97205 Travel Guide
Tags: Hotel Bookshelves / Hotel Amenities / Portland Hotels / → All Tags
Bringing Sexy (Books) Back at The Heathman Hotel Portland
Flipping pages in bed isn’t exactly our idea of foreplay, but for solo travelers and super geeks, The Heathman Hotel offers a “Books By Your Bedside” package. Home to one of the country’s few catalogued hotel guest-lending libraries, this package includes accommodations for two, a tour of the hotel’s library, a hardcover edition of a book written by the hotel’s most recent guest author and other goodies.
Authors Anthony Bourdain and David Sedaris both made appearances at the hotel within the past two months. Thomas L. Friedman, a popular environmental writer, as well as Annie Leibowitz, the famed celebrity photographer, were at The Heathman back in April. Michael Pollan graced Portland with his politically-correct presence in January, along with Calvin Trillin.
Tags: Hotel Amenities / Portland Hotels / Hotel Religion / → All Tags
Scientology Book Available On Demand At Hotel Lucia
Portland's Hotel Lucia likes to include everyone. They've got a packages that invite chocolate lovers (no, really, lovers) that includes an edible chocolate tattoo kit and chocolate whipped cream, and they've got a package called "He/He She/She Whatevah" that offers romantic amenities to all couples.
And as far as religion goes, well, chances are they've got you covered there, too. We were cruising around Flickr when we happened upon user Bryan Veloso's shot from a recent stay at the Lucia. He writes:
Hotel Lucia in Portland had a lot of great amenities despite their $14 internet. This was one of them, press the "Get it Now" button and have a spiritual book of your choice delivered to your room.
Okay, let's ignore the $14 connectivity charge for now and echo the photographer's sentiments here: what? The Book of Mormon to Scientology?
Well, we suppose if we're interested and don't want to pay $14 to Google it, we may as well be happy that we can at least read up on it the old-fashioned way.
[Photo: Brian Veloso]
Tags: New Years Eve 2009 Hotels / Portland Hotels / Hotel Packages / New Year's Hotels / → All Tags
Party at Portland's Benson Hotel
The new year is almost upon us, and that means your local free paper packed full with ads for NYE parties and pecial prix fixe menus. If you're not down with drinking away your Christmas bonus (that's if you even got one) with bottle service at a sweaty club, then instead focus on classing it up with good ol' dine and dance. Historic hotels of major cities have a stunning ballrooms just waiting for events like this.
For example, Portland's Benson Hotel is offering up its own tantalizing reason to break out the wingtips; their "Evening of Elegance" package includes a room for the night plus entrance to an extravaganza in their circa 1912 ballroom. It's got an orchestra! It's got an all-night-long buffet! It's got late check-out! We bet they'll even those wiry "Happy New Years" crowns and noisemakers that look like they were bought at a Five-and-Dime during the Hoover administration.
Tags: Portland Hotels / Ace Hotels / Hotel Deals / Hotel News / → All Tags
Use Your Ace Hotel Portland Room Key to "Stick It to the Man"
Taking advantage of people's need to watch their wallets and bargain-hunt this holiday season, the Ace Hotel Portland is all about the discounts; they've launched partnerships with neighboring boutiques and even Amtrak to ease the economic pain.
According to the Ace, "shopping in Oregon means no sales tax, and the MAN hates not getting money from your pocket," so take advantage of their deal to show your Ace room key at shops like Upper Playground, Blake, Hermitage, Covet, Lille Boutique and Rudy's Barbershop and receive 20% off your purchases in addition to paying no tax. It's almost like shopping a sale at a Caribbean duty-free mall, except that you're in Oregon.
In case you'll be heading down from Seattle for some Portland retail therapy, the Ace has a sweet little deal with Amtrak to get you half off companion fares on the Amtrak Cascades using promo code H779 when you book Amtrak online through May 19, 2009. The offer extends to 10% off your room at The Ace and free breakfast at Stumptown Coffee; man, they really want you to ride the rails. They've even got a contest going at Trainsetters.com for two free round-trip train tickets and one night at the hotel. All aboard for savvy shopping; Ace Hotel next stop.
[Photo: em.ness]
Tags: Portland Hotel Scene / McMenamins Hotels / Hotel Construction / Hotel Delays / Hotel Renovations / Oregon Hotels / → All Tags
Hotel Louie Still a Hard Hat Zone
While in Portland, we decided to hit up the famed Oregon hoteliers, McMenamins for a tour of their forthcoming newest property. It will become a hotel, but right now it's a bit, well, scrappy.
The website describes it at the "New Downtown Hotel" but we have it on good word from an inside source that they've finally decided on a name. The new Hotel Louie is named after the former owner of the Crystal Ballroom down the street and linked with the property.
Like most of the McMenamins properties, the building is steeped in history. It's been everything from a hotel (Hotel Alma, Hotel Georgian, Hotel Tait, Majestic Hotel) to a mens' bath house (which has earned the property quite a reputation among Portlanders), a night club, a car dealership, and the list goes on. When the property was purchased there was a lot of cleaning out to be done.
Tags: Hotel Death / Mitch Mitchell / Portland Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
Jimi Hendrix Drummer Dies at the Benson Hotel
Sad news today. Mitch Mitchell, the drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, was found dead in his room at the Benson Hotel in Portland yesterday. He was 61 years old. Mitchell was part of one of the iconic rock groups to come out of the 60s.
Hendrix, one of music's most celebrated guitarists, joined with Mitchell and bass player Noel Redding to create the Jimi Hendrix Experience in London in 1966. The following year, the band released its debut album, ``Are You Experienced?'' featuring the tracks ``Hey Joe'' and ``Purple Haze.''
Mitchell had actually come to Portland to play with a Hendrix tribute band. There is no foul play suspected and Mitchell was reportedly frail-looking but an autopsy will be performed.
[Photo: MitchMitchell.de]
Related Stories:
· Mitch Mitchell, Drummer for Jimi Hendrix Experience, Dies at 61 [Bloomberg News]
Tags: Hotel Restaurants / Portland Hotel Scene / Ace Hotels / Oregon Hotels / → All Tags
Eats at the Ace Hotel in Portland
While the Ace Hotels readies for it NYC Opening, Abigail checked in on the Portland location.
While we may have been sleeping at The Nines on our recent trip to Portland, we couldn't help but heading over to the Ace, a long-time HotelChatter love, and take our picture in the photo booth. We also had a chance to check out the other resident's of the Ace building: Clyde Commons, a restaurant, and Stumptown Coffee, a coffee shop.
Two words: Very. Yes.
First of all, genius to have both extending right off the lobby. There are coffee shops on every block in Portland, so this a great way to keep guests from spending their money elsewhere. Plus, Stumptown fits perfectly with the snobby, awesome, hipster vibe the Ace has going. (Stumptown will also be providing the beans for the new Ace New York.)
Second, we would (and did, obviously) eat dinner at Clyde even if we weren't staying the hotel. The food is that good. Three cheers for the squash ravioli!
We're really liking what the Ace brand is doing. Here's hoping as they keep expanding, they can keep it up.
Tags: Hotel Packages / Rock Packages / Hotel Contests / Ace Hotels / → All Tags
The Ace Hotel in Portland Wants You To See Stephen Malkmus and The Jinks
If you were a big fan of the underground band Pavement back in the day, then you might be interested in this new package from the Ace Hotel Portland.
Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus and his new band, The Jicks are playing in Portland at the Wonder Ballroom on May for one night only and it's the band's only stop in the Northwest. That's right, they won't be playing in Seattle.
Thus the Ace Hotel is offering out of town Malkmus fans a special package deal. For $175 you get a basic room, two tickets to the show and free parking. For $200 you get a deluxe room, tickets, parking plus a copy of The Jicks' newest album, Real Emotional Trash, on vinyl. Call 503-228-2277 to book, and mention the Stephen Malkmus package of your choice.
If you don't have the dough but really really really wanna see the show in Portland, enter in the hotel's contest to win two tickets to the show, a room at the Ace and the full Malkmus catalog, including the new album.
Tags: Ace Hotels / Hotel News / Fashion Hotels / Hotel Swag / → All Tags
Ace Hotel Portland is Inspiration for the Number (N)ine Fashion Line
We knew the Ace Hotel in Portland, Oregon was a pretty hip spot but could it really be a fashion muse? Apparently so.
The hotel was the inspiration for the Japanese designer Takahiro Miyashita's Fall `08 menswear line for lable Number (N)ine. In fact, the hotel collaborated with Miyashita on the line which premiered on the runway January 17th in Paris.
A Northwest grunge aesthetic runs through Miyashita's fall pieces. The show, titled "My Own Private Portland," opened with an Ace Hotel voicemail message. Portland-made Pendleton wool blankets folded on each seat invited guests to snuggle up.
This blankets are emblazoned with the Thompson Elk, a recognizable and historical statue in downtown Portland.
The hotel and Number (N)ine are even working on some more products but for now if you want a blanket (yes, please), you can get them from the Number (N)ine's Manhattan flagship store, and (this gets us very excited) from the Ace's upcoming NYC outpost.
Tags: Cubicle Dreamin' / Portland Hotel Reviews / Hotel Deals / → All Tags
Cubicle Dreamin': All I Want on Vacation is Books
Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.
In this episode, Contributing Editor AmandaK has a bookworm getaway. Enjoy.
There's a really, really good reason that I want to stay at the Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon, and it's definitely not because I want to check out the alleged ghost activity. No, this time it's all about the books.
The Heathman Hotel is famous for its 4000-book library, just unveiled to the public and ready for my voracious reading eyes. To celebrate this opening they're offering a package called "Books By Your Bedside" which sounds like the ideal hotel deal for me. For $229 a night you get a tour of the library, your very own travel reading light, a few books from the local bookstore and a hardcover copy of a book written by one of the authors who has stayed overnight at the Heathman--possibilities include Tom Wolfe, Alice Walker and John Updike.
Free books? This is my dream hotel. Now all they need to add is a few dream cocktails (also free, please) and an extremely comfortable chair, and I'll be reading my heart out for my entire stay. I have a feeling I wouldn't have a chance to check out Portland, but I'd sure as heck be getting my brain stimulated. By chance, the Heathman Hotel also looks like a pretty funky hotel, so if my eyes stray from the page I'll still be happy.
[Photo: cynsmith61]
Tags: Portland Hotel Reviews / Destination Hotels / → All Tags
Hotel deLuxe: Instant Classic, Just Add Guests!
Downtown Portland's Hotel deLuxe (formerly the Mallory) opened last year and has quickly established itself as the Portland downtown hotel for business travelers, well-to-do parents visiting their kids in Portland, folks who want to stay downtown, and even locals.
The hotel was completely renovated into an up-to-date, yet old Hollywood style, hotel. What does that mean? The mood, the lighting, and the bar and restaurant all feel as exclusive as we imagine 1940's Hollywood felt, while the hotel itself accommodates the demanding guest of 2007 with iHome for iPods, flat screen HD televisions, super attentive service, and by welcoming pets. So you get to bring your dog, watch Sportscenter or CNN in HD, and walk around feeling like Jimmy Cagney.
The rooms are not huge by any stretch, nor are the public spaces, but this hotel isn't about size it is about an old Hollywood experience--thus the 400+ classic film photos on property. Plus, they have a blog written by staffers.
Who Should Stay Here: Classic film buffs, business luxury lovers, guests who like the mix of old and new, your parents.
Who Should Avoid This Hotel: Folks who expect an Embassy Suites sized standard room, guests who crave large lobbies and boatloads of on-site amenities, and people who dislike staying downtown.
Bottom Line: Hotel deLuxe is smoothed out on the glamour film tip with a pop feel, appeal, to it.
Related Stories:
· Portland Hotel Reviews [HotelChatter]
· Portland Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Portland Hotel Reviews / HotelChatter Reviews / → All Tags
Someone Else Stayed at the Ace Hotel in Portland, Did You?
The other day HotelChatter's Markj spent a night at the Ace Hotel in Portland aka "The Drugstore Cowboy Hotel." And today Amy over at NewYorkology sent in her pics from stay inside a room at the Ace which had a giant dripping cat stenciled on the wall.
She paid about $200 for this room which was called a Superior Deluxe Back--back meaning "back of the hotel" which is quieter. Her only gripes were that you had to walk downstairs for coffee in the AM and that the $20 parking was in a lot far away and the attendant didn't tell her how much it cost.
Meanwhile, we wanna know if you have stayed somewhere HotelChatter has stayed lately. Send us your reviews, pictures, room rates and good/bad experiences. If you don't know where to start, we have a few hotels that we wanna hear more about. You can comment directly on these hotel pages to share your experience.
· 60 Thompson: We last stayed here in 2003. What's changed?
· Gramercy Park Hotel: Did you sleep with the lights on like we did?
· The Orchard Garden Hotel: Was your inner Greenie fulfilled?
· Yotel Gatwick: Did the porn-star lighting bother you?
· Mandarin Oriental Miami: Did you experience that stellar Mandarin Oriental service?
Related Stories:
· Ace Hotel Portland: Drugstore Cowboy Hotel Video [HotelChatter]
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