The Best Western Inn at the Meadows is a business hotel, convenient for travelers attending events at the nearby Portland Expo Center. While it looks like a typical boxy chain hotel from the outside, the inside is sleek and modern. The lobby has marble floors, black leather executive furniture, and a black accent wall behind the front desk. Hanging light fixtures and a futuristic glass-topped table add idiosyncratic touches. The breakfast room takes the look down a notch, though a blueish-gray wall adds a modern touch to an otherwise generic space. 

The Best Western Inn at the Meadows is located in what most Portlanders would consider the middle of nowhere, although it is within a five-minute walk of MAX rapid transit. It's right off Interstate 5, a few minutes' drive south of the Oregon-Washington border, and right by Portland Meadows, a horse and greyhound race track and popular concert venue. It's conveniently close to the Portland Expo Center, a five-minute drive north, but there's little else in the immediate area beyond a few fast-food and chain restaurants, a Wal-Mart, and a handful of other big-box stores. The airport is about a 20-minute drive away, and downtown Portland is within a 10- to 15-minute drive, depending on traffic. 

The hotel offers Queen, King, Executive King, and Two Queen Accessible Rooms, along with large Family Suites with separate bedrooms. All rooms have microwaves, coffeemakers, mini-fridges, 39-inch flat-screen HDTVs, and desks with ergonomic chairs. Rollaway beds can be added to rooms for a fee, while the use of cribs is free. Decor is impressively sleek, and the rooms were renovated in 2013. A mix of off-white and rich charcoal walls create a serious business vibe -- as does the lack of artwork on the walls and the sleek furniture. Bathrooms have shower/tub combos and long counters with huge mirrors that span the entire length of the walls.

Although there's no pool or gym, the Best Western offers a large hot tub on a patio right outside the lobby, and though it is exposed to the elements, it's open year-round. The hotel offers a free buffet breakfast with plenty of hot items, including potatoes and eggs. Wi-Fi and parking are also free, and there's free coffee in the lobby day and night, along with newspapers. Business travelers should note that there's a large meeting room available to rent, along with a smaller board room, and the hotel will fax or photocopy up to 10 pages of a document for guests at no extra charge. There's also a business corner in the lobby, along with an ATM. Laundry services are available on request.