Portland's Governor Hotel Celebrates 100th Birthday

  • February 11, 2009
Portland's Governor Hotel Celebrates 100th Birthday
Providing luxurious accommodations and classic early 20th century style to Pacific Northwest travelers for 100 years, The Governor Hotel announces the celebration of its 2009 centennial. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and a member of Historic Hotels of America, the newly renovated Governor was originally opened as the Seward Hotel on March 9, 1909, and is one of the longest standing first-class hotels in Portland, Oregon.

Commemorating the culture, art, music and fashion of the early 1900s, the hotel is honoring the 100th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of Oregon throughout 2009. Guests and the public are invited to enjoy free historical hotel tours, a centennial hotel Open House complete with period-dressed guides, a special anniversary-themed accommodation package, and more.

An immaculate six story building, The Governor boasts 100 beautifully remodeled rooms and suites and was built in the boom years immediately following Portland's 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition. Pioneering the use of early Viennese-influenced arts and crafts style design, the hotel's architect William Christmas Knighton is the first known Oregonian to use fully-glazed terra cotta on the exterior of a building. Full of turn-of-the-century charm, Knighton's guilded archways, ornate sconces and rustic chandeliers attest to the glamour of the early 1900s, while Lewis & Clark expedition murals, Native American-inspired themes and the hotel's early years as an official Fraternal Order of the Elks temple capture the romance of Oregon's past.

When the hotel first opened, reservations ran from $1.50 a night for a sleeping room to $2.00 a night for a private bath and breakfast.

Conveniently located in the heart of the downtown Portland, OR within close walking distance to the best shopping, restaurants, theatres, and the busy business sector, The Governor hotel is a four-star luxury property that offers the perfect combination of modern convenience and historical ambiance. A member of historical hotels of America and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel boasts 100 beautifully renovated rooms and suites, grand ball rooms and event facilities, Jakes Grill and Starbucks on-site, 24-hour room service, a full-service fitness center and complimentary wireless Internet among many amenities. For more information or to make a reservation, please call 503.224.3400 or visit www.GovernorHotel.com.