TOTALLY ACE

I am madly in love with the design of the Ace in Portland. It's aimed at creative types on a low budget (tick) and even has rooms with bunks for bands on tour. A lot of the former hotel built in 1912 was retained as it was under preservation and much of the materials were salvaged and restored such as bathtubs, doorknobs and signs. Other items used in the design were sourced locally in order to keep the ecological footprint down like the ingenious use of tables made of stacked books from bargain bins in local shops. Artists from around the city painted murals in the rooms so each room has an individual quality to it. There is a photo booth in the lobby and the front desk is made from a factory unit. My favourite thing about his hotel is that it has record players in the rooms and you can borrow vinyl from the front desk. Alex Calderwood of the Ace Group is quoted as saying “things that are slightly imperfect have soul” and I couldn’t agree more. Check out the equally excellent website here.