San Francisco based freelance writer Laura Fraser looked to Watershed for culinary and wine country recommendations when assigned a story on Portland for Frontier Airline’s Wild Blue Yonder magazine. Watershed worked with Laura to craft a story on Portland’s spectacular restaurant scene and Oregon’s beautiful wine country.

Laura uncovers the gems of Portland and Oregon’s wine country in her feature story “Portland in its Prime,” published in the September issue of Wild Blue Yonder.

You can also read this story on Wild Blue Yonder’s website – http://www.gowildblueyonder.com/

Hotel Vintage Plaza and Hotel Monaco Portland were both included in an article on Reuters that featured Travelocity’s 15 green hotel picks that offer low rates during this summer travel season.

Check out this fantastic article by Kerry Newberry in the May issue of the Oregon Wine Press titled “What Is Indie, Anyway” featuring the Portland Indie Wine Festival.  This same issue also featured an article on the relaunch and redesign of Hotel Vintage Plaza – Portland’s wine themed hotel.

Portland is feeling the Valentine’s Day Spirit and both the Hotel Monaco Portland and Hotel Vintage Plaza are on board! Check out these two events broadcast live on air this Friday!

Win THE “Proposal Package” at the Hotel Monaco Portland

Thinking about proposing to the one you love this Valentine’s Day? Watch Drew Carney’s Out & About morning show on KGW News Channel 8 this Friday, February 13th from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. as he broadcasts live from Hotel Monaco Portland and lets viewers know how they can register to win the Hotel Monaco’s “Proposal Package” – a package valued at $5,000. A helicopter ride, a beautiful ring and dinner in wine country? Yes, it’s all included. Watch to see what else is included in this package!

“Say I Do Again” at Hotel Vintage Plaza

Listen live this Friday, February 13th to the Daria and Mitch Show on 105.1 The Buzz as couples “Say I Do Again” at downtown Portland’s Hotel Vintage Plaza. “Say I Do Again” is a Valentine’s inspired event that gives fourteen married couples a second chance to share that special moment that went sour the first time around and to receive a shot at a second honeymoon.

“Say I Do Again” takes place from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on The Buzz 105.1 FM, as couples share their wedding mishap stories over the air. Whether there was a catastrophe with the wedding, the vow exchange, the engagement, the ring, the honeymoon or the relatives, you’re going to want to hear these stories!

Check out more on this event here.

Check out Hotel Vintage Plaza’s “Growing up Gourmet” package in the December issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. Kids and Parents both can enjoy this fun foodie package!

LAD's personalized buttons

The 2008 National PARK(ing) Day in Portland was a complete success! Thanks to our sponsors, small parks sprouted up all over Fifth Avenue, between Washington and Alder. There were some very creative minds behind these spaces. Great work to all who participated this year!

LAD sponsored this park with Space Design our favorite floral and design guru in town.

Pazzo and Red Star provided an awesome lunch outside for those strolling by to look at the spaces. Who would really pass up a panini from Pazzo or a pulled pork sandwich and watermelon arugula salad from Red Star?

At the end of the day, Hotel Monaco, Hotel Vintage Plaza, Red Star and Pazzo raised $10,000 for The Trust for Public Land.  Special thanks to our co-sponsor, Space Design whose creative work inspired many to stop and live in our LAD sponsored space.

At 4:00 p.m. the “Party in the Park” kicked off where the Oregon Brewers Guild sponsored beer garden poured local micro-brews such as Deschutes Brewery’s Green Lakes Organic Ale and Hopworks Hub Lager. Vendors strolled the streets giving out snow cones and elaborate balloon animals.

Lota and her balloon alien

This years PARK(ing) Day in Portland was just the beginning for an annual event that will continue grow and gain supporters in Portland. We are all excited to see how PARK(ing) Day will evolve in the next few years. Congrats to Portland’s Kimpton properties!

Portland Monthly included National PARK(ing) Day in the Mudroom section of their September issue!

National Park(ing) Day in Portland Monthly!

National PARK(ing) Day is being spearheaded in Portland by Kimpton owned properties, the Hotel Monaco Portland, Hotel Vintage Plaza, Red Star and Pazzo Ristorante, along with The Trust for Public Land.

On September 19th, 2008 Portlanders will have yet another reason to park their cars as they will reclaim the streets for National PARK(ing) Day, a one-day celebration where artists, citizens and businesses collaborate to temporarily transform parking spots into parks, returning the urban landscape to its natural form.

Downtown’s SW 5th Avenue will be closed for the day to decorate more than a dozen parking spaces on the street between Washington and Alder. The day will culminate at this site with a “Party in the Park” featuring a bluegrass band, pork roast and a Beer Garden sponsored by the Oregon Brewers Guild, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Play hopscotch, take a ride down the slide and most importantly, come celebrate keeping Portland green while raising money for The Trust for Public Land.

Congratulations to Erica Landon, Wine Director of Ten 01, who was just named Portland Monthly’s Best Sommelier. This month, Erica and the Ten 01 team also received Wine Spectator’s 2008 Best of Award of Excellence in the magazine’s August Restaurant Awards issue.

Check out Portland Monthly's August Issue

Hotel Vintage Plaza was listed as one of Travel + Leisure’s “Top 10 Hotel’s Under $250” and “Top 100 Continental U.S. and Canada Hotels” in the magazine’s August World’s Best Awards.

HVP mentioned in Travel + Leisure twice this month!