Hotel deLuxe: Escaping the usual for Hollywood's Golden Age

Story and photos by Deston S. Nokes

It’s all too easy for travelers to settle for the familiar in their accommodations. There’s something safe about choosing a familiar brand, but it often results in a property lacking in any local, adventurous spirit. Even the more opulent hotels will stick to a décor formula that could place it in any city, be it Portland, Baltimore, Chicago or Houston.

The Hotel deLuxe, in downtown Portland, Ore., not only marches to its own decorative drummer; it successfully transports guests to a totally different time – the golden era of Hollywood. Since it opened in 2006, the hotel’s vision has paid off as Condé Nast Travelers named the Hotel deLuxe one of the 100 Best Hotels in the U.S.

Walking into its elegant lobby, my eyes were immediately drawn to the large, mirrored wall with a framed screen projecting movie stills of glamorous actors: Bogart, Dietrich, Gable, Davis and others. From the foyer and the rooms, to its restaurant, Gracie’s, the design and detailing is based on the architecture and decor of the 1920s through the 1940s. Here, it would be easy to imagine women in gowns extending their cigarette holders to be lit by formally attired gentlemen sipping champagne.

But despite its splendor, the décor is fun, not stiff. “We walk that fine line between refined and formal, but it’s certainly anything but stuffy,” explained Dina Nishioka, public relations director for Provenance Hotels, which owns the Hotel deLuxe and Portland’s Hotel Lucia. “Portland is pretty low on the snooty scale, so anything too opulent wouldn’t do.”

Rufus Mallory, former U.S. attorney for Oregon, originally built the eight-story, 130-room hotel in 1912. Provenance Hotels bought the deluxe for $7.9 million in 2004 and wanted to infuse it with a vintage Hollywood sheen. It committed $10 million to the renovation, which was completed by designer David Hill. The investment earned the property recognition as the best historic renovation in 2007 by Hospitality Design Magazine.

Prior, the building spent 60 years as the Mallory Hotel. Certain aspects of the Mallory were retained, such as the gold-leaf designs on the molding and ceilings, its columns and the crystal chandeliers from Czechoslovakia.

Each floor is dedicated to a different Hollywood film director or star. Hitchcock gets the second Floor (since there is no 13th). Floor 5 features Otto Preminger, Fritz Lang and William Wyler. Total, there are 400 framed motion picture stills and star portraits adorning the halls of the hotel.

The extremely spacious and comfortable rooms (which start at $134 and go up to $309) are pleasantly cheerful in their light yellow and cool mint colors. Just because the décor evokes a bygone era is no reason to dispense with modern-day comforts: Every room features flat-screen, high-definition televisions; iPod docking stations; a pillow menu with every conceivable variety of noggin’ comfort; and a spiritual menu with the texts of every major world religion. The hotel has a 24-hour fitness center, 24-hour business center and room service around the clock. Many rooms have views of Portland’s west hills or of the downtown.

The Hotel deLuxe also has an unexpected menu for pampering your dog. Yes, you read right: You can order from a doggie room service menu that includes items such as Smothered Comfort – home-style chicken thighs smothered in gravy, with a buffet of delectable fixings such as barley, carrots, sweet potatoes and blueberries. You can reserve an afternoon of doggie daycare so you can explore the city on the neighboring MAX light rail line. You can order a book on dog massage, but my head simply cannot quite wrap itself around that one. 

Back downstairs, one Mallory feature that was left alone is the popular Driftwood Room with its dark wood interior and kidney shape bar. It’s so unbelievably dim in contrast to the open, bright hotel lobby, I suppose it’s a great place to duck the paparazzi, but my eyes never did adjust.

Across the lobby is Gracie’s a delicious find featuring fresh Northwest cuisine in an open, chandeliered setting. While its entrees of local lamb, fresh halibut and succulent wild salmon were pleasing; it was the selection of small plates that was most memorable. I highly recommend the mussels in wine garlic sauce with tomatoes and pork sausage. The mac and cheese is terrific, infused with mustard and panko breadcrumbs. The must-order is the sizzling forest mushrooms, with garlic, green onions and white truffle oil. There’s also a risotto of the day.

Gracie’s also is a popular breakfast spot, serving corned beef hash, slow cooked with sweet onions, spinach, sour cream and poached eggs. It serves German pancakes and even an Oregon trout Benedict.

“I like the elegance of it,” said Candise Nokes, resident of West Linn and frequent diner at Gracie’s. “I love the entrance – coming up the steps and seeing the old black and white pictures the stars, and hearing the music of the 30s and 40s.

“When I walk in, it takes me back in time.”

For more information:
Hotel deLuxe, 729 SW 15th Ave., Portland, OR 97205
Local: 503.219.2094 Reservations: 866.986.8085
www.hoteldeluxeportland.com

About the author:
Oregon native Deston Nokes wrote a new iPhone app: PORTLAND ESSENTIALS. It highlights the best things to see, do and eat in Portland. With 250 entries and more than 1,500 photos, it’s a delicious resource for those who live in the Rose City, and for those coming to visit. This new application is for sale on iTunes for only $2.99.