Touring the Mindaro Campus, Plus Jawfish Noms in Portland (Photos)

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Linh DePledge, who I first met in connection to Jawfish, a restaurant and bar that opened up in the old Shiloh Inn Restaurant on the old Shiloh Inn hotel property. The hotel, a Vesta Hospitality property, has been transformed into a pretty nice option for a Portland stay, and the three elements—Hyatt House (a three-star hotel), The Mindaro, and Jawfish— are being referred to as the Mindaro Campus.

I often hear my neighbors ask where their out of town guests could stay nearby, and I think in many cases this is a worthy choice, especially for the folks in Parkrose, Argay, Sumner, Madison South, and Cully. I was particularly curious about the hotel on their behalf.

Here are my impressions of my time there—and plenty of photos.

Touring the Mindaro Campus with Linh

Linh, who I mentioned earlier, is the Vice President of Brand & Communications at Vesta Hospitality, and she was my tour guide. Regarding a timeline for the Mindaro Campus, Jawfish was the first piece that was completed, and it opened November 2025; Hyatt House, an extended stay option, opened its doors in early August 2026; and The Mindaro, intended to be a more boutique hotel experience will open in early October.

Vesta Hospitality marks 30 years in business this year. I met the CEO and founder, Rick Takach, who happened to be there at Jawfish. While chatting with him about this anniversary, it was clear that he feels both the seriousness and the joy that has been part of building his business over the past three decades.

Last time I was on the Mindaro Campus was in early January, when I dined at Jawfish. I remember the parking lot was mildly populated with cars. Not this time—the place was packed.

Approaching the entrance has a spacious feel. And to get from the airport to the hotel without a personal vehicle, they have two shuttles, both of which are EVs. The hotel is about a 10 minute drive from PDX, making it a quick ride.

You step into a lounge with upholstered furniture in many earth/sea tones of green, rose, blue, and brown, which I personally found soothing. There is a fireplace in the middle of the room, and check in/out on the left (see first photo).

The Future Hollow Cafe + Bar

Straight back is where The Hollow Cafe + Bar will be; a false wall is there right now as they prepare the space to open on September 29, 2026. They will offer coffee there in the morning, and transition to a cocktail bar later in the day.

I like this wayfinding/icon signage.

Mindaro Campus: Extended Stay Rooms

As I mentioned earlier, the Hyatt House accommodates extended stays, but really anyone can stay there regardless of the length of their trip. But, if you do need to be here for work or play for, say, a week or more, they have rooms with kitchenettes.

While looking at this room, I was reminded of a time when I needed just that. It was during a summer of my youth when I was at the Sarasota Music Festival for three weeks and needed a way to cook meals to stay on a budget. (Our room was like $20 a day! Not anymore.)

Some of the rooms are outfitted with just a microwave and a small refrigerator, best suited for shorter stays.

The rooms are a good size, and one of them was bigger than some studio apartments I emcountered in NYC.

Other Amenities on the Mindaro Campus

Other amenities include a modern gym, the H market shop downstairs, a digital schedule of flights at PDX, a breakfast/meal space for a Continental breakfast, and an outdoor patio with seating, a table fire pit, and communal grills.

That patio is a nice place to spend some time.

The Mindaro on the Mindaro Campus

We also walked through The Mindaro, and it was full-on under construction, so no inside photos. Part of this side of the hotel is the Mindaro Event Center, an events space.

Jawfish

Linh was kind enough to treat me to lunch, too. We shared this very refreshing watermelon salad with cucumber, mint, feta, and almonds.

I tried their crispy chicken sandwich with some sweet potato waffle fries. Very tasty. I don’t often encounter sweet potatoes in waffle fry form. I’d eat this again.

The key lime pie was also quite nice with unsweetened real whipped cream on top—I don’t come across that very often, and I loved that aspect of it.

I could not eat this entire piece, so I saved a bit and ate it later that evening, and the lime flavor became more pronounced, which I liked.

They’ve done a really nice job with this restaurant space and I still love the colorful balls hanging throughout.

Jawfish has proven to be a desirable place for locals to eat out at, too, and I was glad to hear it. I think it’s one of the nicest options in the immediate area. And for those staying at the hotel, getting to Jawfish doesn’t require one to go outside; everything is connected inside.

BTW, here is the dining room for Le Petit Chef, an interactive dining experience with an animated chef, located within Jawfish. My hope is to check it out soon.

Many thanks to Linh for the tour and the lovely hospitality!

The Mindaro Campus: Jawfish | Hyatt House | The Mindaro
11707 NE Airport Way, Portland
Hyatt House Portland Airport website | Jawfish website | Facebook (Jawfish)