Hotel Insider: Ace Hotel Portland



The welcome

I arrive in the evening after a long flight. The hotel dates from the early 1900s, but opened as the Ace in 2007, and is now the HQ of the Ace Hotel brand, which has properties in the United States, Panama and London. The lobby is shabby chic in appearance, with a cultivated ensemble of distressed furniture, an evocative old “hotel” sign and black-and-white TVs on a large shared coffee table. Reception staff are warm; the cranky old lift looks like it needs cleaning.

The neighbourhood

The hotel is situated in a central, historic part of the city bordering on the Pearl District. It’s round the corner from Powell’s bookstore, one of the city’s most popular draws. The small-scale, Western-style streets, in various stages of gentrification, have a marked sense of place.

The scene

Thirty-something hipsters from the US and abroad seem to be the main clientele. Adjoining the lobby is a branch of Stumptown Coffee, a local coffee-shop chain, and guests sip their coffee both in there and in the hotel’s lobby. Also adjoining the lobby is Clyde Common, a smart, trendy restaurant venue that’s not actually part of the hotel, but serves as its main restaurant. The hotel has a basement bar, Pepe Le Moko, which is accessed round the corner. While some of the clientele take themselves too seriously, there’s a thoughtful, alternative air, which is typical of Portland. Other guests seem to be mainly from elsewhere in the US and Europe.

The room

My room, one of 78, is a third-floor “standard front room”, which feels small and rather dark thanks to a window blind that’s needed for privacy. Over the blind is a nice view across the street, while double glazing shuts out most noise. There’s an old style air-conditioning unit, and the room feels a bit airless. There’s a stand-up shower in the corner of the bedroom, a separate toilet and small sink. It all feels a bit poky and hostel-like, though it’s clean. The cheapest rooms have shared bathrooms. In the corridor, I can hear a couple in the room opposite me having what sounds like an argument, but it’s otherwise peaceful.

The service

Staff are helpful, cheerful and take the time to talk to you about the area and the city, your trip and even their own lives. At breakfast, there’s an interminable wait for a delivery of croissants.

The food

The small breakfast room on the second floor offers a $12 (Dh44) buffet of granola, local cheeses, pastries, toast, frittata, pickles and tea and coffee. It’s worthwhile, if you eat everything. Clyde Common, on the ground floor, is connected to the hotel and serves as its de facto restaurant. The mixed salad with halibut ($17 [Dh62]) is delicious. Stumptown Coffee is excellent. The room service menu is extremely limited, overpriced and isn’t available 24 hours.

Loved

The sense of place. Even if only for a night, this is great for tuning into the city’s hipster image. There’s also free bike hire.

Hated

The pretentiousness of some of the local clientele.

The verdict

An interesting and well-located hotel, though it’s less than luxurious.

The bottom line

Double rooms at the Ace Hotel Portland (www.acehotel.com/portland) cost from $166 (Dh610) per night, including taxes, with a shared bathroom.

rbehan@thenational.ae

Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi

Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi

Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni

Rating: 2.5/5

Company%20Profile
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MEYDAN CARD

6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m

7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m

8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m

8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m

10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m

10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

The National selections:

6.30pm AF Alwajel

7.05pm Ekhtiyaar

7.40pm First View

8.15pm Benbatl

8.50pm Zakouski

9.25pm: Kimbear

10pm: Chasing Dreams

10.35pm: Good Fortune

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Getting there

The flights

Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.

The stay

Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net 

Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama

Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.

The National in Davos

We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Director: Peyton Reed

Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas

Three stars

Fixtures:

Wed Aug 29 – Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30 - UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1 - UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2 – Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4 - Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6 – Final

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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RESULT

Deportivo La Coruna 2 Barcelona 4
Deportivo:
Perez (39'), Colak (63')
Barcelona: Coutinho (6'), Messi (37', 81', 84')

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)