a nickel-plated tree-limb rod. Step up to lower yourself into the deep Fuji jetted tub.

Who is this all for?

"The Grand Suites were designed really to attract all sorts of travelers," says Brandyn Hull of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.

Like sitting presidents? President Barack Obama checked in during his May visit.

Other guests range from finicky VIPs to families who appreciate the extra elbowroom. "Kids love the huge bathtub," says Hull.

Couples check in for their first splurge of wedding bliss and groups rent the space to entertain. "It has so much space and great windows," says Hull. "It's the ultimate in Hotel Monaco comfort."

-- Janet Eastman



jeastman@oregonian.com

503-799-8739

@janeteastman









