Imagine the reverberation of hipster’s hosannas around downtown Portland when the Ace Hotel first opened its doors in 2007. Boutique with a coyly minimalistic and quintessential Portland atmosphere, the hotel is Rose City trendy with a capital T. From the lobby photo booth to the work-friendly mezzanine on Floor 1 ½ and the open doorways into Stumptown Coffee and cocktail refuge Clyde Common, the thick-framed, facial-haired, flannel-clad guests, retro décor and refurbished fixtures are abound and aplenty.
Major hipster cred warning! Formerly the Clyde Hotel, the building’s lobby was the setting for a scene from the 1989 Gus Van Sant film “Drugstore Cowboy” starring Matt Dillon. The property itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Portland location rocks the title of the hotel group’s headquarters (now with locations in Panama and London) and it wouldn’t be out of character for the Ace’s sofa-filled lobby to accommodate a passing Indie band or two for an acoustic jam sesh.
No frills but unobtrusively fashionable, the disposition of the hotel transfers from floor to floor and on into the rooms with military bunkhouse signage on doors, reclaimed wood walls, original art, locally made furniture and vintage vinyl record players. Lodging accommodations range from the Basic Shared Single 200-square-foot room outfitted in a queen bed, curated minibar and 18-inch flat screen TV with access to a large, private, single-occupant bathroom down the hall to the Superior Deluxe Front room that boasts double the square-footage, a king bed and plenty of space to lounge or work on wrap-around couches (that convert into two twin beds), with a private bath with clawfoot tub or large shower and 32-inch flat-screen TV. Distinguished as “front” and “back” rooms, the former is street-side for guests to experience the bustling lifestyle of downtown Portland while the latter is a bit cozier and quieter.
All rooms are dog-friendly, all have wi-fi with a desk and the “comfiest hypoallergenic beds known to mankind” that the Ace sells custom made-to-order via its online store, along with hats, glasses, t-shirt, key chains and, of course, fanny packs. Guests not only have access to the shop but they also have access to custom Hufnagel Cycle bikes with helmets and locks for town touring and umbrellas for that pesky “typical Northwest weather.”
Both the resident freelancing hipster and the hurried corporate businessperson would be remiss to not get a cocktail from Clyde Common, the house of “domestic and foreign cooking” just steps from the Ace’s lobby. Home of mixology master, blogger and Playboy magazine columnist Jeffrey Morgenthaler (whose first book was released in June), the bar program is the show-runner of Clyde Common, but the creative and Northwest-inspired cuisine offers inventive and flavorsome support to the credits like the simple and bright zucchini salad with ricotta and almonds or the smoked duck with grilled crunchy cabbage, peanut aillade and a cherry mostarda. Give Jeffrey a wink and tell him to make you his best Old Fashioned (yes, it’s a damn good classic rendition), get crazy and order their Daily Punch or taste test the house-bottled cocktail, Broken Bike, which features Cynar herbal artichoke liqueur, Pinot Gris, water, lemon oil with a boost of carbonation.
The Ace Hotel has set a standard for cool and collected without the kitsch and pomposity that can go with hip. The Portland location identifies with the unmentioned mantra and brings its own nuances of Northwest culture to the hotel group.
The Ace Hotel, Portland || 1022 SW Stark St, Portland || acehotel.com/portland
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