The Nines, a 330-room Starwood Luxury Collection hotel, is scheduled to open in downtown Portland, OR, in fall 2008. The hotel will occupy the top nine floors of the historic Meier & Frank Building in downtown Portland; a renovated Macy's department store will fill the building's lower five floors. 
A key component of the $118 million project is transforming the top floors from a solid box to a hollow square. The creation of this atrium will give all of the hotel rooms—even those on the interior—access to a view and natural light. The interior rooms will overlook the glass-roofed lobby area, while the exterior rooms will have city views. The hotel's plans also call for a restaurant and lounge on the lobby level and a ballroom, as well as conference and banquet facilities.
The current renovation project is using sustainable practices, with a goal of achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
In addition to the renovation work taking place inside the
building, visitors will notice activity on the street outside. TriMet, the
region's transportation authority, is adding a new light rail line in downtown
Contact Deborah Wakefield at the Portland Oregon Visitors Association (503-275-9795, [email protected]).