allison, you're killing me

the allison hotel newberg


sometimes it pays to have friends in the right places and that was the case yesterday when i was invited by my friend in the hotel industry to take a personal tour of the brand spanking new allison hotel that just opened on friday in the heart of the willamette valley wine country.

this hotel and spa resort has been in the works for quite a while and let me tell you, there were no holds barred. they really went all out on this place. the austin family that owns the hotel are from the newberg area and have made their fortune in dental equipment. they have long been contributers to the library, schools and arts of the willamette valley and now they have truly made their mark with this grand hotel. you can see their love of the valley and this hotel in every corner--from the artwork that they commissioned that includes paintings of old family snapshots to the placement of rooms looking out to views that include the old school house that family members had attended as children. not to mention amazing views of the valley as well as their grove and vineyard.

while this 85 room hotel seems placed out in the middle of nowhere, as we all know, it's just a matter of time before the rest of the world discovers what amazing wines we have coming out of the area and will want to come and visit for themselves. i think they are really on to something and i think many more places like this (well maybe not on this scale)will be opening in the future.

come on, let's take the tour!


the dining room of jory, the hotel's restaurant


dining room details


amuse bouche and champagne


the chef's table


the hotel's living room


the queen room


the living room area of the queen room


the double queen room


and it's living room area


the water feature in the entrance to the spa/salon area


the amazing swimming pool with mud art at one end that depicts millions of years of terrain in the valley.


the outdoor sitting area off the pool


the view towards the vineyard and groves

so what do you think? ready to ditch work and head out there right now? and while the rooms are a little spendy starting at around $285 per night, locals shouldn't be discouraged from taking the short drive out just to enjoy the restaurant or bar. designate a driver, start at the jory for luch and then visit a few of the closest wineries. i will definitely be getting a group of friends together for a day trip very soon. thank you, megan for the invitation. i had a wonderful time.

oh, and here's a little tidbit for you. if you book a haircut appointment for just $35.00 in their salon, you can use their swimming pool and hot tub. hello! i'm in on that one.

the allison hotel and jory restaurant are located at 2525 allison lane in newburg and the number is 503.554.2525.

happy wine tasting!

my own private portland part two

10th street entrance to the governor

clyde's menu

entrance to clyde's

the ace hotel portland

so after posting yesterday, i thought that it would be interesting to hear what movies have made a major impression in your lives the way my own private idaho did for me. did you ever see a movie that made you decide to do something drastic like i did? i'd love to hear about it.

so, when i did finally make it up to portland back in '98, i spent my first night in a hotel located in the neighborhood referred to as "vaseline alley". in one of the last scenes in my own private idaho, keanu reeves walks into a restaurant named jake's famous crawfish. well this was right up the street from my hotel (which at the time was called the ben stark and then the clyde). this hotel has been featured in other gus van sant films, namely drugstore cowboy (interior shots). currently housed here is the chichi ace hotel and clyde common restaurant. both the hotel and the restaurant are very portland hip. my friends and i like to go to clyde common for the happy hour but you should definitely go for dinner sometime, too.

the ace hotel is located at 1022 sw stark 503.228.2277 http://www.acehotel.com/

clyde common is located at 1014 sw stark 503.228.3333

http://www.clydecommon.com/

from the ace and clyde common, just head west on stark where jake's famous crawfish is still located at 401 sw 12th 503.226.1414 http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/

then head south to the governor hotel at 614 sw 11th to find the old hotel where river, keanu and friends gathered at when bob was in town. the 10th street entrance (which shows jake's grill) is the entrance featured in the movie.

if you get tired of walking, there is usually a radio cab close by (shown in ace hotel shot). or you can call them at 503.227.1212 (i have them on speed dial).