We had mixed feelings about booking a room at the Ace Hotel. The photos of the place offer such amazing design eye candy, we wanted to see it all for ourselves. But we've found that too often, hotels that are deemed hip are lacking in friendly service and good amenities. Since our trip to Portland was brief (just two nights), we decided to go for it. And we're so glad we did: We totally enjoyed our stay — and could not stop taking pictures throughout the hotel.
Dozens of local artists created murals and collages in the hotel rooms. The photo above is Room 428, which is on a corner of the fourth floor. Below are a few more shots of the room's interior.
A close-up of the unconventional nightstand: a block of wood and a stack of books.
A multi-functional table divides the sleeping and sitting areas in the room. The flat-screen TV swivels. And, yes, that's a turntable. (The needle can be retrieved from the front desk.)
A barn door separates the bathroom from the rest of the space.
Moving on to the public areas of the hotel ...
The lobby is dominated by a table topped with terrariums and surrounded by comfy seating.
Sweet, old tiles just off of the lobby.
Trivia: The Ace was previously the Clyde Hotel, where "Drugstore Cowboy" was filmed.
This cross-stitched sign in the elevator is pretty accurate. It's one reason to take the stairs.
The other reason to take the stairs: Evan B. Harris' mural, between the third and fourth floors.
The Ace has a business center like no other. There's a large table with MacBooks for guests to use. There's a couch for napping (isn't that what your room is for?), and this cool cabinet.
We would absolutely book with the Ace Hotel again. It was noisy, but we chalked that up to staying in a bustling part of town. Every staffer we encountered was friendly and helpful. And we loved that there was a great restaurant (Clyde Common) and a superb coffeeshop (Stumptown) adjacent to the hotel. Other perks: There's free wi-fi throughout the hotel and a photobooth in the lobby.
Thanks, Ace Hotel, for a fantastic Portland experience! And it didn't even rain much while we were there!
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It looks really cool! does anyone know where to get a cushion-like headboard like the one on the first and second pic?
I've stayed in the Ace Hotel in Seattle and had a really great experience. It's not a hotel that you'd probably stay at for a week long visit, but it was perfect for one or two nights. I'd go back just for the chance to check out a different room. The staff was very friendly and informative and there's definitely a cool vibe from all the different hip guests staying there.
Man, if I didn't already LIVE in Portland...
The top image (the geometric wall mural) is the work of the brilliant graphic designer, Kenzo Minami.
Thanks for the post.
It's great place to go lounge and make some drinks. Stump coffee!
Bring some earplugs just in case, but yes, fab place, excellent coffeeshop and a cool photobooth. You can walk from the public transit which goes right to the airport as long as you have a rolling suitcase or travel light. I think the headboard thing is just a big ole pillow they made with canvas and propped up on the bed box.
Really? I hated my stay at the Ace Hotel in Seattle. The mattress was hard and uncomfortable, the sheets too scratchy, the room too drafty and with a lot of street noise throughout the night. The bathroom reminded me of commode/facilities from the HBO prison show "Oz." The front desk receptionist couldn't give two shits about checking me in and barely made eye contact during check-in (web-surfed instead). I felt like I was being punished. Seriously. But, uh, nice selection of complimentary hipster periodicals. And I hear Moby likes the place... Oh yeah, did i mention no valet parking (and on a busy Belltown street, no less)?
I love Portland. I love Seattle. And I visit both for business every 6 weeks or so. The Ace Hotel would be my absolute last choice. In fact, I'd stay outside of the downtown area if all the other area hotels were already booked up. The Ace Hotel is basically a hostel posing as a hipster boutique hotel. If that's your thing, then go for it. Me, I want my ass kissed a litte bit more for my (or my company's) money.
Are those roller shades mounted upside down in the third pic? I've been living without window treatments and sacrificing some privacy for our city and sky views. I could get adequate privacy when required by just covering the bottom panes and leaving the uppers open, but the banks of windows are each 16' wide, which complicates things and makes a simple solution hard to come by. I don't like all of the strings that hang in the window for top-down bottom-up shades, and this looks much cleaner. Anyone know how this was done? Thanks!
The bar at Clyde Common has some of the most delicious drinks known to man, such as the Whiskey Ginger and the Anemic Mary...yum!