Hotel Monaco’s unobtrusive entrance on the corner of SW Washington Street and SW 5th Avenue in Portland belies an Alice-in-Wonderland interior. During our holiday stay, the vivid, over-saturated reds, purples and blues of the lobby, and its whimsically oversized furniture, perfectly suited the extravagant Christmas decorations and roaring fireplace. To complete the fairyland fantasy upon arrival, the pet-friendly hotel was checking in a guest whose fluffy Siberian husky was the size of a lion and lay calmly at her feet.
The Monaco is a Kimpton property, and as such attracts an eclectic clientele. It’s in the perfect location to navigate downtown Portland by foot, a block away from Pioneer Courthouse Square and in between iconic Portland destinations like Powell’s Books, the city of books that takes up an entire city block, or Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. It’s also a particularly convenient location for out-of-town visitors who are anxious to take advantage of Oregon’s lack of sales tax, minutes away from Pioneer Place mall and shopping destinations like Tory Burch, Tiffany & Co., Pendleton Woolen Mills, as well as department stores like Nordstrom and Mario’s.
The attached restaurant is the Red Star Tavern, a comfortable, expansive public house with a menu of American-style dishes that are made, whenever possible, with fresh, local ingredients. Standouts included the hefty serving of tender, moist brick chicken, served with roasted summer squash and chard. The beer selection also heavily features favorites from top-notch Oregon breweries, like Occidental’s hefeweizen and the Cavatica Stout from Fort George in Astoria, Oregon.
Once you’ve finished your meal and taken a post-dinner stroll through the glittering lights of downtown Portland, it’s time to relax. Decorated in whimsical, cheerfully mismatching colors and patterns, with Art Deco-inspired printed wallpaper that brings to mind the famous saying from the hit TV show “Portlandia” to “put a bird on it,” the playful décor doesn’t detract from the room’s many lavish comforts, such as luxurious Italian sheets or a yoga mat in every room.
The next morning, take a five-minute walk to one of Portland’s most beloved breakfast spots, Mother’s Bistro, for a steaming plate of their salmon hash or challah French toast, and then take a short walk alongside the Willamette River in Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Although the Hotel Monaco offers many comforts, by far its most prominent attraction is its location, next to the best that downtown Portland has to offer.
Hotel Monaco || 506 SW Washington St, Portland || monaco-portland.com
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